Go Ape! Sherwood Pines

Swinging through the forest canopy at Go Ape Sherwood Pines is genuinely brilliant if you've got the energy and a head for heights. This is proper treetop obstacle course territory - zip lines, rope bridges, Tarzan swings, the lot - spread across the woodland with the Forest itself as your playground. You're harnessed in throughout, which means even nervous types can have a go without the genuine risk. The courses start easy and build up, so families with kids as young as four can tackle the junior routes, while teenagers and adults go for the longer, trickier ones. Most people need two to three hours to complete a course, though faster crews manage it quicker. It's not free - you pay per person - but if your kids are the climbing and swinging sort (and not the sit-in-front-a-screen sort), it's proper value. The location just outside Newark means you're perfectly placed to combine it with a stay at Center Parcs Sherwood Forest just down the road, or any of the other holiday parks clustered nearby. The Sherwood Forest Holiday Park is even closer at just 1.5 miles, making it an easy addition to a forest-based break. Weather matters here - they don't run in heavy rain or high winds - so check ahead before you trek out. Wear decent trainers, bring a packed lunch, and go on a weekday if you can. Weekends get rammed.