Our emphasis is teaching children that even though we all look different we are all the same inside. Every living being needs food, water, shelter, shade, love, and has language.

We teach the children why roosters crow, why pigs love mud, why goats chew, and how each species communicates through body language. Here, at The Gentle Barn, kids gain an understanding of animals, see how much we all have in common, and get to expand their empathy for all living beings.

After our presentation the children get to groom the horses, brush the cows, have the chickens fall asleep on their laps, give the pigs tummy rubs, talk to the turkeys, play with the goats and the sheep, and so much more. It is an educational, hands on experience that they will never forget.

Our program is appropriate for all ages. We work with kids from K-12. 

“Children trained to extend justice, kindness and mercy to animals, become more kind, just and considerate in their relations to each other. Character training along these lines will result in men and women of broader sympathies; more humane, more law abiding, in every aspect, more valuable citizens.”

-National PTA Congress

"The Hours we spent at The Gentle Barn were some of the most "teachable moments" I've come accross in my 17 years as an educator. The children learned about the animals, of course, but they also learned a great deal about themselves, and were chalenged to think in a new and different lite than before."

-Sierra Canyon Middle School

"As an educator, I strongly believe in what The Gentle Barn is doing. They are providing our community with a hands-on experience that is not only thought provoking but stimulates social and emotional growth as well. It teaches them first hand how to be empathetic and compassionate. The Gentle Barn is as valuable a place for the children who visit as it is for the animals who receive the attention there."

-Westmark School