Nice little nature reserve. As soon as we walked down we…read moresaw a kite flying around, got talking to a guy who showed us kingfishers mating on his camera. A male was offering a female a fish. Awwww. Walked further along onto the next hide and saw a heron, a swan scaring off another swan. Came into the cafe for tea and cake, donations.

Tucked away behind the canal at Rodley is the Rodley nature reserve. I wandered down there one day…read moreand a lovely lady popped out to welcome me an tell me all about the reserve and its origins (I think it used to be a sewage farm but don't let that put you off). It great for bird watchers and there's a few hides around the reserve. It's also just nice for a walk around and there's a visitors centre where you can get a cup of tea. You can become a friend of the nature reserve for about £7 for the year and then you are invited to special events just at bat walks.

I'm doing it again; I must get to the water. I am a Gremlin. I need to multiply and water is my…read moresavour. In that case I could do a lot worse than Hemsworth Water Park and Play World. Now this badger has two lakes; the largest lake is available for pedalo rides and has sandy beaches; the smallest lake is in a more secluded area to attract wildlife. It's perfect if you want to do a Freddie Flintoff and fool around for a while. It's also ideal to see some great things of interest in this beautiful world we have around us. I'm going all John Lennon on you now. You've also got loads of grassed areas and picnics are no problem either (except the fact it's always freezing and wet in England). Then throw in the Play World bit. This is where I need to fall back and remind myself that I'm not a child any more. For "real" kids though it's got with a tower slide, climbing frames, a toddler's sandpit area and a miniature railway. Toot toot. Once again I've found you a corking day out with a difference but do check what is open if you go before the Easter holidays. You have been warned.

I find myself in something of a quandary. I value the provision of these islands of nature greatly…read moreand will always defend them from the encroaching urban sprawl but I find that I cannot get very excited about Hemsworth Water Park, Nice enough lakes and the ducks were very duck-like, the grass was probably just as green as any other park and the children's play area as clean and well maintained as the best of them but the other play area which is rather grandly called Playworld was locked up thereby saving us a few quid for an experience we could get for free in any half decent public park. I left with the feeling that I had wasted fuel driving to Hemsworth as there are better parks much nearer to where I live.

Lovely walk peaceful and good place to walk dogs.read more

When the Queensway Tunnel was dug beneath the river, the subsequent rubbish pulled from the ground…read morewas dumped and landscaped into what is now Otterspool Prom. Here you can do everything there is to possibly do on a riverside promenade; things such as walk, ride a bike, look at the water and...um...well that's about it. I suppose you could rollerblade if you wanted. If it's a warm day and you don't mind the style your hair will be sculpted into by the blustering gales, you can follow the prom and its interconnecting paths right up to the Pier Head. If you don't fancy that, try and unearth the ruins of the 1984 Garden Festival, which lies hidden by tree trunks and weeds. You don't know how overtly creepy something is until you accidentally stumble across a kid's overgrown swing park. I still have nightmares.

What a spectacular view. Did you ever see such a coastline? Especially when the waves are choppy…read moreand the wind blustery. I absolutely love the promenade; walking along beside the river with the breathtaking view of the Welsh hills in the background is really relaxing, there's lots of cyclists and dog-walkers around and it's a lovely environment on a clear sunny day. The park which was renovated through the 'Pride in our Proms' project is Amazing. It's a mini world of Big Kid heaven... for me anyway I regressed about 10 years and was on the swings, seesaw and monkey bars, and when we'd totally worn ourselves out running around and taking cool scenic pictures of the sunset we went for a well earned pint from the Otterspool pub which is handily a hop skip and a cartwheel across the park. Go fly a kite, see the sights, play on the park and grab a pint!

After last years epidemic of baby births, sorry that sounded shallow. After the delight that was…read moremany of my friends and colleagues creating or expanding their families (better) the seasons are changing and as we move out of Winter into Spring and hopefully balmier climates, talk has turned on where's a nice and safe place to take the kids that isn't pure saccharine wacky zany child fun, and is parent and friends of parent friendly, eg, friends of parents won't balk at the idea of spending time with the kidlets because it's "just too much fun(!)" Anyhoo, an excellent compromise or combination, of green, flowers, pretty, play areas, etc is Pudsey Park. My idea to take friends kidlets here stemmed from the glowing reports this park has. Prior job projects included something on open spaces in West Yorkshire, and Pudsey Park comes in top of the list with regards to awards and such. It's been a Green Flag award winner every year since 2003, a worthy acheivement. The park is always clean, and I've never had any trouble, plus in half term and Summer holidays, there's plenty of families about, which is nice for the kids to play about, without being too loud and annoying for anyone enjoying the park sans child. So what's to do here? If you enter the park at the Car Park side, you'll immediately notice the playground, and there's a basketball court, and a skate park. Wandering through there's a bowling green, flower gardens, a glass house filled with exotic plants and a pets corner and aquarium and aviary. For replenishments there's also a little cafe too. At the moment the park is undergoing some regeneration, so there are some major developments going on, and the structure and layout of the park is changing. But when it's all done and dusted it should be even better than ever.

I'm feeling the love for all things slightly off centre. No I'm not having another Mel meltdown, I…read moremean I'm quite liking exploring the deeper depths of our beloved Leeds and it's Pudsey. Since I'm on a park ting (getting all street again, word up), I thought it'd be rude not to look this bad boy up. Now most of the parks have been reasonable to good it has to be said but this one is a perfectly formed package. It should shout about itself, it's a Greenflag winner and has been on many occasions. That's probably because it's very well maintained and has loads of stuff for the kids. Pet's corner is a nice touch and they keep on reconstructing areas left, right and centre so it's only going to get better. You've got exotic fish and birds and a tropical greenhouse. So get your best silly hat and cargo shorts out and go jungle trekking in your own back yard. There are plenty of flowers and tree lined walks. Plus, skate park, green bowls and a bandstand. Altogether with some air trumpet now.

When I'm stressed, unimpressed, or my head's in need of rest, Beckett Park is my playground. I'm so…read morefortunate in that I'm a stone's throw away from it and can go for a walk/cross march whenever I need to clear my head. Considering that Beckett Park is literally slap-bang next to Leeds uni Headingley campus, it's hardly ever packed with people. I find it odd if I see more than 3 joggers whenever I go for an amble. I take the route via Churchwood Avenue into a thick arch of towering trees, the sky above stained with lush green leaves. it's easy to see why this was the childhood haven of many Leeds dwellers. I can just see the myriad games of Robin Hood / Manhunt / Hide and seek that must've gone down here. Biking through this strip of woodland must be very liberating! This park is beautiful at any time of the year, so if you're looking for a scenic setting to your morning jog you could do alot worse!

I realise my review may be somewhat tainted by the arrival of the snows but, when stripped of such…read moreexciting weather, I think Beckett's Park will still offer up plenty of fun and games. Literally ten minutes from Headingley you can walk straight up St. Anne's Road and you will have arrived at Beckett's Park. To the left there is the option to go for a mini woodland walk, in the midst of the suburban Headingley area, or you can carry on and in front of you to the park area itself. It might not be the largest space but it's big enough for a decent game of rounders/football and is surrounded by picturesque trees and greenery. Lots of fun! There's also a cute little bench, perfect for a sandwich and a light read. In terms of snow related fun I have been snow boarding - using a wheel-less mountain board as a snow board - down the hills of Beckett's Park! It is like, totally awesome. Be warned though, snowboard at your own risk - injuries are very possible - I have come away with a sprained posterior. You may laugh now but it's not great walking around with a limp and having to explain exactly where it hurts...

What a great find!…read more Pugney's is just off Jn 39 on the M1 and it has a big lake where you can hire canoes, kayaks, dinghies, windsurfers and even pedaloes. Around the outside of the lake you can take a small train ride (for the younger children), there is an activity park (no swings and slides though) and even places built specifically for bird watching. Today I went on a pedalo with my two children. It only cost £6 for the three of us and it gave my legs some much needed exercise having to do the pedalling for all three of us! Afterwards my eldest went on a kayak (only £3.70), he had never been on one by himself before but he quickly picked it up and really enjoyed himself. The cafe sells paninis, jacket potatoes and sandwiches all at reasonable prices and there are two ice-cream vans ouside. There are also benches outside for people who want to bring their own food. The best thing of all is that there is no gift shop so my children can't pester me to buy them something! Pugney's is overlooked by Sandal Castle and this is only about three minutes drive away and well worth a visit afterwards!

My main memory of Pugney's country park is of dropping my Thornton's turkish delight bar in there…read morewhen I was about eleven, and being grudging and outraged for the rest of the walk. I suppose that wasn't 'Puggy's' fault! In spite of that, it's an attractive local spot and attracts all the water sports enthusiasts and a horde of waterfowl, is a nice spot for a walk and handy for Sandal Castle. (Also known as the spot where the Grand Old Duke of York marched his ten thousand men, up, down and half-way). It is however a bit short of public conveniences and eateries, which might increase tourism in the spot. Just a thought!

This is my local park, loads for kids to do from parks and trails. Park run have a route here on…read moreSaturdays from 9am & I love the Oakwell Music Festival that's on in July.

Open all year round, free entrance, its good for a variety of different walks in woodland or more…read morechild/pushchair friendly. There is a great swing park and small cafe (where to be honest the service is slow and the food not amazing) but there are zillions of blackberries to be picked at the right time of year. There is a lovely little visitor centre, and a small gift shop as well.

i always visit the park every sunday , i carnt belive its actualy free its like something you see…read moreand think you would have to pay a entrance free , a massive pond for fishing , park for the children , sand pit , slides and swings. i usualy go fishing on the pond with a reasonable price to fish , lovely people and litter free!

Ahh, Hyde Park. I thought I'd update my review, since it's been eons since I last show it some…read morelove. I've always been confused that everyone calls it Hyde Park, but it's actually Woodhouse Moor. What's up with that? I'll have to do some research and find out. I do love this park, even though there are down sides. The positives include amazingly huge trees, which often house my favourite birds - crows - who you'll find pecking about the place doing their thing. It's lovely to walk through, summer or winter, with these behemoths towering over the paths. The amount of green space makes this city feel much less of a city, and even on a summer's day when filled with students, you can find a spot to enjoy the green. There's also a WWII bunker, but, thankfully, it is closed off. I imagine it'd be terrifyingly claustrophobic in there. They're pretty strict about barbecues, which is probably a good thing, as people have a tendency to be lazy at the best of times - even on Unity day when it's encouraged to use the many bins, litter is just scattered around. And as mentioned previously, Unity day is one of the awesome yearly reasons to come out to the park. This year I had a delicious lunch from Sukhothai, and listened to some fabulous local live music. Also, some heavy boom music, which is all part of the experience. Last night a crew of us went to celebrate bonfire night here again, and whilst it's probably worth trekking to Roundhay more, I'm actually really fond of the underdog. I mean, you really have to work at being able to see anything. They place the fireworks so that they go off just at where the tree tops are, for most of the audience, and the fire safety brigade means you're actually about a mile from the blaze. (Which, naturally, means there's little heat or light to be seen.) But I love the naff-ness of it. And this year there were at least 10 really loud huge fireworks to finish, so I was pleased. 15 minutes of boom, and about 40 of making sure you don't lose anyone in the crowd. All part of the funs! The mulled wine I made also helped. But, jokes aside, I do love this place. And it could be the fond memories and being a country girl that does it, but I'll recommend a wander through Hyde Park to anyone. Bring a guitar, bring friends, bring your skates. Or just your imagination!

Woodhouse Moor consists of three parts…read more Formal Park: The main park area (which is usually referred to as Hyde Park) a 26 hectares square of green including a kids area, skate park, tennis court, basket ball court and allotments. This part of the Moor is predominantly used by students during the summer season, playing frisbee, eating picnics, drinking and generally making a mess. I don't mean to sound like a grouch, I for one absolutely love getting merry on the park and basking in the sun but I always clean up after myself. Unfortunately many people do not. During early August the park area also plays host to Unity Day, a fantastic celebration of culture and community with the aim of bringing people together. This is not to be missed. Monument (upper): A small piece of green home to a statue of Henry Rowland Marsden. It is adjacent to a strip of takeaways and plays host to nothing more than the occasional magpie or seagull. Somewhere I have sat and scoffed a pizza out of pure convenience, but otherwise would not have given a second thought. However, there are some little lonely looking steps that once were used for mounting horses, kind of interesting! Ish? Cinder (lower): Cinder is on the other side of the road from Monument and is a semi grassy, mainly gravelly spot on which the fair always parks its bum. The fair is like many other, and is more scary than fun due to it's gobby teenagers and rowdier of the locals. I have seen the odd jumble sale on here though which is always worth a visit.