Devon Hills - Fun Days Out

Paignton Zoo covers 80 acres of animal enclosures and gardens, and most families spend a full day here. You can follow the four zones (Wetlands, Islands, Grasslands and Rainforests), catch the daily talks and feeding sessions, and wander through nature trails in Clennon Gorge wildlife reserve.

Highlights include Sumatran tigers, western lowland gorillas, Bornean orangutans, Rothschild's giraffes and red pandas. It is also the only UK zoo with a northern brown kiwi and a short-beaked echidna. Gibbons live on an island in the main lake. Children get indoor soft play, outdoor play areas and activity trails, and the indoor tropical houses help when the weather turns. There is a restaurant and several food outlets on site.

Tip: Book tickets online ahead of your visit to save money.

Dartmoor Zoological Park is a 33-acre zoo just north of Sparkwell, on the south-west edge of Dartmoor in Devon. It is run by a charity that focuses on conservation, education and research, and it belongs to BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The collection includes some endangered and critically endangered species, and the zoo runs breeding programmes for Asian short-clawed otters, Amur leopards and Carpathian lynx. The zoo also has a famous story. Benjamin Mee bought it in 2006 and wrote the book We Bought a Zoo, which was loosely adapted into the 2011 film. If you know the book or film, you can see the real place behind it.

Woodlands is a family-owned, all-weather theme park on the A3122, about 5 miles from Dartmouth in South Devon. It covers over 90 acres, with 16 rides, around 500 animals and several play zones, each with its own rides and attractions. There are water rides, a zoo farm and a falconry display with over 50 birds of prey.

The large indoor play centres have adventure equipment, soft play and rides, so a wet day needn't spoil the plans. Outdoors, you can spend time with the animals and try the rides. Woodlands suits families with children of all ages, and there is a café and a gift shop on site. If you want to stay longer, the park has a family campsite and glamping pods close by.

Tip: Not every ride runs every day, so check the park's website for opening times and which rides are open before you set off.

Greenway was once the holiday home of crime writer Agatha Christie. The house is styled as it looked in the 1950s and is filled with personal collections belonging to Christie and her family, including archaeological pieces, silver, china and books. The National Trust owns it.

Outside, woodland garden slopes down to the Dart estuary. The walled gardens have a vinery, a restored peach house and an allotment tended by local schoolchildren. The boathouse inspired the crime scene in 'Dead Man's Folly', and the garden is recognised as a 'Garden of Excellence' by the International Camellia Society. There is a cafe and shop on site, a daily garden walk in high season, and events such as summer theatre and pop-up cinema.

Tip: Parking must be pre-booked, so arrange it before you go. You can also arrive by ferry from Dartmouth.

Diggerland is a theme park where children and adults can ride, drive and operate real diggers, dumpers and other full-size construction machinery. The Devon park is in Cullompton, and the whole line-up runs to around 20 rides and drives. You can get to grips with real JCBs and Komatsu excavators, spin on Spindizzy, rise up on the Skyshuttle for the views, or take an off-road trip on the Groundshuttle. There are also dodgems and go-karts.

The parks are aimed at children aged 4 to 14, though visitors of all ages enjoy it, and rides have height restrictions. There are indoor and outdoor play areas, a cafeteria and a Goodie Store for souvenirs. Visitors describe the site as compact, with little walking between rides, which suits grandparents and younger children. One reviewer spent about five hours there in mixed weather.

Tip: Check the ride height chart on the Diggerland website before you go, so you know which rides each child can enjoy.

The National Marine Aquarium sits in Sutton Harbour, near the Barbican in Plymouth. It is run by the Ocean Conservation Trust, a charity, and is split into four zones: Plymouth Sound, Eddystone Reef, Atlantic Ocean and Blue Planet. You'll see local sharks, rays and octopus, a jellyfish exhibit, and a huge Atlantic tank holding around 1,000 Caribbean fish, with lemon and sand tiger sharks.

Ocean Discovery Rangers run shows and talks and are on hand to answer questions, and there are dive shows too. Blue Planet has seahorses, lionfish, giant Pacific octopus and a Great Barrier Reef display. There is also a picnic area with views over Plymouth, plus a cafe and gift shop. It suits families, curious kids and anyone interested in ocean conservation.

Tip: Pre-book your tickets online, as entry can't be guaranteed without a booking, especially at weekends and in school holidays.

Kents Cavern is a cave system in Torquay, with a long archaeological story. Visitors walk through a labyrinth of caverns surrounded by rocks around 400 million years old, with stalagmites and stalactites along the way. The caves were once used by ancient humans for shelter, fire-making, tool-making and hunting Ice Age animals, and the tour includes a moment of total darkness.

You can explore at your own pace with self-guided entry, or join an expert-led guided tour. Tickets also include an Ice Age woodland animal trail, and there is a cafe on site, the Firestone Kitchen. The site says it welcomes family adventures, couples and solo visitors. One visitor review describes the route as easy to walk with only a few steps. The site also says a fossil jawbone found here is the UK's oldest human fossil, though its dating has been debated by researchers.

Tip: Book online to secure your preferred tour time, and arrive at least 15 minutes before it starts. Solo visitors should call ahead, as a tour needs at least two people.

Totnes Castle is one of the best preserved Norman motte-and-bailey castles in England, standing at the highest point of the hilltop town of Totnes in Devon. It was raised soon after the Conquest, and the stone shell-keep that crowns the mound dates from around the 14th century. It is now cared for by English Heritage.

You climb the unusually high, steep-sided motte and take the steps up to the wall-walk, where the battlements have around 30 crenellations, most with slots for crossbows. The views stretch over the rooftops of Totnes to the River Dart and Dartmoor beyond. Below the mound, the wooded inner enclosure is a good spot for a family picnic. There is also a moat walk, a very old tree to find, and a World Builder trail.