Mowhay Barn - Fun Days Out

Camel Creek is a family adventure park near Wadebridge in North Cornwall. The mix includes thrill rides and rollercoasters, outdoor play areas and animal areas, so there is plenty to fill a day. Its indoor play space covers 45,000 square feet, which means a wet day need not spoil the plan.

Other attractions include a 5D theatre with moving seats and 3D glasses, the Creeky's Playhouse soft play area and Swamp Busters. The park also runs special seasonal events through the year, and offers a Junior Keeper experience where children spend time behind the scenes caring for reptiles and meerkats. The park also says it has inclusive rides and facilities, with details on its accessibility page.

Tip: Check the park's website before you go for current tickets and events, as offers change. If a free return pass is offered with day tickets, read the terms first: it is non-transferable and excludes Toddler Takeover days, birthday parties, group bookings and school visits.

Newquay Zoo is a 13-acre zoo and garden site in Trenance Leisure Park, in the middle of Newquay. It is the largest zoo in Cornwall, and its planted grounds have won a Britain in Bloom Gold award. Visitors can see hundreds of species, including lynx, penguins, otters, zebras, sloths and meerkats, in a mix of indoor and outdoor habitats.

There are keeper talks and live feeds, an outdoor play area near the meerkats and the Tarzan Trail behind the Savannah. Café Lemur, seasonal food outlets and plenty of picnic benches and lawns make it easy to stay for a while. Reviewers describe it as a smaller zoo that is good for young children who can't manage long distances, and a few hours is a typical visit. Some development work is under way, so parts may be temporarily closed.

Tip: Check the zoo's website for current opening times, ticket offers and parking details before you go, as these can change.

Screech Owl Sanctuary & Animal Park is a home for owls and other animals on Goss Moor, near Indian Queens in mid Cornwall. Founded in 1990 by Carolyn Screech, it shows owls from around the world, with British, European, African, American, Asian, Australasian and West Indian species. It also rescues and rehabilitates wild owls in Cornwall, and there is a Siberian Eagle Owl breeding project.

Alongside the owls you will find other animals, including wallabies, meerkats, foxes and lemurs. There is a play area and a cafe, plus a gift shop. Keepers run hands-on sessions where you can learn to hold an owl on the glove, or go into an enclosure to meet some of the animals. Education is a core part of the work, so you will learn about the birds and their conservation as you go round.

Tip: If you want an owl or animal experience, call ahead to book, as busy periods may mean walk-up requests can't be fitted in.

Prideaux Place is a grade I listed Elizabethan country house in Padstow, completed in 1592 and still the family home after fourteen generations. The 81-room house combines the traditional E-shape of Elizabethan architecture with 18th-century Strawberry Hill Gothic touches.

Inside, the collection includes royal and family portraits, fine furniture and the Prideaux Porcelain Collection, along with a recently uncovered Elizabethan plaster ceiling in the Great Chamber. Outside, you can stroll in the grounds, which overlook one of the most ancient deer parks in England. There is also a café on the terrace. Check the official website for current opening arrangements before you plan a visit, as the house and grounds have a seasonal closure.

Tip: Check the official website for current opening times and tour details before you set off, as the property closes for part of the year.

The Eden Project sits in a reclaimed china clay pit in Cornwall. At the bottom of the pit are two huge domed Biomes made of inflated cells on steel frames. The Rainforest Biome is one of the largest indoor rainforests in the world, with tropical plants such as banana, coffee, rubber and giant bamboo. The Mediterranean Biome has olives, grape vines and sculptures.

Outside, a meandering path takes you through planted landscapes, vegetable gardens and outdoor gardens, with sculptures along the way, including a giant bee. There are cafés and restaurants on site, plus art, exhibitions and play areas. It suits plant fans, garden lovers and anyone curious about how the natural world works, and it is run by a charity.

Tip: Check the opening times page before you set off, as last entry to the Biomes and closing times change through the year, and some dates are closed.

Lanhydrock is a Victorian family home inside a Jacobean mansion, once lived in by the Agar-Robartes family. Most of the interiors were rebuilt after a fire in 1881. Inside, you can see the Long Gallery with its ornate ceiling, and families can play in the refurbished Victorian nursery.

Outside, the formal garden is known for its magnolias and has a parterre and herbaceous borders. Beyond it lie almost 1,000 acres of parkland, woodland and heath, with two miles of the River Fowey. There are woodland cycle trails, from gentle family routes to mountain bike descents, plus a play area, cafés, a plant centre and a second-hand bookshop. It suits families, history fans and anyone who likes a long walk with a good tea at the end.

Tip: It is busiest between 11am and 2pm, so arrive later in the day for a quieter visit and shorter queues for the house.

Adrenalin Quarry is a family-owned adventure park in Menheniot, built around an old flooded quarry. It offers five rides: an inflatable aquapark for ages 6 and over, go karting on an 800m all-weather track for ages 7 and over, a zip wire that is 50m high and 490m long, a giant swing 150ft above the lake, and axe throwing for ages 12 and over.

The rides are gravity-powered and low-carbon, as the site is an area of special scientific interest. The site has spectacular views and picnic spots, and entry is free. Reviewers mention swimming and relaxing on the lawn at the bottom of the quarry, and say staff were helpful, including with wheelchair users on the zip wire. One review says dogs are welcome.

Tip: You can book all rides online ahead, or just turn up for the zip and the giant swing.

Restormel Castle stands on a high, deeply ditched mound overlooking the River Fowey near Lostwithiel. Its huge, almost perfectly circular keep is one of the best-preserved of its type, and it was once a luxurious residence linked to the Earls of Cornwall and Edward the Black Prince.

You can climb the steps to walk round the battlements and look out over the countryside, then trace the great hall and other buildings inside the walls. There is a walking trail, plus a trail for children, and the site is a good spot for spotting flowers and wildlife. It makes a relaxed picnic stop and a useful base for walks in the Fowey valley, so it suits history fans, walkers and families.

Tip: Bring a picnic to enjoy at the castle, and combine your visit with a walk in the Fowey valley.