Guides · Family days out
Days out,
already planned.
Whole days worked out for you: where to start, when to stop for lunch, how to get between places and what to do if it rains. Every stop links to its own page with opening times, prices and a map.
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East MidlandsRainy day in Nottingham: castle, caves and a windmill
Nottingham city centre
Spend the morning at Nottingham Castle, where the Robin Hood gallery and optional cave tour keep children busy under cover. After lunch, head beneath the streets on a guided caves tour, then finish with hands-on science experiments at a free windmill museum in Sneinton.
Nottingham Castle → City of Caves → Green's Mill and Science Centre
One dayAges 8–12Rainy dayCost ££
East MidlandsSherwood Forest: the Major Oak and forest trails
Edwinstowe
Walk out to the thousand-year-old Major Oak and build dens near the visitor centre in the morning. After a picnic, drive a few minutes to Sherwood Pines for story trails, play areas and family bike rides through the pines.
Sherwood Forest Country Park → Sherwood Pines
One dayAges 3–7Sunny dayCost £
East MidlandsCastleton caves and hills: two days in the Hope Valley
Castleton
Day one goes underground: a boat ride through a flooded mine, Blue John caverns and a hike up to a Norman castle. Day two heads up Mam Tor for big views, then out to the Derwent dams for an easy lakeside cycle or walk.
Peveril Castle → Treak Cliff Cavern → Speedwell Cavern → Mam Tor + 1 more
WeekendAges 8–12Cost ££
East MidlandsCable cars and cotton mills in Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath
Ride the cable cars up to the Heights of Abraham for show caves, woodland play and views down the gorge. In the afternoon, step into the story of the first factory at Cromford Mills, free to explore.
The Heights of Abraham → Cromford Mills
One dayAges 8–12Cost ££
East MidlandsBikes and farm animals: Monsal Trail and Chatsworth
Bakewell
Hire bikes or a trailer at Hassop Station and ride the traffic-free Monsal Trail through lit tunnels towards the viaduct. After lunch, drive to Chatsworth for the farmyard and woodland adventure playground.
Monsal Trail → Chatsworth
One dayAges 3–7Sunny dayCost £££
East MidlandsBuxton gardens and an underground cavern
Buxton
Start in Buxton's Victorian Pavilion Gardens with playgrounds and a miniature railway, then walk or drive up to Poole's Cavern for a guided tour among stalactites and a wander in the woods.
The Pavilion Gardens → Poole's Cavern & Buxton Country Park
Half dayAges 3–7Cost £
East MidlandsSpace, Egypt and dinosaurs: a rainy day in Leicester
Leicester
The National Space Centre fills a morning with rockets, astronaut kit and a planetarium show. Afterwards, swap space for dinosaurs and mummies at the free museum on New Walk.
National Space Centre → Leicester Museum & Art Gallery
One dayAges 8–12Rainy dayCost ££
East MidlandsDeer park and steam trains in Charnwood
Newtown Linford
Walk among red and fallow deer at Bradgate Park and paddle in the stream before lunch. In the afternoon, head to Loughborough for a heritage steam train ride.
Bradgate Park Leicester → Great Central Railway
One dayAll agesSunny dayCost ££
East MidlandsRutland Water for little ones
Oakham
Rutland Water's Sykes Lane has a shaded, enclosed playground and mini golf, perfect for toddlers. Then drive round to Normanton to see the famous half-drowned church and have lunch by the water.
Rutland Water - Sykes Lane → Normanton Church and Rutland Water - Normanton
Half dayToddlersSunny dayCost £
East MidlandsLincoln uphill: castle, cathedral and a Victorian park
Lincoln
Explore the Victorian prison and see an original Magna Carta at Lincoln Castle, then cross the square to hunt for the Lincoln Imp in the cathedral. Finish in the Arboretum, a free Victorian park with a lake.
Lincoln Castle → Lincoln Cathedral → Lincoln Arboretum
One dayAges 8–12Cost ££
East MidlandsSeals, dunes and sand: Skegness for less
Skegness
Start at Gibraltar Point's quiet dunes and beach, where parking is the only cost. Then head into Skegness for the lunchtime seal feed at Natureland and an afternoon on the wide Blue Flag beach.
Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve → Natureland Seal Sanctuary → Skegness Beach
One dayAll agesSunny dayCost £
East MidlandsForest and canal locks in south Northamptonshire
Northampton (south)
Follow the Room on the Broom trail and try the play areas in Salcey's ancient oak forest. After lunch, watch boats work the locks at Stoke Bruerne, visit the free canal museum and peer into the Blisworth Tunnel.
Salcey Forest → The Canal Museum
One dayAges 3–7Sunny dayCost £
Written by Tumble from each place's own published information, checked October 2026. Times are suggestions, not bookings. Opening hours and prices change, so check each place's page before you set off.