Derby Park
Sefton's largest play area sits in a Victorian park ten minutes' walk from Bootle town centre, with a zip wire, two ball courts and statues to be climbed on and told off for climbing on.
Days out with the kids in Bootle
4 places in Bootle, Merseyside, 1 of which cost nothing. Everything below is within easy reach if you live locally.
4 in Bootle1 free3 indoor
Bootle earns its page on the flume, the only one in this part of Sefton and the reason to drive here instead of defaulting to Southport. The leisure centre also has a 25 metre main pool with a moveable floor, so the depth changes to suit the session, at £7.30 for adults and £4.70 for juniors.
Then walk ten minutes into Derby Park, where Sefton's largest play area sits inside a Victorian park that opened in 1895 and has had over £750,000 spent on it, all free. Two venues, one decent half day.
Places in Bootle
Bootle Leisure Centre
There is a flume, and it is the only pool in this part of Sefton with one. Alongside it, a 25 metre main pool with a moveable floor, so the depth changes to suit the session.
Crazy Town Aintree
A big soft play on a Netherton business park with its own 57 space car park, character visits at the toddler sessions and a Friday night disco. Weekend prices are high, so the term-time toddler mornings are the smart play.
Flip Out Aintree
Trampoline and activity park on the Aintree Racecourse retail park: trampolines, a kids arena, a stunt zone, soft play, a super trampoline and an airbag. 90 minutes from £15, with toddler and low-sensory sessions.
What’s on in Bootle
1 dated event coming up.
The Drone Light Show: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (opens in a new tab)
Aintree Racecourse outdoor event area · Bootle
19 Dec. Saturday 19 December, 2pm to 7pm
A drone light show telling the Rudolph story in the sky over Aintree Racecourse's outdoor event area on Saturday 19 December, with the site open 2pm to 7pm. It is outdoors after dark, so dress warmly.
Written by us
Also worth the drive
Not in Bootle, but close enough for a day out.
World of Glass
Free to get in and better than it sounds: hands-on stations on glass, lenses and fibre optics, a Victorian street and the old Tank House, with live glassblowing around midday and 2pm for a small extra charge. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Sherdley Park
St Helens' biggest park. Play areas, open space and a walled garden, and it costs nothing.
Dream, Sutton Manor
A 20-metre white head rising out of a reclaimed colliery, with woodland trails around it. Genuinely strange and memorable for kids, and a short walk rather than a hike.
Sankey Valley Park
A green corridor of canal towpath and parkland running from St Helens down towards Warrington. Flat, traffic-free and ideal if the bikes or scooters are coming.
Holiday Clubs (HAF)
Funded holiday clubs with food included, ages 4 to 18, for families on benefits-related free school meals. Worth a look even if you assume you won't qualify.
Family & Friends Playcentre
A small play centre in the old Prescot Gospel Hall built for under-fives, with a role-play street, a soft play house with slides and a ball pool, and a baby corner. Weekday mornings only, closed Tuesdays, and adults go in free.
Knowsley Safari
Drive through the reserve from the car, then the sea lion and birds of prey shows. Reviews are split on value, and several warn that families expect a full zoo and find fewer headline animals, so set expectations first.
World Museum, Liverpool
Five floors, free, and it covers three things small children reliably love: giant dinosaurs, an aquarium and a space gallery. The best wet-weather day within half an hour.
What’s on near you, every Friday
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.