Days out with the kids in Frodsham

Frodsham is a small market town with a sandstone hill behind it and one of the North West's most talked-about days out on its doorstep. Manley Mere's obstacle trail - seesaw bridges, rope swings, water crossings - sends children home soaked, filthy and delighted. Pack a full change of clothes each, and leave anyone with short tired legs at home, because the trail is long.

The hill does the free half: paths climb through the woods to the war memorial and a view across the Mersey to the Welsh hills, short enough for an ordinary afternoon. After that the town leans on its neighbours, and they are good ones. Delamere Forest's trails and zip wires are ten minutes one way, Norton Priory's undercroft and giant St Christopher fifteen the other, and Chester waits twenty minutes down the A56.

Places in Frodsham

Castle Park House and Gardens

Frodsham~20 min

★★★★★4.6(1,149)

Nine hectares of Green Flag park in the middle of Frodsham, with two trails that give a walk a point: a story sculpture trail following Matilda the bee, and a tree trail of nineteen trees.

Free to enterAges 1-11

Manley Mere Adventure Trail

Frodsham~20 min

★★★★★4.6(417)

A mile and a half of outdoor obstacle trail through the woods by the mere, with more than 40 obstacles: balance beams, rope swings, zip wires and a great deal of mud. Wet, screen-free and completely absorbing, and open daily from April to October.

£15 a head, under 5s freeOpen every day, April to OctoberAges 5-11

What’s on in Frodsham

1 dated event coming up.

Also worth the drive

Not in Frodsham, but close enough for a day out.

Walton Hall & Gardens

Warrington~10 min

★★★★★4.7(6,537)

The reliable default: gardens, a children's zoo, a big playground and plenty of room to run. Pay for parking, nothing else.

Free entry, parking £4 to £5Ages 4-11

Jungle Parc

Warrington~10 min

★★★★★4.5(10)

Treetop rope courses in the woods at Walton Hall Gardens. The Warrington site runs the Adventurer course, built for children from age 4 with a minimum height of 1.05m, with over 60 activities at different heights. Children £19; supervising adults walking below go free.

Children £19, supervising adults freeAges 4-11

Gulliver's World

Warrington~15 min

★★★★☆4.0(9,643)

A theme park deliberately built for ages 2 to 13 rather than teenagers, so both of them can ride most of it. The classic full-day option on your doorstep.

Full day ticketAges 4-9

Apple Jacks Adventure Farm

Warrington~15 min

★★★★☆4.0(593)

An adventure farm off Stretton Road built for 4 to 12s: tractor trailer rides, zip wires, drop slides, jumping pillows, roller skating and a tent full of inflatables. Despite the name there are no animals to see, and in October it turns into Spooky World's daytime Fun-By-Day.

Day ticketWeekends and school holidays in season; October is Spooky World Fun-By-DayAges 4-12

Giggles Play Mill

Warrington~10 min

★★★★☆4.2(164)

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.

£6.75 a child, adults freeIndoorsAges 4-8

Jellybeans Play Centre

Warrington~15 min

★★★★☆4.3(504)

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.

£6 off-peak, £12 at weekends and half termsIndoorsAges 4-9

Fun2b

Warrington~10 min

★★★★☆4.2(200)

Straightforward multi-level soft play with a café that adults can actually sit in. Nothing fancy, reliably works.

Session priceIndoorsAges 4-8

Tenpin Warrington

Warrington~10 min

★★★★☆4.2(1,663)

Soft play plus bowling under one roof, which solves the two-different-ages problem in a single trip. Ask for the barriers if anyone is under about six.

Per game / sessionIndoorsAges 4-11