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Find your fun in Manchester this summer

Raise your fun factor this summer with our guide to the best events and activities in town – and how to kick the good times up a notch
Time Out in association with Crocs
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Summer is full of opportunities for adventure—waterways to explore, trails to discover and gorgeous parks to plant yourself in for sunny afternoons (okay, that last one isn’t so adventurous—but we’re totally there). And we love all of that good stuff. This year, though, we want something more, and so Time Out is teaming up with Crocs to say no to standard summers. First, we’re helping you find your fun with dozens of great activities all over Manchester; then, we’re telling you how to take that fun to the next level. Try these great fun-stuffed activities below and use the hashtag #FindYourFun to show the world your summer of good times.

Inspire the next David Attenborough

Get down among the mini-beasts and explore the glorious flora and fauna of Alkrington Woods Nature Reserve, in the grounds of the former Alkrington Hall estate. (Manchester Old Rd, Rhodes, Middleton, M24 1WF, www.rochdale.gov.uk).

Make it more fun Follow the paths through the woodland and you’ll find a route down to the banks of the River Irk for further adventures. It might get muddy, so make sure the kids are kitted out in their Kids’ Swiftwater Clogs. Shop Now.



Treat your little devils

If you’re living in a red household, then a trip to the Manchester United Museum, including a behind-the-scenes stadium tour, is bound to go down well. Open all year round, it’s full of fascinating memorabilia. Relive the heroic, tragic and truly special moments in the club’s history, and don’t miss the current George Best exhibition. (Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, M16 0RA, www.manutd.com).

Make it more fun Make it more fun After your tour of the stadium and museum, book a table in the Red Café. Each seat has a red back with a different player’s name on it. By the time they’ve chomped their way through a burger or a fajita it’ll be a long day, so keep comfortable in your Yukon Mesa Clogs. Shop Now.



Go on telly

The BBC’s MediaCity at Salford Quays is a state of the art broadcasting centre – and the great news is, it’s well designed for visitors of all ages. Let your little ones get a glimpse of how the TV and radio shows they love are made, on the CBBC Interactive Tour for ages six to 11. (MediaCityUK, Salford, M50 2EQ, www.bbc.co.uk).

Make it more fun Make it more fun The tour includes a chance to have a go at presenting the news or doing a weather report if your kids have the confidence. Get your kids to practise their patter before they go, put them in their smart Kids’ CrocsLights Fire Dragon Clogs and fill them with the spirit to get stuck in. Shop Now.



Put your (son or) daughter on the stage

The Royal Exchange, one of Manchester’s most respected theatres, runs affordable performance workshops every week. For £75 per term, the Flying Saucers Drama Club is a chance for young people to spend Sundays honing their acting skills and learning new techniques that can help boost their confidence in daily life, too. (St Ann’s Square, M2 7DH, www.royalexchange.co.uk).

Make it more fun Make it more fun If you fancy doing something different on a weekend, you can drop into the Royal Exchange’s weekly sessions for under-11s, for just £3 per child. Slip on your elegant Leigh Graphic Wedges for a Sunday in cultureland and introduce your little ones to the world of theatre through storytelling, sensory and drama workshops, and live entertainment. Shop Now.



Photograph: Oldham Gallery

Get arty

Gallery Oldham is a dynamic art space that’s easy to get to and inspiring for young creative minds. Plan your trip for the first Saturday of the month and join their drop-in Creative Family Fun sessions for artist-led activities like painting, drawing and crafting. The Super Saturday sessions run from noon to 4pm and are free. (Oldham Cultural Quarter, Greaves St, OL1 1AL, www.galleryoldham.org.uk).

Make it more fun Prefer your art fix weekly, not monthly? Put the kids in their washable Kids’ Karin Clogs and join the GO Explorers sessions for ages two to four, with dance, play, movement and song. Shop Now.



Fly through the sky

Enjoy the feeling of skydiving without the hairy flight in a little plane first. At Airkix indoor skydiving centre, anyone aged four and over can feel the amazing sensation of floating in mid air, thanks to a specially designed vertical wind tunnel. No experience needed, just a bit of bravery. (Trafford Quays Leisure Village, 9 Trafford Way, M41 7JA, www.airkix.com).

Make it more fun If you’re taking little ones along, there’s a viewing area so they can watch big brother or sister ‘flying’. There’s a great café, too, so you can treat the family to lunch afterwards. Salvi’s serves Italian deli treats, so sit back, enjoy something tasty and watch the action in your Sloane Platform Flips. Shop Now.



Improve your swing

If your family is golf-mad, the Trafford Golf Centre is the ideal place to nurture a serious talent. They have junior coaching sessions with trained professionals, so your budding golfer can learn the skills and the etiquette of the game. They do kids’ golf parties, too. (Old Park Lane, Trafford City, M17 8PG, www.traffordgolfcentre.co.uk.)

Make it more fun The Trafford Golf Centre is part of the intu Trafford Centre complex, where there’s a crazy-golf course called Paradise Island Adventure Golf. Set over two levels, the 18-hole course is designed as an exotic and colourful wonderland. Great fun in your Yukon Mesa Clogs. Shop Now.



Go pond dipping

Phillips Park is 31 fabulous acres of wide open space close to Sportcity, great for running around, playing hide and seek in the woodland, walking the dog or swinging about in the children’s playground. (Fairclough St, M11 4TN, sportcity-manchester.com).

Make it more fun As well as the playground and sport pitches, there’s a community orchard, bowling green, pond and pavilion to wander round. Take a picnic or go for an explore in your stylish Karin Floral Clogs. The pond has a dipping platform, so take a net and a jam jar along and see what you might catch – before gently putting what you found back in the water, of course. Shop Now.



Take a spin

Manchester is a city that’s serious about sport, and thanks to the major events held here in recent years, the facilities are first class. The National Cycling Centre is a joy for anyone who prefers two wheels to four. From sessions where they teach you how to ride a bike to advanced skills workshops and maintenance courses, there’s lots here for everyone. (Stuart St, M11 4DQ, www.nationalcyclingcentre.com).

Make it more fun The BMX track is brilliantly designed, so everyone from novices to world-class competitors can get a thrilling ride out of their visit. Check out the session times and watch the kids pedal with confidence in their Kids’ Swiftwater Clogs. Shop Now.



Score a strike

Dog Bowl is a great city-centre bowling alley with lots of funky atmosphere, and without the often overwhelming bustle of the big out-of-town alleys. Under-18s can bowl here every day of the week until 7pm. They do special birthday packages, too. (Whitworth St West, M1 5WW, blackdogballroom.co.uk).

Make it more fun Even during the school holidays, kids under 12 can bowl for free on Mondays – on other days it’s just £4. Wear your Karin Floral Clogs so that changing into your bowling shoes is a doddle. Then you’re set to rule those lanes!. Shop Now.



Discover your home town

The People’s History Museum is a welcoming and inspiring place to explore. Kids love seeing traces of their parents’ and grandparents’ early lives in the artefacts and exhibitions, and you all go home feeling a little more in touch with the people and places around you. (Left Bank, Spinningfields, M3 3ER, www.phm.org.uk).

Make it more fun There are regular pARTicipate workshops, led by artists, offering a chance to get creative, and in school breaks there are drop-in craft table sessions where you get to make collages and models. It could get sticky, so put the kids in their washable Kids’ Swiftwater Clogs. Shop Now.



Get nose to beak with an owl

Take a short ride out to the countryside south-west of the city for a day trip to Cheshire Falconry. Watch the falconers fly birds of prey from all over the world, while they tell you all about these incredible creatures. Admission to public displays is just £3 (children £2.50) and you can add the aviary to your visit for just £2 more. (Blackmere Craft Centre, Chester Rd, Sandiway, Northwich, CW8 2EB, www.cheshirefalconry.com).

Make it more fun They have lots of safe sessions where you can try falconry for yourself, and for children aged four to 14, there’s a half-hour trial session where they can get hands-on and fly an owl. A great way to get out in the fresh air with your practical Swiftwater Clogs on. Shop Now.



Glide on the ice

You don’t have to wait until winter to enjoy ice skating in Manchester. Altrincham’s Silver Blades ice rink is open all year round – the perfect place to cool down if the heat gets too much this summer. They have deals for skating in the school holidays, lots of special sessions including Tuesday evenings for families, and birthday party facilities. (Oakfield Rd, Station Site, Altrincham, WA15 8EW, www.silver-blades.co.uk).

Make it more fun If you fancy taking your little ones for a spin on the ice but you’re worried about older kids and adults rushing past you, go along to one of the Parent and Toddler sessions on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The atmosphere is more relaxed, there are hot drinks for parents and juice and biscuits for the children, plus lots of bikes, cars and toys on and off the rink. Make changing into skates extra easy by wearing your Sienna Flats. Shop Now.



Do a maze run

Apple Jacks Adventure Park is a day out in the countryside, handy for Manchester, where kids can run about in wide open space, go roller skating and try driving a quad kart. You can race each other on ziplines and take the adventure hayride, too. It’s a busy place, with a hay ball mountain for climbing, bouncy trampolines and challenges like archery. There’s even pig racing to watch! (Stretton Rd, Stretton, WA4 4NW, www.applejacksfarm.co.uk).

Make it more fun All year round there’s a fence maze here to puzzle your way out of, but in summer the vast maize maze opens. This is not for wimps! Put the children in their sturdy Kids’ Swiftwater Clogs and take on the maze as your next big family adventure – running along narrow paths, across bridges and over uneven terrain while solving cryptic clues to make your escape. Shop Now.



Take to the waves

The Helly Hansen Watersports Centre is no boring old swimming pool. This amazing facility at Salford Quays includes indoor and outdoor challenges, from climbing and kayaking to powerboating and open water swimming. (15 The Quays, Salford, M50 3SQ, www.salfordcommunityleisure.co.uk).

Make it more fun If you want to try something more adventurous, you don’t need to fly off to the Med – you can go wakeboarding and windsurfing right here in Manchester. This place offers junior and adult rates, so the whole family can get involved. You’ll be in and out of the water, so make changing super-easy by wearing your Swiftwater Clogs. Shop Now.



Discover more fun activities

Travel back in time

The East Lancashire Railway is a beautifully preserved chance to get onboard an old steam train and take a trip through the countryside. There are lots of points where you can start or finish your journey (Heywood, Bury, Summerseat, Ramsbottom, Irwell Vale, Rawtenstall) and each station is like a living history lesson in itself. Check the website addresses for each station on the line (www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk).

Make it more fun Through the year (especially during school holidays) there are family craft sessions for children to get busy with, and this summer there are Family Fun Weekends with a chance to meet Thomas the Tank Engine and Peppa Pig. A wonderful day out, just right for a comfortable pair of Karin Floral Clogs. Shop now.


Frolic in the fields

The wide open space of south Manchester’s Wythenshawe Park is perfect for kicking a ball around or testing your Frisbee skills. There’s a great children’s playground too, if you want to let your little ones clamber, swing and scoot, and a community farm just next to the playground. The eight tennis courts are free to use and there’s a pitch and putt area, so take your own sports gear and enjoy. (Wythenshawe Rd, M23 0AB, www.manchester.gov.uk).

Make it more fun Put on your Yukon Mesa Flips and lead a trail through the woodlands at the park. The 13 different wooded areas across the park were declared a local nature reserve in 2012, with lots of birds, plants and animals to spot. Shop now.



Catch a show

The Lowry theatre and arts centre on Salford Quays always has a busy schedule of performances for children and families. From charming theatre for under-fives to the classics for kids to dazzling child-friendly cabaret with whizzy special effects. (Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ, www.thelowry.com).

Make it more fun Whether you’re here for a show or you’ve just had a busy shopping trip in the mall across the road, The Lowry’s Lookout space is a free creative zone for kids. Little ones can play games or curl up with you and a good book, and older children can perhaps be inspired by the art in the free exhibition and create their own drawings. An easy and stylish day out in your Leigh Graphic Wedge Crocs. Shop now.

Go wild in the ‘country’

Get lungsful of fresh air and enjoy a runaround in the leafy acres of Debdale Park in Gorton. There’s so much to do here for all ages, including a play area for ages 12 and under, a skate park, a football pitch and a pitch and putt course. If you have a budding Andy Murray on your hands, take along your racquets – the tennis courts are free to use. (1075 Hyde Rd, M18 7LJ, www.manchester.gov.uk).

Make it more fun The outdoor centre at Debdale Park offers the chance to get on the water and try a range of sports, including dinghy sailing, canoeing, kayaking and powerboating. Why not join the kids in your Karin Floral Clogs? Or if you’re all feeling adventurous, try the indoor climbing range or go orienteering. Shop now.


Release your inner squirrel

If you think the kids need a screen break, get them stretching and swooshing through the trees at Aerial Extreme. You might think this high ropes adventure centre is way out of town, but there’s actually an Aerial Extreme at the intu Trafford Centre (13/14 Regent Crescent Car Park, M17 8AA, www.aerialextreme.co.uk), so put your brave face on and get zipwiring!

Make it more fun When you’ve got yourselves back on solid ground, make a full day of your adventure. At the intu Trafford Centre you’ll also find lots of other diversions including a cinema, a soft play area and the Namco Funscape – a lively play zone. There’s tenpin bowling and machine games, and we can recommend the Sienna Flats for a turn on the turbocharged bumper cars! Shop now.

Inspire a new Picasso

Since it was extended and refurbished, the Whitworth Art Gallery has transformed from being a charming museum of visual arts to an exciting and dynamic place to explore creativity with your family. See works by great artists from Van Gogh and Cezanne to Hockney and Emin. Pick up an Art Hamper for free, filled with materials to help your little ones get arty while they’re here. (Oxford Rd, M15 6ER, www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk).

Make it more fun Plan your visit for a Sunday, when, throughout the day, families can explore the gallery on a specially designed route. Artists have created imaginative ways for children of all ages to look at the collection and get to know great art on their own terms. Artist Sundays are free and drop-in, so slip on your Isabella Sandals, swing by the Whitworth then spend some time in the sun at the park next door, to round your weekend off in style. Shop now.

Have a splashing time

The Pelican Centre in Tyldesley is a good-news story for community determination. Converted from an old cinema into a swimming pool in the 1960s, it closed in 2011, but after years of tireless campaigning was reborn as the Pelican Centre. The beautiful pool is now a cherished local amenity, with the potential for more development to come. (Castle St, Tyldesley, M29 8EG, www.pelicantyldesley.co.uk).

Make it more fun  You can book Saturday afternoon pool parties, from a toddlers’ splasharound to a giant floating obstacle course or a water polo tournament. Make sure your little ones have their Kids' Swiftwater Clogs at the ready before you take the splash. (Castle St, Tyldesley, M29 8EG, www.pelicantyldesley.co.uk). Shop now.


Get busy with the frogs and fossils

The Manchester Museum has plenty to fire up curious little minds. As well as stunning dinosaur skeletons and galleries full of specimens, there are also live animals to meet. Once you’re done gazing on millennia-old Greek, Egyptian and Roman artefacts, and stuffed animals, check out the Vivarium and get close to lots of weird and wonderful living frogs, lizards and reptiles. (Oxford Rd, M13 9PL, www.museum.manchester.ac.uk).

Make it more fun  There are lively activities for children of all ages (including babies) through the week, but a real highlight is the monthly Big Saturday session. Get the little-uns to pull on their Kids' CrocsLight Fire Dragon Clogs and head here for hands-on craft and activities sessions. Each month they are themed to a different, fascinating aspect of the museum. Shop now.

© Smabs Sputzer

Go free range

Just a short drive out of Manchester centre takes you to so many beautiful countryside locations, including Dove Stone – a wonderful RSPB reserve near Mossley. With hills rising up all around you and easy to follow paths through the moorland to the reservoir, this is a stunningly beautiful place to explore wildlife, waterfalls, streams and woodland. (Mossley, OL3 7NE, www.rspb.org.uk).

Make it more fun Time your visit for one of the monthly Discovery Sundays (until September 25). Drop in at Ashway Gap any time from 11am to 3pm and get stuck into special family activities that bring nature even closer to the kids. See the website for details of the next date, where you can check for cancellations if the weather’s bad, but otherwise, don your Yukon Mesa Clogs and get going. Shop now.

Get all steamed up

Across the road from Bury Bolton Street station you’ll find the Bury Transport Museum. There are lots of lovely old buses and steam engines to take a close look at, and even an old horsedrawn tram that used to be a chip shop. Fascinating for young visitors and a delightful trip back in time if you take gran and grandpa too. (Castlecroft Goods Warehouse, Bolton St, Bury BL9 0EY, www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk).

Make it more fun Put the children in comfortable Kids' Karin Clogs and make a day out of it. Come to the Bury Transport Museum for the craft workshops (every Wednesday in school holidays) and take a trip on the East Lancashire Railway, from the station across the road.Shop now.


Hear about heroes

Thanks to the incredible collection of artefacts and artworks at the Fusilier Museum in Bury, visitors young and old can get a sense of a soldier’s life in war and peace. Take a close look at everything from Robert Ross’s tunic, worn as the British battled at Washington in 1814, and Napoleon’s books, a gift to the regiment from Bonaparte shortly before his death. (Moss St, Bury BL9 0DF, www.fusiliermuseum.com).

Make it more fun If you’re visiting in any school break, join the drop-in, free craft sessions, themed to an aspect of the collection. These happen on Wednesdays and Fridays (10.30am-1pm). At 11am on these days there’s a chance to get hands on with some of the museum’s treasures, too. Slip on your Sloane Platform Flips and watch the kids get inspired by history. Shop now.

Step into the City

If your household often rattles to the sound of family members singing ‘Blue Moon’, treat yourselves to a tour of Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. The guided tour includes a chance to visit the press room, see the players’ lounge, walk down the tunnel to the pitch and sit in the manager’s seat in the dugout. (Eithad Campus, M11 3FF, www.mcfc.co.uk).

Make it more fun If you love the extra sense of drama of a floodlit evening game, take the Friday Night Stadium Tour. After a long week at school, let the little ones get changed out of their uniform, into their comfortable Kids’ Swiftwater Clogs and head to the Etihad. Shop now.


Jump around

Do the kids like to turn your bed into a trampoline while you’re trying to change the sheets? Give them the chance to get all that bouncing out of their system at Go Air Trampoline Park. Here the entire space is covered with trampolines – they even go up the wall. (Riverpark Trading Estate, Eastlands, M40 2XP, www.goairtrampolinepark.co.uk).

Make it more fun Take the simple joy of bouncing up and down and make it into a seriously exciting talent. At Go Air Trampoline Park they host Junior Parkour classes (£6) for ages six to 11. The kids get a 60-minute instructor session of serious street movement in a safe and sporty setting. The wee ones will be raring to kick off their Kids’ CrocsLight Fire Dragon Clogs and get moving. Shop now.

Get hands-on with history

There’s been a family home at Clayton Hall since the twelfth century and it’s one of Manchester’s rare examples of a moated medieval site. Over the years it has been occupied by many grand families and today you can visit it as the Clayton Hall Living History Museum – a wonderful chance to make history vividly real and much more exciting than classroom lessons. (Clayton Park, Ashton New Rd, M11 4RU, www.claytonhall.org).

Make it more fun You can only visit Clayton Hall on open days (see the website for upcoming dates) but when you do, make sure the kids don’t miss the chance to dress up and join in the hands-on activities that reflect affluent country house life hundreds of years ago. Wear your Isabella Sandals for this laidback trip just out of town. Shop now.

Say ‘Oink’ to the park life

Take a stroll around Wythenshawe Park Community Farm and see who’s in each of the big pens and sheds – pigs, cows, sheep, goats, horses and ducks. The farm has a full breeding programme, so you might well spot a few adorable piglets, lambs or calves. Open daily. (Wythenshawe Rd, M23 0AB, www.manchester.gov.uk).

Make it more fun While you’re here, take a stroll around the greenhouses of the Horticultural Centre for free. There’s a Safari Walk that leads you through the exotic plants. Between the farm and the greenhouses it might get a little mucky or dusty, so wear your washable Swiftwater Crocs. Shop now.


© Jason Lawton

Learn about war and peace

Located in a futuristic aluminium-clad building by the quays, Imperial War Museum North is an exciting, modern museum that looks back over the history of modern Britain in wartime. Compare your height with a full-size fighter jet and see artefacts that reveal what life was like for troops and civilians living through conflicts since the First World War. There’s an exhibition about spies, too. (Trafford Wharf Rd, Stretford, Manchester M17 1TZ, 0161 836 4000, www.iwm.org.uk).

Make it more fun The daily, free TimeStack object handing sessions give children a chance to find out more about history in a more informal way – through storytelling sessions. Perfect for those children who think history is boring. You'll have them reciting important names and dates in no time. Kitted out in their Kids' Swiftwater Clogs, your mini-mes will stay comfortable and, hopefully, happy all day, no matter how many galleries they want to visit. Shop now.

Inspire your budding Picasso

Right in the centre of town and free to visit, Manchester Art Gallery is a lot more lively inside than you might think. As well as a large collection of nineteenth-century masterpieces, there are many art works that depict the city through the years. Get the kids to look close and see if they recognise the places in the paintings. (Mosley St, Manchester M2 3JL, 0161 235 8888, www.manchesterartgallery.org).

Make it more fun  The Clore Art Studio is the gallery’s noisy, busy space where children can create their own art or interact with sensory playthings. It's one of those attractions that's bound to keep the children inspired and entertained all day long. There are regular free craft sessions, often themed to the latest exhibitions, so with the risk of a splash of paint here and there, washable Kids' Karin Clogs are a wise choice. Shop now.

Fire a brilliant young mind

If you have a child who’s always asking ‘What’s that?, ‘What makes it go?’ and ‘How does that work?’, put their brain cells to good use at the Museum of Science and Industry. Free to visit, this bustling hands-on museum includes virtual reality displays, artefacts from the age of steam, and the chance to find out more about how biology, chemistry and physics affect our daily lives. (Liverpool Rd, Manchester M3 4FP, msimanchester.org.uk).

Make it more fun Head for the museum’s 1830 Warehouse and try the 4D Cinema (£4, £3 concs). Suitable for age five-plus, this exciting ride takes you on a night-time pirate adventure, using the latest 4D cinema technology. As you rely on your senses to make your way through the obstacle course, you’ll want your tootsies to be comfortable, so choose Yukon Mesa Clogs. Shop now.

Score the winning goal

Open daily and free to visit, the National Football Museum is a brilliant choice on days when rain has stopped play in the park. With an unparalleled collection of artefacts, the museum tells the story of the beautiful game from its roots to its exciting modern-day highlights. For obsessives, there are regular Panini sticker swap days and drop-in sessions where you can get your own memorabilia valued. (Urbis Building, Cathedral Gdns, Todd St, Manchester M4 3BG, 0161 605 8200, www.nationalfootballmuseum.com).

Make it more fun: For ages seven-plus, the interactive FootballPlus+ simulators are a must. Kick, stretch, run and test your reaction speeds as you try to score a goal or make the save that will win your team the match! This is the home of the beautiful game and an essential stop-off if you're in Manchester. Footie boots not necessary, but Kids' CrocsLight Fire Dragon Clogs are just right. Shop now.

Play, discover and relax

Heaton Park isn’t just a beautiful green space for picnics and running around, it has dedicated play areas, an animal centre, a tram museum and facilities so you can have a go at horse riding, if you’re up to it! In summer, there are free events to watch too (Middleton Rd, Higher Blackley, M25 2SW, www.manchester.gov.uk/heatonpark).

Make it more fun: From April to September you can hire a boat and take to the lake. It's just the right time of year to lap up the serenity of the lake and chill with the little ones. The boats take up to four people, so you can all try your hand at oar skills, or let the others do the work and watch the clouds as you float along. It doesn’t matter if a little water splashes in, if you’ve got your Swiftwater Clogs on. Shop now.

Get nose to snout with a shark

With over 5000 aquatic creatures to gaze at, in a range of zones including Turtle Beach, Jellyfish Seas, Shark Shipwreck and the new Octopus Hideout, Sea Life Manchester is the perfect day out for budding marine explorers. Walk through the ocean tunnel while shoals of fish glide overhead and dip your hands in the rockpool to see what starfish and sea anemones really feel like. (The Trafford Centre, Barton Dock Rd, Manchester M17 8AS, 0871 221 2483, www2.visitsealife.com).

Make it more fun: Make it more fun: For a special occasion book one of Sea Life’s extra experiences. These include a Sea Trek for ages eight-plus – a walk through one of the vast tanks, surrounded by sharks, giant sea turtles, rays and fish. You don’t need any diving experience and they supply the kit and the safety training. Just take your swimmies, slip off your Karin Floral Clogs and dive into the blue. Shop now.

Climb to new heights

If your kids are little monkeys who turn every sofa they see into a climbing frame, give them a taste of the real thing: at the bouldering centre, Rock Over Climbing, in Julia Street. Rock Over Climbing has walls to suit all abilities and their team includes experienced mountaineers to ensure everyone stays safe. (Clarence Hatworks, 45 Julia St, Manchester M3 1LN, 0161 288 1218, www.rockoverclimbing.co.uk)

Make it more fun: Make it more fun: For ages five-plus there’s a Clip-Go-Climb adventure zone especially designed for younger climbers, and even the very youngest don’t miss out because there’s a pirate-themed soft play centre to encourage first climbing skills. Kick off your Sloane Platform Flips and get active. Shop now.

Let your imagination take flight

At Manchester Airport’s Runway Visitor Park you don’t need an airline ticket for a far-flung destination to feel part of the action. Watch aeroplanes take off from the playground and park, then take a closer look inside an RAF Nimrod, a DC-10 and Concorde – the fastest passenger plane ever to take to the skies. (Sunbank Lane, Altrincham, WA15 8XQ, 0161 489 8336, www.manchesterairport.co.uk). 

Make it more fun:  Book a Flight Academy session where the kids can get a taste of what it’s like to work on a real plane. The tours are designed for ages four to seven, and eight to 12, so they can test their skills at being a pilot, a member of the cabin crew, and an air traffic controller. A busy day and one which will be made all the more comfortable for your sprogs by a pair of CrocsLights Fire Dragon Clogs. Shop now.

Go wild in the country

One of the most beautiful wide-open spaces close to Manchester has to be Tatton Park. Run about, meet the rare breed animals on the Park’s working farm and explore centuries of country house life (upstairs and downstairs) at the Tudor Old Hall. (Mereheath Dr, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6QN, 01625 374400, www.tattonpark.org.uk).

Make it more fun: Make it more fun: To mark the 100th anniversary of Roald Dahl’s birthday, Tatton Park is hosting a year of ‘Tremendous Adventures’ throughout 2016. Join a plot to trick the gamekeepers with Danny Champion of the World, look for Fantastic Mr Fox’s den at the farm, and head to the Mansion for the Matilda mystery trail. On a sunny day, keep it chic with a sleek pair of Sienna Flats when you’re seeking out a Golden Ticket out in the park... Shop now.

Pet a piggy

Visit an inner city farm with the kids and enjoy the delights of the countryside within the city limits. At Wythenshawe Community Farm you can spend time petting one of many pigs or stroking a sheep. (Wythenshawe Park, Wythenshawe Rd, Manchester, Lancashire M23 0AB, Wythenshawe Community Farm).

Make it more fun:  Make it more fun: The farm's selection of animals is enough to keep children (and adults) entertained all day - at 3pm it's feeding time and you could join in the fun of giving animals their daily meal. There's also the option of putting the little ones forward to be a 'Junior Farmer' for the day. Keep their feet warm and dry in a pair of Kids' Swiftwater Clogs. Shop now.

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