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.
Sankey Valley Park
St Helens, Merseyside
A green corridor along the old St Helens Canal - flat, traffic-free and made for bikes, scooters and duck-feeding, with playgrounds spaced along the route.
Pick any stretch and walk until half the party tires, then turn round. The full route links St Helens to Warrington for ambitious cyclists.
Know before you go
- Take the bikes or scooters - it is flat, traffic-free and goes on as long as their legs do.
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.
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.
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.