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.
Holiday Clubs (HAF)
St Helens, Merseyside
Funded holiday clubs across St Helens for ages 4-18, food included, for families receiving benefits-related free school meals.
Booking runs through the council. If you think you might qualify, check - the programme is bigger than most people assume.
Seasonal: School holidays. Check before travelling.
Looking for more soft play & indoor play 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.
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.
Wild Gorse Hill Nature Fun
Family nature sessions running through August at two St Helens parks. Pitched at exactly this age group.
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.