Family Days Out

With a great variety of family friendly attractions and days out to choose from, families will find oodles of fun in Nottinghamshire. Fill your days with adventures, exploring vast country parks, visiting the county’s great entertainment attractions or discovering the legendary history of Robin Hood country.

Don't forget to browse our What's On for lots of family events, festivals and lots more ideas!

Theme Parks & Play Areas
 

Delight little ones at Sundown Adventure Land, where they can explore magical rides, meet friendly characters, and get up to mischief with lots of fun activities. There are also activity centres such as Clip ‘n Climb throughout the county if you want to ensure an early night for the kids!

Enter a world of adventure and discovery at Conkers.This family-friendly forest-themed adventure allows visitors to run wild, inside and out!

For a family day out to remember, take the kids along to Belvoir Castle's brand new adventure playground. Set across 4 acres, this is a safe space for imaginations to run free! Featuring a giant timber castle, along with a ship and towers, it is perfect for children and teenagers of all ages to explore!

In Nottingham City Centre, check out Funstation at The Cornerhouse for some classic games like air hockey and teddy grabbers as well as the latest in gaming technology! The Cornerhouse is also home to Lost City Adventure Golf and Axed Nottingham, suitable for older kids.

Animal Encounters

There are some fantastic places to enjoy animal encounters in Nottinghamshire. White Post Farm and the Tropical Butterfly House, Wildlife and Falconry Centre, both in north Nottinghamshire, are each home to a variety of furry friends and remarkable reptiles. Meanwhile, just a stone’s throw from the city centre, Stonebridge City Farm is a lovely spot for a cup of tea and a wander, with regular events to get stuck into.

In Loughborough, head to Manor Farm Park & Woodlands and enjoy their indoor and outdoor play areas, including toddler play areas and nature trails. Most of their animals are rescued and you can expct to see donkeys, lizards, owls and more!

There are also some wonderful places in Nottinghamshire to go horse riding. We reccomend Coloured Cob Equestrian Centre in Creswell, which is fun for the whole family!

Learning

Want to slip in a little learning with your day of family fun? Plenty of Nottinghamshire’s heritage attractions and museums are both exciting and educational. The National Justice Museum, The Workhouse, Green's Windmill and Bolsover Castle are all great options for interactive days of exciting and interesting fun!

For local history, we reccomend stopping by Nottingham Castle, the National Civil War Centre, Papplewick Pumping Station, Newark Air Museum or Creswell Crags. At these family friendly venues you will learn something new about Nottinghamshire's history and landscape in a fun and engaging way.

Caves

Delve deep into the underground and see why Nottinghamshire is famed for its cave network and history of caves. At Creswell Crags you can see the only Ice Age cave drawings in the UK, while at the City of Caves in Nottingham you can go on an archaeological journey through the sandstone caves. Visitors can go on a tour with Annie and Archie the Archaeologists and find out more about this fascinating attraction. If you're visiting Nottingham Castle, don't miss their Cave Tours, where you can discover the foundations of this medieval castle site - including the dire dungeons and wonderous wine cellars!

For more information on Nottingham's caves, click here.

Sherwood Forest


 

And of course, we also have plenty of Robin Hood attractions plus events which take place throughout the year, including the Robin Hood Festival held in the outlaw's famous hideout, Sherwood Forest. Learn the art of archery, visit The Major Oak and or hop on a bike and explore the woods. At Sherwood Pines there are plenty of off-road trails for cyclists of all abilities and you can also hire bikes (or segways!) if you don't want to bring your own. For more details on cycling, including accommodation, trails, hire and events, visit our dedicated page.

Country Parks & Gardens
 

Nottinghamshire is also full of great country parks, such as Rufford Abbey Country Park which is perfect for a relaxing walk around a lake, or head to the gardens and the children’s play area. At the side of the 12 Century Cistercian Monastery there is a large grass area that is perfect for picnics, playing games and generally just hanging out with the family. 

Enjoy the great outdoors at Naturescape Wildflower Farm and explore wildflower meadows, a woodland edge habitat, a butterfly and bee garden, a cottage garden and much more lies across the 44 acres of land at Naturescapes Wildlife Farm. Opened in 1990, this hidden gem offers expert demonstrations, information and advice on wildflower seeds and plants. Their farm and meadow walks are open all year round.

For more infomation on Nottinghamshire's Country Parks and Gardens, click here. You can also visit our dedicated pages for Nature Reserves and Outdoor Activties.

Teenagers


 

Teenagers may be notoriously hard to please but we have plenty of activities for them to enjoy in Nottinghamshire, including Go Ape! at Sherwood Pines, VR gaming at MeetspaceVR, and ice skating at the National Ice Centre. Visit our dedicated pages to learn more about Water Sports & Swimming and Adventure Sports.

There are also a variety of escape rooms in the city, such as Cave Escape and Escapologic, which offer themed heart-pumping experiences that are great for parties and groups. You could also enjoy a treaure hunt through the City with Go Quest Adventures, where you will unlock a hidden trail by finding clues, solving puzzles and completing group challenges.

Teamworks Karting will provide any group with an exhilerating day out. Get competitive and speedy on the racetrack or rein supreme in the multilevel laser tag arena! 

You can also see what's on at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall or Nottingham Playhouse. Bringing world-class entertainment and popular shows to the East Midlands, these popular venues are bound to have something on for the whole family to enjoy during your visit. Or enjoy a great value family day out at Nottingham Racecourse, where all under 18 year olds get a free admission as long as they're accompanied by an adult.