Ashton Gardens
St Annes' restored Victorian gardens a street back from the seafront: rose beds, a galleon climbing frame in the play area and the Pavilion tea room. The calm half of a beach day.
Days out with the kids in the North West
214 places and 281 dated events across Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria. 109 of the events cost nothing, and 85 of the places work in the rain.
What’s near you today?
Free days out
Places that cost nothing to get into. Some still charge for parking, which we say on each one.
Astley Hall & Park
A startling glass-fronted Tudor hall in a free park with woodland play trails, a walled garden and a pets corner. Chorley's pride, and rightly so.
Avenham & Miller Parks
Two Victorian parks joined at the hip beside the Ribble: a Japanese rock garden, a riverside cafe, a playground sited between the two, and the Easter egg rolling hill. Preston's best free afternoon.
Beacon Country Park
Over 300 acres of woodland, meadow and proper hills on the slopes of Ashurst Beacon, with inclusive play areas and a cafe by the car park. Free in, free parking, and enough path network to tire out anyone.
Birkenhead Park
The park Central Park was copied from: two lakes, a covered Swiss Bridge, a playground with a climbing boulder and acres of flat grass, all free. The visitor centre has the cafe and the toilets.
Bitts Park
Carlisle's big riverside park, right under the castle walls: a large play area for all ages, a free splash park in the warmer months, skate park and acres of grass where the Eden and Caldew meet. The obvious free half of a Carlisle day.
New on kidzdays
Every day out →The latest places we have added and written up.
Ashton Gardens
St Annes' restored Victorian gardens a street back from the seafront: rose beds, a galleon climbing frame in the play area and the Pavilion tea room. The calm half of a beach day.
The Stone Jetty & Eric Morecambe Statue
Morecambe's free seafront hour: walk the 1853 jetty past steel bird sculptures and pavement games, then get the photo at the Eric Morecambe statue on the prom. On a clear day the Lake District sits across the bay.
West Park
One of Britain's oldest public parks, opened in 1854 and part-paid for by Macclesfield's own workers: playground, toddler area, skatepark, gardens and a daily cafe. The little museum on the park edge is currently closed.
Bury Transport Museum
A restored 1848 railway goods warehouse filled with buses, trams and hands-on exhibits, two minutes from the East Lancashire Railway's Bolton Street station. Weekend opening, and the natural rainy-day half of a steam train day.
Lilford Park
Fifty-odd acres of Leigh parkland with an inclusive playground, free disc golf through the woods and enough open grass to empty any child. Toilets open at weekends only, courtesy of the volunteers.
Healey Dell Nature Reserve
A steep wooded gorge two miles out of Rochdale where the River Spodden churns through waterfalls beneath a 100-foot railway viaduct. Free and genuinely dramatic, but the paths are proper paths - boots, not buggies.
When it rains
All indoor options →85 of the 214 places on kidzdays work with a bad forecast. This is the North West, so we take that seriously.
Apple Jacks Adventure Farm
Farm animals, outdoor play and indoor barns, so a wet forecast doesn't cancel the day. Well matched to the 3-8 age range.
Giggles Play Mill
Two-tier soft play frame, low climbing wall, pirate ship, crawl tubes and a bouncy slide, plus Messy Monday and sensory sessions during the week.
Jellybeans Play Centre
Bigger than the average soft play: multi-level frame, a spooky room, an astro slide, a climbing wall, two mini bowling lanes and a slot racing track. The bowling is what makes it work when you have a toddler and a seven-year-old to keep happy at once.
Fun2b
Straightforward multi-level soft play with a café that adults can actually sit in. Nothing fancy, reliably works.
On this weekend
All 281 events →30 things running on Saturday and Sunday, collected from the libraries, museums, theatres and nature reserves that run them.
Pokemon Mega Evolution Trail
Speke Hall, Liverpool
until 6 Sept. Daily with grounds entry
A Pokemon trading-card trail through the Tudor hall's gardens: find the giant cards, scan the codes, battle the boredom. Runs to early September.
Written by us
Summer of Play at Dunham Massey
Dunham Massey, Altrincham · Trafford
until 7 Sept. Daily until 7 September
The North Park becomes a Play Hub with giant deckchairs, den building, log piles and lawn games, plus Pokemon play zones this year. Runs right through to the first week of September.
Written by us
Dinosaur trail at Bents
Bents Garden & Home, Glazebury WA3 5NT · Warrington
until 6 Sept. Daily until 6 September
A prehistoric trail winding through a garden centre, with interactive stops along the way. The most talked-about local event of the summer by a wide margin.
Written by us
Tickle the Ivories street pianos (opens in a new tab)
Liverpool ONE
until 11 Sept. Pianos out daily
Decorated pianos dotted around Liverpool ONE all summer, free for anyone to play. Five minutes of chopsticks between shops, or stay for whoever sits down next.
Written by us
Summer Reading Challenge: Read to the Beat (opens in a new tab)
Every library in the North West
until 6 Sept. All summer at your local library
The libraries' free summer challenge - read six books, collect the stickers, finish with a certificate. This year's theme is music. The single cheapest way to fill the quiet days between days out.
Written by us
Summer crafts at Brockholes
Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston
until 28 Aug. Free crafts daily; LEGO club Saturdays
Free arts and crafts on the floating village through the holidays, with a Saturday LEGO club until 22 August.
Written by us
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