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Adults at petting zoos/farms/kids days out

1000 replies

ExtraHotDoubleShot · 19/10/2026 12:42

Has anyone else noticed a massive uptick in grown adults (many in late teens and 20s) going on days out aimed at kids/young families? I’m finding it increasingly irritating - small children having to queue behind grown adults to stroke rabbits or see tanks of fish.

(Exception where there is clearly a disability at play)

OP posts:
Thread gallery
19
ThreeplusI · 19/10/2026 14:09

ExtraHotDoubleShot · 19/10/2026 12:54

I didn’t get the opportunity to go on the teacup rides, doesn’t mean I’m going to do it at 35!

You really should, they're great fun! Love a teacup ride!

leavesinthebreeze · 19/10/2026 14:09

Adult dd and I went to a donkey sanctuary on IOW a couple of years ago. It was great and informative apart from the 1 kid who kept throwing his wotsits at the donkeys and tried to scare them. No kids should be allowed at donkey sanctuaries 😜

leavesinthebreeze · 19/10/2026 14:09

ThreeplusI · 19/10/2026 14:09

You really should, they're great fun! Love a teacup ride!

They make me sick 🙈

MintyBadgerPrincessCheese · 19/10/2026 14:09

Muffsies · 19/10/2026 14:08

😆 i once went on a date to a parrot sanctuary with dp, great memories.

Yes, parrots do have great memories 😄

vodkaredbullgirl · 19/10/2026 14:10

XenoBitch · 19/10/2026 14:06

I hope you were prepared to leap into a bush and hide in case OP came around the corner with her DC.
Or you could stay, and OP would assume you were disabled or have issues, because only disabled adults like animals.

Saw kids coming, in the distance and moved to the next animals. Prefer the goat kids than the other kids 😆

JoMama372 · 19/10/2026 14:10

sittingonabeach · 19/10/2026 14:05

I used to take DC to local garden centre where they had fish in tanks when he was little, free activity!

I do the same in the fish shop even when I don't have my children around. 😆 Though, I do at least own a fish tank so I have a "legitimate" reason for looking at them!

I'm considering going to London Aquarium during term time simply so I won't have to dodge round children to look at the sharks...

CrystalSingerFan · 19/10/2026 14:11

Mummyduckplusduckling · 19/10/2026 14:04

I do this, especially talking to squirrels, I talk to the birds as well! 🥰

Please ask the squirrels to pass this along. Stop digging up @CrystalSingerFan's potted plants to bury their walnuts. My heucheras do NOT benefit from it.

GasPanic · 19/10/2026 14:11

HangingOver · 19/10/2026 13:54

Saw these fellas at the zoo yesterday. Went with my 75 y.o Dad 😁

That's the biggest guinea pig I have ever seen.

Thesque · 19/10/2026 14:11

ExtraHotDoubleShot · 19/10/2026 12:54

I didn’t get the opportunity to go on the teacup rides, doesn’t mean I’m going to do it at 35!

Teacup rides are the only ones I would consider now.

My adult DC live about two hours apart. Once or twice a year we have a family meet up half way. Escape room, zoo, laser quest. We even went on holiday to Center Parcs last year.

Dandeloosha · 19/10/2026 14:12

ExtraHotDoubleShot · 19/10/2026 13:01

Yes behind an adult who is desperate to hold a hamster…

Exactly! Now you get it 😁

WiltedLettuce · 19/10/2026 14:12

I think there's a difference between adults quietly sharing family-oriented spaces with children and their families and adults obviously taking over and noisily 'annexing' these spaces for themselves to the exclusion of others or in a way that makes others uncomfortable.

I regularly pop into my local petting farm without my DC because it's on the route of one of my favourite walks and it's the only place round about where I can get a coffee. I sit, enjoy the atmosphere, smile at the little children and might occasionally take a peek at the rabbits and guinea pigs. I must admit queuing to pet them without my DC wouldn't occur to me, although I've enjoyed a few cuddles when there with DC and I wouldn't begrudge that to another adult purely because they don't own a small DC, I suppose. But everyone...everyone... seems to acknowledge that the farm is primarily aimed at children and for the children. Everyone moves aside to let the little ones through to the front, bigger children as well as adults. And I've only once seen adults (without children) obviously doing twatty Instagrammy photos there, and all the families round about were a bit 'wtf'.

The problem isn't really adults enjoying family spaces, it's adults in groups doing it in a very loud and over-the-top way (often while trying to get social media content) which doesn't show consideration for those round about them, including young children, who are trying to enjoy these spaces for the purpose for which they were created, which doesn't include getting likes on Instagram.

Tootsurly · 19/10/2026 14:13

By "small children" I assume you mean your own small children and that this isn't some sort of altruistic campaign. You're just annoyed you have to queue behind paying adults when you're having a family day out.

Reminds me of the chap I encountered on the underground recently who flung his arm around his wife/girlfriend to protect her from getting jostled as it was quite busy. All very chivalrous, but he completely failed to notice he was about a millimetre away from bashing me in the face as he did so.

fishonabicycle · 19/10/2026 14:14

Well, until they stop charging adults full price to go in these places, why shouldn't they take advantage of all that's on offer.

Muffsies · 19/10/2026 14:14

MintyBadgerPrincessCheese · 19/10/2026 14:08

Going against the grain of the thread here, but I'm with the OP.

Yes, it's harmless fun.
Yes, adults are paying more than the kids and have as much right to be there.
Yes, grown adults should be free to do what they want with their hard-earned money.

But there does seem to be a growing number of young adults who seem unable to cope with the adult world and are trying to cling to a more childlike existence. Of course they're not hurting anyone, but I do wonder how they are going to cope in a few years when they have children of their own, or move up the career ladder.

I wonder if it may be one of the unintended consequences of lockdowns - it hit Gen Z particularly hard, I think.

But science has shown it's healthy for humans to interact with animals and nature, it doesn't matter how old you are. Before havings kids i loved going on a date to an animal sanctury or an aquarium (back in the 90s & early 00s), since when have these places only been for kids? If anything more people of all ages should be going to farm parks and zoos, and I'm sure the owners of these places would agree.

bigsquid · 19/10/2026 14:15

Adults do need play, learning and fun.

However you could also expect them to have more sophisticated palates than children, and actually to stretch themselves to learn and play in ways that are appropriate for the brains and emotions adults have got.

Adults can do things that require focus, commmitment, fun and energy, and also require the person to have the autonomy and agency to engage fully. They can do things where the ADULT reward is greater because the ADULT investment is greater.

Dance classes
Cartoon drawing
Comedy improv groups
Music playing in groups together
Animal visiting - at zoos, in evenings after work, in farms, in places where you might want to walk a bit to get to them or see them in more challenging habitats. Go on a safari.
Understand animal conservation, respect animals, maybe watch a film about rabbit life. No need to touch the rabbit, they don't specially like that.
Theme parks - again, the bigger thrill rides or rides for adults.
Cultural events like carnivals, gigs, fairs, plays, shows, sports matches
Museums with more complex displays and shows and where the learning is more complex. Not an animatronic dinosaur made of rubber.
Art galleries where subtle emotions and ideas about the human condition can be considered.
Restaurants with a range of foods catering to adult palates.

Children's tastes are being formed. They need a mixture of safety and challenge to learn and play. Safety plus challenge is vital for their stage of development.

Now the thing is -
Challenge to children is safety for adults.
Fun gentle music of a simple nature
Characters dressed up in bright colours teaching you about stuff through songs, rhymes, simple stories
Decorations and styles with appropriate levels of story to teach you BASIC things about the world ("This is Farmer Squirrelnut's Barn where he milks the cows!" "This is Snow White's house!")

= Challenging, stretching, exciting content for a 4 year old child
= Infantile, overly cosy, brain mush content for an adult

This is why I would judge or feel a bit sorry for an adult going deliberately to child focused events regularly and as a preference over other activities. They have some kind of lack in their ability to soothe themselves and some gap in the development of their ability to learn and play. They are only OK with the safety, not the challenge. It is junk food for adult emotions but enriching content for child emotions.

Dumbledora8 · 19/10/2026 14:15

Please get a grip. The world does not revolve around you and your children ffs

SabrinaBricklayer · 19/10/2026 14:16

SiegfriedSassoon · 19/10/2026 14:07

I was outside the door with our youngest in the pushchair while DH took the older children in. They took forever to finish looking 🙄 so I certainly had ample time to see all the sights I can tell you.

Edited

How did you hear their conversations so clearly?

Perfidiousalbionn · 19/10/2026 14:16

I'm with you OP about infantilising adults. But I make an exception for adults who maybe don't have a pet of their own (eg they may be in rented accommodation that doesn't allow pets) wanting to spend a brief period of time connecting with animals. It's good for the soul.

Rubysilverfox · 19/10/2026 14:16

I know it’s not the same but before we got our cats. We regularly went to a cat cafe!🐈‍⬛🐈🐈‍⬛🐈.

Wooopdiedoo · 19/10/2026 14:16

ExtraHotDoubleShot · 19/10/2026 12:55

Because it encourages them to infantilise themselves. We’re adults for gods sake 😂

What the hell is inherently childish about petting animals? Get over your judgmental self.

AnimalBiscuit · 19/10/2026 14:16

Oh this post makes me feel sad.

I have children now but for the whole of my Twenties I'd visit zoos & farms & the like, without children.

I love animals & don't see why I shouldn't be allowed to go to these places. I pay enough to get into them.

If there was a group of kids coming to see the goats or whatever then I'd hang back & let them go first (for my sake as well as theirs, I don't like feeling like I get a quick 2 seconds with the animals because there's a load of people waiting for their turn!) & id always step back if it were a display & small children needed to be in front of me.

But other than that, I was entitled to be there the same as an adult with a child.

I used to be friends with somebody like you though, OP, so maybe I know you. She used to think I was 'strange' going to these places & 'strange' walking through our large parks child free as well... Whereas she spent every spare minute of her time shopping (which I cannot stand) I used to say you her 'I'm not sure why the second I turned 18 I was supposed to not enjoy being in amongst nature or around animals any more? Unless I happened to have a child? What if I never have a child? I just have to pretend that I don't like these things any more? & Pretend that I love shopping instead?'

My view remains the same.

Perfidiousalbionn · 19/10/2026 14:17

You must have heard of cat cafes? For adults who would like to have a pet but can't. That's more questionable, I'd say, because the cats don't have a very relaxing life. Petting zoos are more controlled and careful about animal welfare.

Thismachine · 19/10/2026 14:18

I think the most childish behaviour is calling other people 'sad' for doing something you consider uncool. It takes me back to high school. It's not something I ever hear other adults say, only insecure and bullying teenagers honestly. I think my hobbies of weightlifting, walking and wild swimming would pass the OP's 'age appropriate' test, but when I'm at work and someone talks about their Disney holiday or whatever I wouldn't dream of sneering at them - in person, behind their back or on the internet. Because that behaviour really would be beneath me. Cuddling a rabbit or going on a fairground ride wouldn't be! (Actually I hate all rides and fairgrounds too and have done since childhood, so you wouldn't catch me at one - I won't judge anyone else for going though)

Hoppinggreen · 19/10/2026 14:18

ExtraHotDoubleShot · 19/10/2026 12:53

Yes, it’s childish. I would feel silly making a 4 year old wait so I could hold a rabbit. I’m a grown woman!

That is a you problem

tootyflooty · 19/10/2026 14:18

So empathy towards animals and pleasure experience seeing them and holding them is childish, well in that case I had better cancel my pig petting experience, which incidentally is aimed for 16 plus age group , I'm assuming you don't have pets, and if you do I assume you don't pet them as that would be childish and immature??, I find your opinion a bit odd to be honest

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