An interactive educational adventure with alpacas – perfect for school field trips.
Students interact with friendly alpacas during a school tour at Kickin’ Back Alpaca Ranch. The Alpaca Discovery School Tour at Kickin’ Back Alpaca Ranch is a field trip experience designed specifically for school groups. It’s both educational and entertaining, combining curriculum-connected learning with the fun of hands-on alpaca encounters. Students will meet and feed our alpacas, discover fascinating facts about these gentle animals, and gain insight into what it takes to raise and care for them – all in a clean, safe environment. Our ranch is an approved vendor for the Bluewater District School Board (BWDSB), ensuring the tour meets school board standards for safety and educational value. Each tour booking also includes pre- and post-visit classroom resource packages, so teachers have ready-to-use materials to integrate the alpaca experience into their lessons with no extra prep required.
We offer special group pricing for schools. A minimum fee of $75 applies per tour (which covers small groups up to 5 participants). For larger groups, the cost per participant is discounted as the group size increases (participants include both students and teachers/adult chaperones):
1–10 participants
11–15 participants
16–20 participants
21–30 participants
$15.00 each (min. $75 total)
$11.50 each
$11.00 each
$10.50 each
Note: Groups over 15 participants will be split into two smaller tour groups for an optimal experience. While one group is touring, the other half can engage in teacher-led activities (e.g. snack time, reading, soccer) until it’s their turn. This ensures every student gets a quality, up-close encounter without crowding.
Note: Groups over 15 participants will be split into two smaller tour groups for an optimal experience. While one group is touring, the other half can engage in teacher-led activities (e.g. snack time, reading, soccer) until it’s their turn. This ensures every student gets a quality, up-close encounter without crowding.
We tailor the Alpaca Discovery Tour to the age range of your students, ensuring content and activities are age-appropriate and engaging. Here’s how we customize our tours by grade group:
Preschool & Junior Kindergarten: Gentle introduction to alpacas through simple stories, up-close encounters, and hand feeding an alpaca.
Kindergarten to Grade 2: Interactive meet-and-greet with alpacas, fun facts at an early learning level, and sensory activities (e.g. feeling alpaca fibre).
Grade 3 to 5: Deeper exploration of alpacas’ biology and farm life, connecting to science and social studies (e.g. habitats, life cycles, and the use of alpaca fibre).
Grade 6 to 8: Age-appropriate discussions on animal care, environmental stewardship, and the business of farming alpacas, with plenty of Q&A to satisfy curious minds.
High School: A more in-depth look at alpaca farming as an industry – covering topics from sustainable agriculture and animal science to entrepreneurship – tailored to match course curricula or student interests.
To ensure proper supervision and safety, we recommend the following adult-to-student ratios for school groups (minimum chaperone requirements may vary by school board policy):
Preschool – JK
Kindergarten – Gr. 2
Grade 3 – 5
Grade 6 – 8
High School
1 : 4 (1 adult per 4 children)
1 : 4
1 : 6
1 : 8
1 : 10
Having adequate adult supervisors helps keep our tours safe and enjoyable for everyone. Teachers and parent volunteers are encouraged to participate – they count as “participants” in the pricing, and they’ll have fun learning about alpacas too!
Searching Availability...
Ready to bring your class for an unforgettable alpaca experience? Booking is easy and can be done online. We use a booking system to manage our tour schedule securely. Click the Start Date link to check availability and reserve your Alpaca Discovery School Tour on your desired date:
Book the Alpaca Discovery School Tour Now »
After booking, you will receive a confirmation email and further instructions (including details on the educational resource package delivery). If you have any special requests or specific curriculum goals, feel free to let us know – we’re happy to accommodate where possible.
Testimonials
We had a phenomenal experience at the alpaca farm yesterday. The kids aged 10 & 11were totally in awe of these lovely and interesting creatures.
Carolyn gave us so much interesting information about the alpaca’s daily life, reproduction, and personalities. Additionally we learned about shearing the animals and using the soft fleece to produce incredibly warm clothing. – Linda
Thank you so much educating our group about your farm, breeding and caring for the Alpaca’s. The meet and greet and feeding was adorable. – Kellie
We learned so much about Alpacas. Our tour was informative, friendly, energetic and well just awesome! We really enjoyed this experience and would highly recommend!!! – Tracey
We had such a fantastic experience learning about the alpacas! – Bryonie
Enjoyed our Alpaca tour, very interesting. Knew very little about this animal, learned many interesting facts about the Alpaca. – Ron
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What should students (and teachers) bring?
A: Have students dress for a farm visit. Closed-toe shoes or boots are recommended for safety, and clothing appropriate for the weather is important since parts of the tour take place in a barn (the barn is not heated in winter). In warmer months, hats and sunscreen are advisable. Students may also bring a refillable water bottle. We’ll provide alpaca feed for the tour, so there’s no need to bring any food for the animals. And of course, bring a camera or phone – there will be plenty of cute photo opportunities!
Q: Are washrooms available on site?
A: Yes. We have washroom facilities available for your class to use during the visit. (For large groups, we recommend a quick restroom break upon arrival or using facilities on the bus, to minimize downtime. But a restroom is on-site for your convenience.) Teachers may want to remind students to use the washroom before departing school as well, just to be safe.
Q: What if the weather is bad on our tour day?
A: No problem – our tour is weather-proof. If it’s raining or snowing, we simply conduct the entire tour indoors in our barn, so students won’t be out in the elements. The barn shelters the group from rain, wind, or hot sun. (Just have everyone dress for the temperature, as the barn is not heated.) We run tours year-round, and we’ll proceed in all weather except in extreme conditions that make travel unsafe. If the school buses are cancelled due to weather or road conditions, we will work with you to reschedule or refund as needed.
Q: Can we eat lunch on-site at the ranch?
A: Yes, school groups are welcome to bring packed lunches and enjoy them here. They can eat their lunch outdoors on the lawn (we can supply blankets for them to sit on). If the weather is inclement, we will do our best to provide a sheltered space (e.g. inside the barn) for the group to eat. Please coordinate with us ahead of time if you plan to stay for lunch, so we can make arrangements. We ask that you bring any necessary utensils, napkins, and dispose of trash properly to keep the farm clean (we will have garbage bins available).
Q: Our group is larger than 15 students – how does the split tour work?
A: As mentioned in the pricing section, we split groups over 15 into two smaller groups for the tour. For example, if you have a class of 24 students (plus adults), we might take 12 students at a time for an up-close alpaca session, while the other 12 have a break. Then we’ll switch. This rotation ensures everyone gets a quality experience and can see and hear everything clearly, rather than trying to manage a very large group at once. Teachers should plan a simple supervised activity for the waiting group – many use this time for a snack, a read-aloud story, or even a quick soccer game. Each mini-tour will cover all the same content, and our staff will work with you on timing and logistics so the day runs smoothly. (If you have multiple classes visiting on the same day, let’s discuss the best schedule — we can handle large field trips by running multiple back-to-back tour rotations.)
Q: Is there anything else we should know or prepare?
A: We provide all the materials and information you’ll need, but here are a few extra tips for a great visit:
Arrival: Plan to arrive 5–10 minutes before your scheduled tour time to get the class organized. Our parking area can accommodate school buses.
Safety briefing: Our staff will give a brief safety talk at the start (like how to approach the alpacas calmly). It helps if teachers reinforce listening and respect for animals with students beforehand.
Weather and attire: As noted, ensure everyone is dressed appropriately (we don’t cancel for weather unless it’s unsafe to travel). The farm can be a bit cooler or windier than town, so layers are a good idea.
Payment: If you haven’t prepaid online, please have payment arranged as discussed (our booking system can handle school purchase orders or invoices if needed – contact us for details).
Accessibility: The tour barn is wheelchair accessible and we welcome students of all abilities. Let us know if your group has any special needs or accommodations so we can prepare accordingly.
Still have questions? Please check our main FAQs page for more general information, or feel free to Contact Us directly. We are happy to help you plan the perfect visit for your students. We look forward to hosting your class at Kickin’ Back Alpaca Ranch for an unforgettable Alpaca Discovery School Tour!
734762 West Back Line, Markdale, ON, N0C 1H0
Copyright © 2022-2024 Kickin’ Back Alpaca Ranch – All Rights Reserved.
