Being Nottinghamshire born and breed I often forget at just want a wealth of attractions there are on my doorstep but with the half term already on the horizon for many that are planning in advance I thought I would share with you some of Nottinghamshire favourite places to visit with the kids that won’t cost the earth.
Rufford Abbey Country Park – Admission FREE / Car Park approx £3
Ruffed park is one of my all time favourite places. Over the years we have visited here more times than I can remember and it is such a wonderful place to visit regardless of the time of year.
Rufford Abbey Country Park is the estate and grounds of a former 12 century Cistercian Monastery and country house. There is a beautiful lake to wonder round with plenty of wild birds to spot. There is also a massive grassy area that is idea for picnics and family rounders tournaments, although those really are more for dry weather!
There are 3 eateries on site with the coach house cafe and the Lord Savile’s Kitchen both near the main Abbey and there is a small cafe near the mill at the lake end of the park where there are also a couple of shops to wonder round.
In the grounds of the Abbey there is a play park for the kids and ornate gardens to admire along with a part of the Abbey to view.
Greens Windmill – Admission FREE
Green’s Windmill is located in Sneinton Nottingham and was built back in 1807 by scientist and mathematician George Green.
The mill today is a working Mill and a science centre that has some hands on kid friendly experiments and the kids can discover about magnetism, electricity and light in a fun way.
The National Video Game Arcade – Admission Child/Concession £7.50 & Adults £9.50
Looking for some indoor fun for those rainy half term days? Well, The National Video Game Arcade has all the fun your little person will need!
This place is all about getting hands on and getting to play and learn with its collection of classic arcade machines with things like Tetris and Donkey Kong. There are lots more to see and don over the 3 floors including Minecraft workshops, and lots of gaming history including the opportunity to play on some console classics too like the Commodore 64 and Nintendo 64!
Although you can pay on the door booking on the website is advised especially during busy periods like half term and on their website they post up their special events that your little ones might fancy having a go at so keep your eyes peeled.
Newark Air Museum – Admission Child from £4.00 & Adults from £9.00
Joshua visited the Newark Air Museum last year and loved it so it certainly made its way onto the list.
The Museum has a wide range of collections of more than 74 aircraft and cockpit sections that cover the whole history of aviation.
There are many full aircraft on display in the hangers and is one of the largest volunteer managed aviation museums in the country and if you have even the smallest interest in aviation then it’s certainly worth a visit.
Lost City Adventure Golf – Admission Child from £4.00 & Adults from £8.00
Wanting more ideas for rainy day adventures? Well, this gem has you covered with its option of playing 18 or 36 crazy golf in the most wonderfully fun setting.
We visited Lost City Adventure Golf for one of Joshua’s classmates parties and thought it was wonderful. It is wheelchair friendly and pushchair friendly so no one has to be left out with this activity and with some famous named eateries right outside the door in the Corner House you can certainly plan your day according to your budget.
Water Meadows Swimming Complex – Admission Child from £4.10 & Adult from £5.50
The Water Meadows Swimming Complex in Mansfield was somewhere that featured heavily when I was growing up with its fast paces slides and giant wave machine. These days it now hosts fitness classes, swimming lessons and even a gym.
However tucked away near the cafe is a lovely little oasis of play. Jacob and I recently visited with friends and we were introduced to the lovely little soft play area. With a handful of tables and lovely play equipment if you have smaller kids this places makes the idea add-on to swimming to really tire the kids out and if you use the pool first the charge is just £2 instead of the normal £3.
Sherwood Forest Country Park – Admission FREE (Car parking charges apply)
It wouldn’t be right to mention my home village in the post since this attraction is where I spent more hours than I care to remember as a child and a place I love to visit with the kids regularly
Sherwood Forest is right on the edge of Edwinstowe village in Nottinghamshire and only about 45 minutes from Nottingham City Centre. The village itself is packed with quaint shops, pubs and eateries and the Forest Corner where the new visitors centre will be located is right on the edge of this massive and historic forest but as I type it is currently not open till later in 2018.
The old visitors centre is only a 10/15 minute walk from the village and host a lovely restaurant, souvenir shop and a couple of attractions that tell the tales of Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest.
So there you have it some of my top favourite packet friendly family attractions in Nottinghamshire. Do keep your eyes peeled for another post coming soon with some further budget friendly attractions on too!
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