Adventure & rides in Trafford

This is where Manchester keeps the expensive indoor thrills, and the prices vary more than anywhere else on the site. iFLY is indoor skydiving in a glass wind tunnel, from £49.99 for a first-timer's two flights, and children can fly from three.

The Snow Centre, which Manchester still calls Chill Factore, has real snow all year and prices by session. Legoland Discovery Centre is aimed squarely at four to nine and costs noticeably less booked online than walked up to. Dino Falls threads two eighteen-hole mini golf courses through life-sized dinosaurs, from £8 a child, and is the one that works across the widest age range without anybody being too small.

Adventure & rides in Trafford

Dino Falls Adventure Golf

Trafford~20 min

★★★★★4.6(1,788)

Two 18-hole mini golf courses threaded through life-sized dinosaurs next to the Trafford Golf Centre driving range. A family of four plays for £32, and the second course is half price on the same day.

From £8 a child, £10 an adultAges 3-11

NAMCO Funscape Trafford Centre

Trafford~25 min

Bowling on 18 lanes, more than 100 arcade games and dodgems in The Orient at the Trafford Centre. Early bird bowling is £7 a game each before 1pm. The arcade is where the real money goes.

Early bird bowling £7 a game eachIndoorsAges 3-16

Paradise Island Adventure Golf Manchester

Trafford~25 min

★★★★☆4.2(1,115)

Two indoor 18-hole adventure golf courses over two levels, next to the Odeon at the Trafford Centre. One round is £9.25 for ages 5 to 16 and £6 for under-5s, and weekday early birds get two for one.

Ages 5 to 16 £9.25, under-5s £6IndoorsAges 3-14

iFLY Indoor Skydiving Manchester

Trafford~20 min

★★★★★4.7(4,922)

Freefall in a glass wind tunnel, no plane required. Kids can fly from age 3, and a first-timer package buys two instructor-held flights of just under a minute each. Short, expensive and unforgettable, roughly in that order.

From £49.99 a flyerIndoorsAges 6-14

Legoland Discovery Centre

Trafford~25 min

★★★★☆4.0(4,657)

Two rides, a 4D cinema, build zones and Manchester's skyline done in miniature bricks. Squarely aimed at 3 to 10, and it knows it: adults can only visit with a child.

Book online - walk-up costs moreIndoorsAges 4-9

Rock Up Manchester

Trafford~25 min

★★★★★4.6(159)

Themed auto-belay climbing walls, a high ropes course, a vertical drop slide and a multi-storey soft play, in the Snow Centre building on Trafford Way. Climbing from age 4, and a morning toddler climb-and-play session for under-fives.

Starter climb £19.95, soft play £6.95IndoorsAges 2-14

The Snow Centre Manchester

Trafford~25 min

★★★★☆4.4(5,629)

Real snow all year round at the venue Manchester still calls Chill Factore. Over-fours get the Snow Park with sledging, Downhill Donuts and an ice slide at weekends and in the school holidays; older kids can learn to ski or board on the UK's longest indoor real snow slope.

Pay per sessionIndoorsAges 4-11

TeamSport Go Karting Manchester Trafford Park

Trafford~30 min

★★★★★4.6(3,187)

An indoor 450-metre karting track with a flyover on Wharfside Way, for drivers aged 8 and up. Watching from the bar is free, parking is free, and race prices only show when you book.

Price not listed, free to watchIndoorsAges 8-16

Adventure & rides elsewhere in the North West

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

BeWILDerwood Cheshire

Malpas~45 min

★★★★★4.6(1,400)

The best age match of anything on this list. Reviewers put the sweet spot at 2 to 10 and say a 4-year-old can do essentially the whole park; the map colour-codes areas by age and puts mini zipwires beside the full-size ones. Budget four to six hours.

From £20.95; under 92cm freeAges 4-10

Zip World Manchester

Manchester~35 min

★★★★★4.7(752)

Treetop nets, high ropes and forest tubing in the woods of Heaton Park, and it is outdoors, not indoors. The cheap one is Treetot Nets: an hour bouncing on nets in the trees for ages 1 to 5, from £5, with a grown-up joining in.

Treetot Nets from £5, Treetop Nets from £25Ages 1-11

East Lancashire Railway

Bury~40 min

★★★★★4.8(3,326)

Heritage steam and diesel trains on a 12 mile line from Heywood through Bury and Ramsbottom to Rawtenstall. A Day Rover lets you hop off at any of the seven stations and catch the next one back, and there are themed family trains through the autumn and at Christmas.

Family Day Rover £62 online, £67 on the dayAges 4-11

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Blackpool~1 hr

★★★★☆4.3(35,528)

The big one. Nickelodeon Land covers the primary ages properly while the Big One and the wooden coasters wait for brave older kids. August queues are real; go in expecting them and it is a great day.

Wristbands - cheaper onlineAges 4-11