But that's what a group of wide-eyed Hawkesbury toddlers discovered when they walked in the gate at Blaxlands Ridge Preschool on Tuesday.

A Kidz Zoo experience, with a host of cute baby farmyard animals, welcomed the surprised toddlers, who enjoyed patting, cuddling and learning how to care for their new charges.

What made the visit all the more special, according to preschool coordinator Jenny Everett, was the fact that Kidz Zoo was "a gift" from local parents who wished to rem-ain anonymous.

"The zoo was a lovely gesture donated to us by a family after they received some funds back from Family Assistance," Ms Everett said.

"They wanted to put something back into their community. It shows the strength of community spirit we have here."

And the zoo was a big hit with the children - Ms Everett said the excitement on the children's faces said it all.

"They loved it. It's such a great sensory opportunity for them," she said.

"Even though we live in a rural community, many children don't get the opportunity to see, smell and touch baby animals.

"It's a valuable learning experience because the handlers talk about the animals and their needs."

Ms Everett said she was "taken aback"when given the news of the parents' gift.

"Our service has such limited funding and excursions are very high cost, which limits what we can do," she said.

"This family's generosity brought the experience right into our school. It also gave our Colo preschoolers a chance to visit.

"Just getting on the bus and coming down here was an adventure for them, so the zoo was something very special indeed."

Hawkesbury Community Outreach Services (HCOS) operates mobile preschools at Blaxlands Ridge, Colo and Bilpin, as well as a playgroup held at Blaxlands Ridge every Tuesday morning.

"We provide services that aren't available anywhere else in this area, so it's wonderful to see families pulling together to provide valuable experiences for the children," Ms Everett said.