Sundown Adventureland

About fifteen minutes south of Retford, Sundown Adventureland is a proper theme park that's been going since the 1980s. It's the sort of place that rewards families with young kids - nothing fancy, but the rides are genuine fun and nothing feels neglected or tired. You've got everything from log flumes to go-karts to a miniature railway that actually goes somewhere, plus a zoo section with monkeys, big cats, and birds. Allow a full day if you're doing it properly, though some families find four or five hours enough depending on how tall their children are and how long they're willing to queue.

The park is best suited to families with primary school-age kids. Teenagers might find it a bit dated unless they're into retro theme parks, which admittedly some are. Adults without children will probably find an hour or two sufficient. It's free to walk around the grounds, though rides need paying for - usually entry plus individual ride tokens, though season passes are available.

If you're basing yourselves at one of the nearby parks - Wild Acre Village is just across the way, or Trentfield Farm a bit further down the road - it's genuinely convenient. You could easily do a morning here, grab lunch at the on-site cafes, then push on to Sherwood Forest or Clumber Park if you want proper woodland walking later. Go mid-week in school holidays if you can. Weekends get rammed, and you'll spend more time queuing than actually enjoying the rides.