So may I recommend Boston Park Farm and its Maize Maze at Hatfield Woodhouse. We arrived within 20 minutes of setting off from our Bentley home which for travel time for an afternoon out is excellent.

The Maize Maze is celebrating its ninth year and always has an annual theme with this year's being the Windmill Maze.

It is great fun for people of all ages. You hunt for five targets around the five miles of path in the five acre maize crop which stands an impressive 8ft tall. Each person is given a sheet map of the maze (in case they want to exit quickly) and on the reverse are five sections to stamp.

Four of the stamps are highlighted by big yellow flags which stand above the maze to guide you to them. The fifth stamp is acquired by finding Maizie Maze who is lost somewhere down at the dead end of the maze.

Children who find Maizie are rewarded with a lollipop - but we didn't manage to find her and gave up in the end.

Once you have received all your stamps or if you get fed up of the maze, there are plenty of other activities to do. At the entrance, there is a large hay bale pyramid to climb - and it proved to be great fun for both children and adults.

There is also a large sandpit for children to make sand castles and generally have fun.

But the best part of the outdoor areas has to be the animals. They are on show for everyone to enjoy and the goats came out for a special visit so children could pet and feed them.

The farm shop has bags of food at just 20p each, all of them clearly labelled, so you know exactly which food is for which animal - an excellent idea. There is also a mini maze for the less adventurous or to amuse the children while you sit down and have a cup of tea.

My daughter Tia, three, was a fan and said: "I liked the goats - they tickled my fingers when they ate the food from my hand. My favourite was the big maze - but without mummy I would have got lost forever. I liked my mummy lifting me up so I could find the flags and help us get out."

* Boston Park Farm will be hosting a Teddy Bears Picnic on August 24 from 10.30am where the more adventurous bears can attempt a parachute jump and when all bear owners will be able to enter the farm for half price. There's also Shriek Week at the end of October - a fun Halloween night that I attended last year and had great fun - certainly not one to be missed. The farm can also cater for children's parties. Contact 01302 840098 or visit www.bostonpark.com.

* Boston Park Farm Maize Maze is situated on the A614 between Blaxton and Hatfield Woodhouse and is open until the end of October.

* Eve Hanson

VERDICT
Parking 4/5 - A reasonably sized car park - a field next to the venue but with no charge.

Cost 4/5 - Adults £4, children £3, for a family of four for a full afternoon's entertainment is very reasonable.

Travel Time 5/5 - Just 20 minutes from central Doncaster.

Food 3/5 - Snacks available - however, there are plenty of picnic tables so why not take your own?

Toilets 3/5 - OK for an outdoor venue.

Staff 5/5 - Helpful and friendly, plenty on hand to give any information required.

Time spent there 5/5 - We arrived at 1.30pm, left at 4.30pm and there was plenty to do the whole time we were there.

Overall mark 4/5 - A very nice afternoon out for children should you not want to travel far.

Boston Park Farm Maize Maze is situated on the A614 between Blaxton and Hatfield Woodhouse and is open until the end of October.