World Museum, Liverpool
Five floors, free, and it covers three things small children reliably love: giant dinosaurs, an aquarium and a space gallery. The best wet-weather day within half an hour.
Slimeville Liverpool
Liverpool, Merseyside
Slimeville bills itself as the UK's first slime-themed playground, and the Liverpool branch is a unit on Duke Street. Children make their own slime at the Slime Station, then run about in a soft play zone and a room of interactive projection games, with a ball pit for the smaller ones. It is aimed at 3 to 12 year olds and everything inside is included in the 90 minute session.
The pricing is built round a starter ticket of one child plus one adult at £23.90, with extra children at £17.95 and extra adults at £5.95. That puts two adults and two children at nearly £48 before anyone has a slushie from the cafe, which is trampoline park money rather than soft play money. You can rebook up to 24 hours ahead and cancel for a full refund 48 hours out.
There is a second Slimeville on Friars Gate in Warrington, if Duke Street is the wrong side of the motorway for you.
What it costs: Every booking starts with a one child and one adult package at £23.90 for a 90 minute session. Each extra child is £17.95 and each extra adult £5.95, so two adults and two children comes to £47.80. An extra slime box is £8.50.
Know before you go
- Sessions start from 10am, with the last one starting at 4pm. Opening days are not on its own site, so check before a Monday trip.
- Wednesdays and Thursdays are SEND sessions with fewer children booked in, which is the time to go if a busy soft play is too much.
- There is no car park of its own, just city centre car parks within walking distance. Dress everyone in clothes you will not mourn.
Worth knowing: Designed for 3 to 12.
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