Farm Safety Stars: Free e-learning course helps protect children on farms

Farming has long been a deeply rooted tradition, often handed down through generations of families working the land together. But with that heritage comes the responsibility to keep young people safe.

Since the launch of the Farm Safety Stars campaign, a collaboration between Lantra, AgriKids, and Farmers Weekly, we’ve seen a strong wave of support and action from farming families.

The campaign continues to gain momentum, with tangible benefits for farming families and growing interest across the agricultural industry.

Even with established safety legislation and growing awareness, incidents involving children on farms continue to occur—some resulting in tragic and sometimes fatal consequences. The risks remain significant:

• Machinery and vehicles with limited visibility
• Livestock with unpredictable behaviour
• Hazardous substances and unprotected water sources

While many families are aware of these dangers, the demands and constant pressures of running a modern farm—whether it’s feeding livestock, checking machinery, preparing for market deliveries, or moving equipment across the yard—all moments where attention can understandably be pulled away from supervising children, which can make it hard to stay fully focused on keeping children safe and planning ahead for potential risks.

That’s why continuous education, cultural change, and community involvement are key.

Since its launch, the Farm Safety Stars campaign has reached hundreds of children through engaging school visits and workshops in rural communities.

These sessions incorporate storytelling, role play, and interactive resources to help children understand key safety messages in an age-appropriate way.

The campaign also encourages children to take on the role of safety ambassadors within their families, helping to spread awareness and promote safer behaviours at home.

Feedback from parents and educators has been overwhelmingly positive, noting how the campaign empowers children to speak confidently about risks and fosters shared responsibility for safety at home.

To ensure no family is left behind, Lantra has expanded access to its free e-learning courses, available across the UK. Modules like “Children on Farms” focus on:

• Setting up designated safe zones
• Supervising young children during farm tasks
• Safely welcoming child visitors
• Reducing machinery risks in child-accessible areas

These resources go beyond education, offering practical, accessible guidance based on real-life farming situations.

Creating a safe environment for children on farms takes long-term commitment, built on consistent care, everyday awareness, and teamwork across the sector.

Campaigns like Farm Safety Stars are helping shift attitudes and behaviours—so that safety becomes second nature, woven into daily routines rather than treated as an afterthought.

From contractors and farm managers to parents and young farm workers, we all have a role to play in embedding safety into daily life.

Campaigns like this help create the conversations, tools, and confidence needed to make lasting change.

Visit Lantra’s Children on Farms to start the free ‘Children on Farms’ e-learning course today. It’s quick to access, simple to follow, and designed for anyone living or working on a farm.

If you’ve already taken the course and found it helpful, why not pass it on? Sharing the link with friends, family, or local groups could make a real difference in keeping more children safe on farms in your community and beyond.

The next generation is already stepping up. Let’s keep giving them the tools and support they need to thrive—safely—on the farms they call home.