The Robin Hood Adventure Trail

The Robin Hood Adventure Trail is running across Nottingham city centre until Saturday 5 December, a free family hunt that takes you through the city's cultural spots. The story is that the sneaky Sheriff of Nottingham has hidden letters all over town, and Robin Hood needs some clever clue-hunters to track down his missing treasure. It's a slow-burn kind of thing, not a race, so you can chip away at it over a few days or a couple of weekends rather than trying to do it all in one go.

To get started, you pick up a free map at one of the participating venues or download it to your phone or tablet. From there, you head to each marked stop to find eleven legendary characters, each holding a secret letter. Once you've collected all eleven and cracked the code, the treasure's location is revealed, and you claim the reward at Nottingham Castle. The route takes you through several of the city's cultural venues, including Nottingham Castle, Nottingham Contemporary and Nottingham Central Library, so it's a decent excuse to visit a few spots you might otherwise walk past.

Along the way, kid-friendly cafés and restaurants are offering deals, which is handy if you're out with the family and need a break between stops. Since there's no rush to finish it in one go, it works as a low-pressure way to spend a few hours in the city centre. The trail is free to enter, and it runs until 5 December, so you've got plenty of time to work your way through the stops.