Things To Do With Kids in North West

The 106 Manchester entries lean heavily on museums, and a local guide (Things to do in and around Manchester & the North West) puts that down to the city's industrial past. Most of the big ones are free. Science and Industry Museum suits children aged 5 and up who are curious about trains and machines, with two of its four play-and-learn areas free. Manchester Museum is the stronger pick for dinosaur and Egyptian mummy fans, with a Vivarium for younger visitors; allow two hours. IWM North in Trafford Park has a spy trail built for school-age children but little for toddlers, while People's History Museum and its Victorian factory simulation are pitched at teenagers.

For a paid full day, the choice is between zoos and farms. Chester Zoo is vast, works from toddlers upwards, and reviewers say to book ahead and arrive at opening; a Kids Pass listing notes over 37,000 animals. Blackpool Zoo is flatter, so easier with prams, and the elephant feeding is viewed from a covered walkway. Gulliver's World Theme Park covers ages 2 to 13, with seasonal events like Land of Lights as the main draw. Smithills Open Farm in Bolton runs hourly tractor rides and copes with wet weather; The Crocky Trail near Chester does not, so pack spare clothes.

Free outdoor days are plentiful too. Walton Hall and Gardens in Warrington has a free zoo and a large playground, Wythenshawe Park and Gardens adds a bee centre with microscopes, and Platt Fields Park has separate toddler and older-child playgrounds. Football families can pick between an Old Trafford stadium tour and the National Football Museum, whose second-floor skill games are the highlight for children and whose ticket lasts a year.