Marsh Farm Animal Adventure Park

The moment you walk through Marsh Farm's gates, you're met with the sort of chaos only children seem to genuinely enjoy - alpacas jostling for attention, goats climbing on absolutely everything, and a petting area where you'll definitely go home smelling of hay. It's a proper working farm turned animal park, just outside Benfleet, and the appeal is straightforward: kids get to touch, feed and generally harass a decent collection of farmyard residents alongside some more exotic animals.

What sets it apart from the usual zoo experience is how hands-on everything feels. You're not peering through glass at distant creatures - you're mucking about with them, which toddlers and primary-school age children absolutely lap up. The farm layout means you're walking round open paddocks rather than pacing through enclosures, and there's usually something entertaining happening whether it's a sheep demonstration or someone losing their mind over the rabbits.

Allow a good three to four hours if you've got young kids, less if they're older and bored more easily. It's free to wander the grounds, though you'll pay extra for the hands-on experiences and feeding opportunities, which is fair enough really. The place gets rammed on school holidays, so a weekday visit in term time is genuinely worth planning around.

Stay at either Essex Glamping or Stuarts Wood Campsite - both are five to six miles away and top-rated - and you've got a solid day trip sorted for the family. It's not going to blow your mind if you're an adult without kids, but it does exactly what it says on the tin.