Welcoming 4000 primary school children from across Yorkshire who tried hands-on activities, watched entertaining and educational demonstrations at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s annual Countryside Days event.

Highlights included The Sheep Show’s cast of dancing sheep, alpacas and farm animal displays where children saw pigs, sheep and goats and had their questions answered.

Schoolchildren were also introduced to reptiles, arachnids, ferrets and hatching chicks. They got to try their hands at a variety of crafts and countryside pursuits, from willow weaving and wood whittling to pond dipping and orienteering.

Countryside Days also promotes healthy lifestyles and children had the chance to get creative during cookery workshops and have a go at cycling. They also got up close to huge agricultural machinery. A tractor and baler kindly exhibited by Russell’s and a display of vintage tractors showed how farming technology evolves.

A grain story workshop explained how crops were planted, harvested and processed to produce everyday food items such as bread and cereal. Butter and sausage making masterclasses also gave children the chance to learn more about dairy and pork.

Countryside Days is just one of the educational activities hosted by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. The Society holds a Milk Day for schoolchildren in Spring, Apple Day at its Showground orchard in Autumn, funds school visits to working farms via the Country Trust, free training courses for teachers to take learning outdoors, a vegetable box growing competition for primary schools and dedicates the Discovery Zone at the Great Yorkshire Show to free educational activities for families.