Gauntlet Birds of Prey
Eagles, owls and vultures flown close enough to feel the wingbeat, at a sanctuary that is about the birds rather than the gift shop. Displays run through the day; small, and better for it.
Planet Play
Knutsford, Cheshire
Planet Play is on the Stanley Road trading estate in Knutsford, between Booths and the station, and it calls itself the town's only children's play centre, which is true of the town if not of the area. It is run by Chris and Lou, a couple with a catering background and four children who acted as consultants. Under-fives have their own separate baby and toddler area with sensory bits and a piano floor mat.
Older children get the larger zone: climb aboard the rocket to reach the four-lane Supersonic Wavy slide, and there is a sports court with football nets and a basketball hoop. Entry is £8 for over-threes and £6 for one and two year olds, with adults free alongside a paying child, and the weekday Eat, Stay and Play deal is £10.50 including a meal. Nothing is booked, so on a wet holiday morning get there early.
What it costs: Under 1 free (£2 per adult attending with them); 1 to under 3 £6; 3 and over £8; adults free with paying players over 1. Eat, Stay and Play, Monday to Friday: £10.50 per child including admission and a meal from a set menu. Party packages from £17.50 per head.
Know before you go
- Private parties close it early, especially at weekends. The website posts that weekend's actual hours; check it or Facebook before you go.
- Monday and Wednesday it closes at 2pm.
Worth knowing: 0 to 11.
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The Moor, Knutsford
Five and a half acres at the bottom end of Tatton Mere, a public park since 1907 and two minutes from Knutsford town centre. Two play areas, one for toddlers and one for bigger children, and benches facing the water.
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