Oak Tree Meadow

If you’re local to Maldon and haven’t taken the kids to Oak Tree Meadow yet, you’re missing a genuinely solid afternoon out. The zipline alone makes it worth the trip — older kids will queue for it repeatedly, while the younger ones are more than happy on the slides and swings. The climbing structure has enough to it that it actually challenges the 10-plus crowd, which is rare. Picnic tables and parking on site mean you can make a proper day of it without the usual faff, and the open grass field gives them somewhere to run off steam when they’ve exhausted the equipment. It’s kept in good shape too — one of those parks where you can tell someone actually cares about maintaining it.