The Gers with children: donkeys, knights and an old-fashioned school

Family days out in the Gers don’t have to mean taking children to the same places adults would visit and hoping they enjoy them. Around Castet-Arrouy, there are plenty of activities where they can get involved: touching, trying, searching, feeding animals or playing at being knights.

Here are a few of our ideas.

Some rather unusual animals

In Saint-Clar, Vallon des Kangourous is a wooded park where you can walk among wallabies roaming freely — a fairly unexpected encounter in the heart of the Lomagne.

In Sarrant, L’Azinet offers something completely different. This donkey farm, set in a traditional Gascon farmhouse, offers family walks with a pack or riding donkey along several different routes. There is also an educational farm, a traditional animal-powered mill and horse-drawn carriage rides.

Near Caussens, L’Bufala Ferme raises buffalo and makes its own artisan mozzarella on site — another way for children to discover the connection between the animal, the farm and the food that ends up on their plate.

Go for a swim… and meet some dinosaurs

In summer, Saint-Clar Leisure Centre is an easy place to spend a day swimming and playing, with a beach, water activities and other leisure facilities.

On the same site, Dino Aventure takes you somewhere completely different: life-size dinosaurs in the forest, fossil digs, games and mini-golf turn a walk into a prehistoric expedition.

Solve a mystery

Rather than taking children on a conventional tour of Lectoure, Randoland turns the walk into a mystery to solve. Different versions are available for different age groups, with children making their way around town looking for clues.

You can also hunt for geocaches hidden around the Lomagne: all you need is a smartphone and a few coordinates, and your walk becomes a treasure hunt.

Play at being knights in Larressingle

At Larressingle, the Camp de Siège Médiéval lets children experience history rather than simply look at it. Siege engines, armour, archery and demonstrations bring the Middle Ages to life through participation.

After the camp, simply cross the moat into the small fortified village of Larressingle, one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France. After handling trebuchets and armour, its walls suddenly take on a whole new meaning.

And what about school in the old days?

In Saint-Clar, the Musée de l’École Publique recreates an old-fashioned classroom. Desks, blackboards and school equipment show children a school very different from their own — while parents and grandparents may recognise a few things themselves.

For older children

From age 12, all-terrain electric scooter rides starting in Lectoure offer a more energetic way to explore the paths and countryside around the town.

So there’s more than enough here to build a whole day around one particular activity — or simply choose one and give the children something that is especially for them during the stay.