Helen Whatling helps families to get crafty at The Old Barn at Field Farm, Rolleston

A new family farm venture hopes to help children learn more about food and farming through fun activities.

The Old Barn at Field Farm, Rolleston, has just opened ­— and a charity muddle puddle walk was its first activity.

The walk, inspired by popular children’s character Peppa Pig, saw 25 families splash their way around the farm and raise £120 for Save The Children.

The new venture has been set up by Helen Whatling, who grew up on the farm, which has been owned and run for many years by her parents, Pete and Claire Foster.

Inspired by her own childhood on the farm, and wanting to share some of that experience with her own young children and with other families, Helen was inspired to set up The Old Barn.

Helen said: “We were delighted that so many families could join us for our opening event, and to raise money for Save the Children.

“The children really enjoyed stomping around the farm, finding Peppa and her friends, and carrying out some wonderful crafts with us,”

Growing up on Field Farm, an arable farm growing a wide range of crops and vegetable for sale at local markets, gave Helen a lifelong love of the great outdoors.

Now with two children of her own, aged one and four, she started to think about fun ways to get them involved.

This inspired her to turn one of the farm’s barns into a creative workshop space.

“I wanted to celebrate the seasons with a calendar of creative activities here on Field Farm, and invite families tocome and join in,” she said.

“Because we are a working arable farm, we will be inspired by the cycle of sowing, planting and harvesting the bright, colourful and tasty crops we grow.”

Drawing on her love and knowledge of the farm, her experience as an accountant, and her entrepreneurial spirit, she has put together a programme of day courses and events focusing on farm life, the countryside and some lost arts and crafts.

So far, families have been enjoying getting out and about in nature, enjoying a country trail, a wild flower area, open countryside views, and seeing the swallows that nest at the farm.

Scarecrow workshops, enchanted worlds and mud houses are among the enticing names of some of the activities taking place throughout the summer, which all include a lunch.

Seasonal activities planned for later in the year include pumpkin fun and elf workshops for the autumn and winter.

Helen is also hosting adult craft activities, such as flower baskets and wreath-making, and more are planned as the venture expands.

For more details about The Old Barn at Field Farm, and to book any of the activities, contact Helen on theoldbarnatfieldfarm@hotmail.com or visit www.theoldbarnatfieldfarm.weebly.com