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.
Days out with the kids in St Helens
7 places in St Helens, Merseyside, 7 of which cost nothing. Everything below is within easy reach if you live locally.
7 in St Helens7 free2 indoor
St Helens does not charge much for a childhood. World of Glass is free, indoors and better than it sounds, with interactive science pitched at younger children and glassblowing demos they will still be talking about at tea. Dream at Sutton Manor is the strange one: a 20-metre white head rising out of a reclaimed colliery, reached by a short walk that is genuinely uphill, and worth it for the face-to-face moment at the top.
The parks do the rest of the work. Taylor Park has a lake, woodland walks and rowing boats in summer, Sherdley is the biggest, and Sankey Valley's flat, traffic-free towpath runs towards Warrington and was made for bikes and scooters. In August the free Wild Gorse Hill nature sessions run in two of the parks, and the council's funded holiday clubs include food for eligible families - worth a look even if you assume you won't qualify. Days out in St Helens with kids are mostly a choice between free green spaces, which is a good problem.
Places in St Helens
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.
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.
Sherdley Park
St Helens' biggest park. Play areas, open space and a walled garden, and it costs nothing.
Taylor Park
St Helens' Victorian park with a lake, woodland walks, a decent playground and rowing boats in summer. The reliable local hour that becomes an afternoon.
Wild Gorse Hill Nature Fun
Family nature sessions running through August at two St Helens parks. Pitched at exactly this age group.
World of Glass
Free, indoors and better than it sounds: interactive science aimed at younger children, glassblowing demos, a picnic area and a small playground outside.
What’s on in St Helens
1 dated event coming up, 1 of them this weekend.
Wild Gorse Hill family nature fun (opens in a new tab)
Gorse Hill Park & Nansen Park, St Helens
until 31 Aug. Selected dates through August
Guided family nature sessions across two St Helens parks, aimed squarely at primary-age children and under-fives.
Written by us
Also worth the drive
Not in St Helens, but close enough for a day out.
Prescot & Whiston Play Centres
Space World in Prescot, Sensory Hive in Whiston and Boomerang: the council-listed indoor options when it rains and everyone is climbing the walls.
Family & Friends Playcentre
Soft play with a full role-play village attached, which is the bit that holds a four-year-old's attention long after the frame stops being interesting.
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.
Speke Hall
A Tudor hall with woodland walks, a maze and a natural play area in the grounds. Free if you have National Trust membership, and the indoor house is a good rain fallback.
Formby Beach & Pinewoods
Huge sand dunes, a proper beach and red squirrels in the pinewoods behind it. The dunes alone will occupy them for an hour. Free entry if you have National Trust membership.
Bubbles World of Play
Billed as the UK's biggest soft play. A long drive for soft play, but it's the one that turns a rainy day into an actual event, and the seafront is right there.
Museum of Liverpool
The city's story with an overhead railway carriage to climb aboard and Little Liverpool, a dedicated hands-on gallery for under-6s. Free, on the waterfront, and the window views are half the fun.