Imagine That!

It calls itself a science and discovery centre, and there is a proper science floor with a pump-and-splash water area, but the honest description is a giant indoor pretend-play centre for ages one to ten. The Imagination Village has a child-sized diner, theatre and car wash, the art zone lets them paint an actual car, and every visit ends with mixing a pot of slime to take home.

Everything runs on timed, pre-booked sessions: roughly ninety minutes on the village and art side, then the science floor and slime factory. At £19.95 a child on weekends and in the holidays it is a proper spend, though adults get in for £8.95, parking is free and there are two cafes inside for the sit-down.

The car painting is the bit ours still talk about. Someone hands your child a brush and a real car and says yes, go on. Worth the ticket for that face alone.

What it costs: Weekends and school holidays: child £19.95, adult £8.95, under-3s £15.95, babies under 12 months free with a paying sibling. Cheaper midweek toddler sessions run in term time from about £12.95.

Worth knowing: Designed for ages 1 to 10; older kids will feel too big for it.

Looking for more soft play & indoor play near Liverpool?