Have you ever seen the pottery scene in the film Ghost? Well, I read after this steamy liason…read morebetween the late Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, numbers in pottery classes soared. Ever since then, pottery has been given a new lease of life and although the Pottery Corner is less of a pottery class and more of a place to retreat with the children in half term, it is still a lovely experience (albeit without the steamy scenes). Pottery Corner sells ready made pottery mugs, bowls, plates, egg cups and piggy banks all sitting clean and untouched on shelves waiting to be dressed. You make your choice then select some paint colours and, like an artist with his palate, you squirt your paint onto a little tile and start decorating. When your masterpiece is complete, you have to wave it goodbye for a week while the shop glaze it in their kiln. When you return to collect it you feel a rush of pride as it stands in all its glory. I have taken children here many times and making hand prints on tiles makes for a lovely Christmas present for the Grandparents. Pottery Corner is not just for the children, it is a therapeutic getaway on a rainy Thursday afternoon for grown ups too and the shop has a range of stencils that you can use to create more intricate decorations. I saw a sign in the window recently that said the Pottery Corner was for sale but I hope this is no longer the case and this lovely little den stays open for ever.

This place is a fabulous little find for a day when you want something productive to do with…read morechildren, or without! You can buy a piece of pottery ranging in price from around £2.50 for an egg cup to the more expensive items such as a pig money bank, or a plate. Then you sit in the pleasantly light and airy shop to decorate it with paints. The staff are very friendly and they also provide a party booking where you can bring many children. It is a great way to spend a wet day, and children really get a sense of acheivement from creating such a professional looking piece of artwork. (The pieces are put in the kiln and you collect them a few days later). You don't have to have children to go here. They've examples of wedding plates guests have signed for the couple and pieces that adults have clearly spent a lot of time on. It's great when you go to collect your finished piece as it tends to look better than you remember once it's been glazed and you do get a fleeting glow of "I made that" pride.

Reasonably priced excellent place for kids to have fun with a lovely cafe and good facilities I…read morehave a two year old and 11 year old and both didn't want to leave after a full two hours play this is definitely a great venue activity to take the kids too

From the owner: Play Factore has established itself as the children's fun Mecca of the North. The state of the art,…read morefamily indoor play centre entertainment centre houses the largest play frame in Europe along with a host of other unique attractions that really are second to none. Based in Manchester next to the Trafford Centre, providing a complete day out for families shopping in the area and planning to entertain the children. The indoor play centre has been carefully thought out and is built, designed and structured to provide children with a state of the art active environment for all ages. This has been made possible through the tallest standing indoor slide in the World, complete indoor laser quest arena, full Go-Kart track, an extensive toddlers soft play area and the hugely popular Just Dance sessions. Where children can enjoy learning the dance moves to their favourite chart hits.

Really nice area for the kids and there is WiFi so you can let kids play while you tend t that book…read morethat you always wanted to read but kids may not allow. Don't forget to take some tome out to play with them while here. Time with kids are a treasure and it will only be a matter of time before they don't want to spend time with you. Let's not forget we all were teenagers at some point in time.

Thank heavens for Head Over Heels! Finally a children's play area that doesn't stink of smelly…read morefeet! I have been coming here for years with children and it is a well organised, well designed soft play area for birth to 10 years old. The infants' section is small but integrated with the larger children's area and toddlers race around on the equipment without a care in the world. The bigger play area is a large fairy tale castle like structure with three levels of fun and a great ball pit where the rugrats can have a ball shower. What sets Head Over Heels apart from other indoor play areas is that parents can watch children from the sidelines on soft leather couches as opposed to on harsh plastic chairs that other places seem to favour. The restaurant is lovely if not a little expensive and they do panninis, pizzas, an all day breakfast , and a nice cappucino and cake which you can indulge in as the older children zoom down the red astro slide. Head over Heels is just a nice, clean and well air-conditioned place for kids and adults alike and £5 is a small price to pay for peace whilst your little ones are occupied for an hour and a half. My children have held several parties here and the staff have been amazing. For £11 per child, the party group have 60 minutes play downstairs and then go into a disco room while parents can relax in the restaurant watching their children on tv screens. Then its off to the separate party area where they are served healthy snacks including: fish goujons, cucumber, carrot sticks, grapes, olives and pizza. Each guest takes home a balloon and a party bag and have a good night's sleep afterwards. It is advisable to book a few months in advance if you are interested in having your child's party here though as it gets booked up early. This place is head over heels above any other the kids have been to. Well worth a visit!

This is quite simply the best children's activity centre I've been to. I've been taking kids here…read moreever since it first opened and the standards have remained exceptionally high. The play equipment is well maintained, clean and replaced regularly. It's bright and inviting and the big red slide is great for adults as much as kids. There's comfy sofas for when you're not chasing them round and the facilities are clean, and functional. The sections for younger and older children are clearly defined and the cafe is amazing. The menu has tasty, healthy options, the food's freshly prepared and cooked on the premises. There's no frozen processed deep fat fried nuggets here - it's chicken breast goujons! We've had 3 parties ourselves here and attended numerous others. The staff are warm, welcoming and helpful. It might seem pricy per head, but the food's included and of a higher standard than most places and you don't have to tidy up afterwards. All you have to do is bring party bags and a cake and the kids. It does get ridiculously busy on Saturdays, rainy days, school holidays and the only negative comment is that they seem to have relaxed their maximum capacity rule and it gets a bit too rowdy. I've witnessed some serious head on collisions with far too many kids running round. My suggestion is to go out side of peak times to get the maximum out of the place, a longer stay and less anxiety about a bump and tears at the end of a great day out. And DO try the ginger bread men - they're the best by far

A brand new Jumpzone! As if there weren't enough in and around Manchester, now you have another…read moreoption to go to! We went on the first Saturday of the new opening and it was packed out. We took advantage of the 10 days of free jumps on offer and looked forward to being one of the first users. They recommend that you get there half an hour early when its busy. This makes sense as everyone has to sign away their life, sorry... injury waiver form, followed by a 5 minute briefing (in the briefing room), before the steward does a 10 second countdown to the doors opening. Then its a free for all to the best trampolines. There are 150 connected trampolines, and unlike the their competitors there is also Dodgeball, Volleyball, and this 2 player 'bash' game (think whack-a-mole) which everyone was queuing up to play. Several professional trampolines with the opportunity to jump off at height, 3 crash mats and they are also building a free running zone in the future (think Parkour). Plenty of stewards whom were actually very friendly- they even dance to the music playing in the background. They are good at looking after your well being and the first-aiders are right on hand aswell. Located within the Soccerdome next to the Trafford Centre and Chill factorE, it is easy to find, and there is plenty of parking too. Expect more young kids than adults, especially at the weekends. There are several (I think 5) rooms for kids parties, and there is a viewing area as well as a cafe. Non of us had been trampolining for a couple of years but this is definitely one of the better ones. Have a go at Dodgeball on trampolines against your worse enemies, and look forward to the Yellow socks!

From the owner: The trampoline parks for everyone, With exhilarating zones from obstacle courses to airbags!read more

Great place for bouldering (and some short climbing self belays). Fantastic atmosphere, everyone is…read morefriendly.

Massive new bouldering centre in Trafford Park with a huge selection of problems and very welcoming…read morestaff. Nice, bright and airy building with loads of space to climb or even just watch others climb. Couldn't find a traverse wall anywhere but the place is so big I may just not have seen it. A small gear shop if your need some new shoes or trousers and a membership desk come coffee shop as you enter with a large viewing platform built on top. Hopefully they will have a monthly standing order membership though as not sure how NY have the money spare to pay for a yearly membership even though that is the most economical way to climb if you're keen.

It's been open a couple of years now. I live 15 mins away & don't understand why I haven't been…read morebefore. I booked a snowboarding taster session to see what it was like. £36 quite expensive but it's real powered snow ! I arrived with my friend at the changing rooms they give you all you need warm trousers & a coat. Just make sure you bring thick gloves (ski gloves) or you can buy there for a few quid. Danny came out to greet us, nice guy and took us about on the beginner slope (10 per group) He quickly showed us how to strap into the board & showed us some techniques how to move when one foot is strapped in. For some reason me being a complete weakling, I couldn't lift the board with my foot very easily. So as we hopped up the beginner slope I became a liability oops! Danny was really nice & showed me what to do. I eventually got to slide down with immense fear ! I remembered skiing when I was younger in school with no fear doing jumps & stuff. Why is it when I hit 30, fear crippled me?! I enjoyed the session my ankles & legs hurt during the session & after. Danny said it we because I was using muscles I'm not used to. Recommend the session but if you would think you might be a Liability like me go for the private one. I'm not giving up though ! Chill Factore is a great place, ski & snowboarding shops, a skiing Travel agent & even a Nandos ! I'm sold on that. A viewing area upstairs by rock climbing if you want to watch your family & friends on the main slope with a bar too Definitely worth a try! My friend told me if you sign up to their newsletter they send out cheaper prices for lift passes. Enjoy!

Two of my nephews received a 'Ski Fun Taster' session as a Christmas present and as one of them was…read moreunder 10, needed an accompanying adult. Uncle got the short straw. They advise you to arrive in plenty of time to sort out your ski boots and get your skis fitted, so once we'd checked in at the reception desk we were instructed to head over to the equipment hire place and everything was arranged efficiently. There are lockers to keep your belongings (bring a pound coin with you). The rest of the adults in our group promptly headed to the upper level to get a decent view of the slope (i.e. get a drink at the bar / prep the camera phones so they could video us falling over). There were 10 of us, of all ages, in the session with one instructor who first spent some time teaching everyone about the different parts of the skis and other basics. Then it was on to the training slope - it's only a slight gradient and not on the main slope so you won't need to worry about other skiers whizzing past you or have to get on any drag lifts. For the rest of the session, the instructor gave us a few different basic movements to do whilst we slowly skied down one-by-one, allowing everyone to get used to balancing with two planks of fibre glass under your feet :) The boys loved it, even though one of them was rather hesitant at first and the other continually fell over as we had to side step up the slope with our skis on. As it was only a Taster session, it was obviously very basic to introduce complete newbies to skiing. I've got a feeling they'll both be wanting Beginners lessons after this! Tip: Pricing is cheaper at Off-Peak times (up to 6pm on weekdays). Peak times are after 6pm on weekdays, all weekends, Bank Holidays and selected school holidays.

Do you ever wish that you had more trampoline fun in your life? I know I do…read more Jump Nation claim to have Europe's largest indoor trampoline area, which I dismissed initially as marketing garb, until I saw the place with my own eyes. In need of somewhere suitable to take two hyperactive nephews, when I saw a billboard advertising their opening in Trafford Park I searched for them online and booked us in for an hour's slot (it cost £30 for three of us). When I told them we were going I got serious 'cool points' I tell you, it's the current big thing to go here apparently... Though located in an area of distribution warehouses (watch out for the articulated lorries), the centre is easy to find. It doesn't have many parking spaces, but you can leave your car on Textilose Road. They recommend you arrive at least 15 minutes before your time slot so that you can book in and get the rubber gripped non-slip socks (you're required to wear these and can keep them for next time - there's a £1.50 charge for each pair included in the booking fee). Free lockers are next to the ground floor cafe where you can leave your belongings. Once you're ready you're asked to queue up for the safety briefing before being let loose into the 'arena'. I have to say the staff were excellent, professional yet with a sense of fun. Ensue the carnage. Picture dozens of kids and a small number of hapless adults bouncing around on wall to wall trampolines. My only quibble was the number of people allowed in at one time - you really had to keep your full attention so as not to send some unfortunate seven-year-old catapulting into the roof space. As well as the trampolines there's a large foam pit where you can practice your tricks - this was the most popular area and the staff were diligently supervising. I have to say I had way more fun in that (long and exhausting) hour than I expected, but I wish I wasn't wearing jeans as they restrict your movement so I couldn't be as 'gazelle-like' as I wanted! Needless to say they both want their next birthday parties here - they absolutely loved it and didn't realise they were getting exercise: win win! Tip: you're allowed to take photos but only from the side of the arena (no phones or items in your pockets whilst you bounce). Tip: you can bring your own bottled water / soft drinks.

We showed up at noon at what we thought was a schoolday to find the place full of kids, which was a…read morelittle surprising, but it's very well organised and they stagger entry so you don't have so many kids around you're at major risk of kicking one of them in the face by accident (although keep an eye out, because you will if you're not paying attention!). I don't think I saw any other adults here by themselves (which was not surprising, given it was the middle of a weekday) and overall I wouldn't recommend it for a adults-only outing. The trampolines are small and don't have a great deal of bounce - my 6'4 boyfriend got a sore back pretty quickly! There was a massive queue for the foam pit so we didn't try it. It also doesn't have much atmosphere/aesthetic appeal. For kids though, it's good.

Will not be coming here again. Not only do I think it's way overpriced, £58.80 for my three…read morechildren plus meals and entry for myself. the fact that I got charged and extra £6.50 upon leaving is out of order. I hadn't been aware that I had incurred extra staying charges, my ticket start time was 15:30 and the end time was 18:00 and seeing as my children had left the play equipment at 5pm to go to the cafe and have the meal I paid for with their entry. I was absolutely shocked that upon leaving I was charged more money. I spent more money on the cafe too £21 I never would have stayed in the cafe till after 6 if I knew I would get charged for just sitting in there and even more so, the manager had the cheek to ask me to come again. That put me off big time. At one point my kid got lost because it was so busy which took over 30 minutes to find her. In fact about 3 kids got lost. It's way too over crowded in there. I even called ahead to check if it was busy and got told no only to arrive and be told there was no space so I had to book and come back 30 minutes other. Staff were lovely but I am not a happy customer.

Was expecting a nice family day out with my mum and nephew Zion until a strange man wearing the sea…read morelife uniform grabbed my nephew and dangled him above the tank full of sting rays, he has a fear of sting rays and we took him here to help combat it however he is loosely related to famous crocodile hunter Steve Erwin giving him a generational trauma towards the creature. after words the man in uniform dropped him in and he almost drowned forcing me to jump in and save him as the man ran off screaming racial slurs at me and my one year old now traumatised nephew. Would not recommend to anyone especially those of colour. however, for those of you who enjoy stingrays, could be a fun day out :D

The best sea life centre I've been to, it's pretty and immersive and has a soft play area for the…read morelittle ones.