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.
Dream, Sutton Manor
St Helens, Merseyside
A twenty-metre white head rises out of a former colliery site, eyes closed, dreaming. Jaume Plensa's sculpture is genuinely strange and genuinely moving, and children treat the climb to reach it as a quest.
The walk up is short but real. Woodland trails spread from the summit if legs allow; the M62 views explain the whole region in one sweep.
Know before you go
- The climb is short but genuinely uphill - worth it for the face-to-face moment at the top.
Looking for more parks & outdoors near St Helens?
Also in St Helens
Sherdley Park
St Helens' biggest park. Play areas, open space and a walled garden, and it costs nothing.
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.
Wild Gorse Hill Nature Fun
Family nature sessions running through August at two St Helens parks. Pitched at exactly this age group.
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.
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.