Indoor Activities in Chesterfield

It looks like picking U Paint It Pots because the eldest has been drawing for a fortnight, instead of picking the bowling alley because nobody will object to it. Averaging produces days that nobody hates and nobody remembers. Eleven entries is enough to take turns instead, and the child whose turn it is tends to carry the rest of the family along with them.

Hardwick Hall and Bolsover Castle both give children something to walk through rather than something to sit and be told about, which is most of the battle won. Both involve grounds as well as buildings, so dress for outside even though they turn up on an indoor page. Ask what is open on the day, since rooms at old properties close for reasons unconnected to weather.

Sugar Snap Play is set up for small children and The Hub at Gladstone is the other indoor play option. The questions are the same at both: is there a walled-off area for under-fives, are sessions timed, and how much room is there for an adult who will be sitting there for two hours. Queen's Park Sports Centre covers a swim if the answer disappoints you.

It will if you resist using the biggest ones first. A common mistake is opening a school holiday with the grandest option, after which everything else feels like a step down. Start small, keep one large day back for the middle of the week when everyone is fractious, and eleven holds up rather better than it looks on the screen.