Sundown Drive Play Area

The Sundown Drive Play Area sits within a proper nature reserve just outside Stafford, where you can actually let the kids burn off some energy without fighting your way through theme park crowds. It's a straightforward setup - open space with play equipment, the sort of place where families stop for an hour or so to break up a journey or grab some fresh air mid-holiday.

What makes it work is the setting itself. You're surrounded by genuine woodland and meadow rather than tarmac and fencing, so even a short visit feels like you've had a proper outing rather than just another playground visit. The kids get slides and climbing frames; you get to stand about in a nature reserve. Fair trade.

If you're staying at Ladybirch Motorhome Park just down the road - it's barely two miles away - this is the sort of thing you'd pop to on a quiet afternoon. High Onn Holiday Park, a bit further afield at just under six miles, makes it worth a drive if you've got restless youngsters in tow. Families with primary school-aged kids will get the most out of it, though toddlers are fine here too if they're into climbing.

Bring a picnic. Honestly. The whole point of a nature reserve play area is that you're meant to take your time. Check ahead for opening times and what's actually on site - details are thin on the ground for this one - but it's exactly the sort of low-key stop that makes a caravan holiday actually work.