Located on an industrial estate between a welders workshop and site for building materials, this…read moreperky lime green warehouse stands out a mile. Yummy mummies and their 4x4's stream in and out of the well guarded gates and high walls that lead to a sanitary paradise of indoor-outdoor adventure. Parc (Welsh for park) is marketed as an 'all weather playground' and it divvies up as two thirds indoors and one third out. The outdoor bit has a fantastic sandy 'beach' area, with large wooden boat complete with pirate flags. In-between the in and the outdoors there is a zip wire, water play area, two swings and a large slide. Inside there are two 'tube' slides, wooden adventure walkway with bridges and ropes and a toddlers area aimed at the 1-4's. The facilities include a cafe area, lots of seating throughout and toilets. I love the little touches such as the double-seater stripy deckchairs. In winter the heated cafe area, with clear views of the toddlers area, is the place to be. I have to admit it I've had my eye on this place from the outset. We live across the river from Parc and when I saw the sign go up wizzed over for a preview. I met the builders (our new, but temporary neighbours) and came back with a carboot full of wood offcuts for the burner. I thought - "a wooden playground on an industrial estate? I like!" ...And I still do, but as I mentioned earlier I do find this type of indoor 'gated' playground a little too sanitary for my taste and in many ways prefer taking my toddler to the beach or the park - But shock horror what if it rains?! A: I just let him get wet. Another small gripe, it seems that there is a small jump from toddler to confident child in terms of the equipment on offer. There could be more for the 3-6's here I feel. All in all well worth a visit, good place to hang out with your mummy mates. Bring your own picnic, sit down, chillax and have a natter...ok if you've got an under 5 that mayyy not happen! Opening hours: Weekdays 10am - 6:30pm last entry 5pm, weekends & school holidays 10am - 6pm last entry 4:30pm Cost: Adults £1.50 peak, £1 off peak. Children £5 peak, £3.50 off peak, reductions for more than 1 child. Note: Parties catered for - but pre-book. Also note: Visits are limited to 2.5 hours on very busy day (but that's about right anyway) Tip: As you can imagine it gets busy during school holidays and after school Tip: Free wifi Top tip: Walk , train it or cycle and get 50p off!

You'd think a place like this would be my idea of hell, but I have to admit I was really impressed…read morewith the facilities at Parc - it's too bad they didn't have play areas like this when I was a kid! I'd never be privy to playgrounds if it weren't for my beloved's two year daughter, who tires herself out by running endlessly from tunnel to slide and back again. I can't wait until she's a bit older so I can live vicariously through her as she tears through Parc on the zip wire... After chasing her around screaming for half an hour, I needed some sort of refreshment (I realised this is neither the time nor the place for a pint), but luckily, Parc has this covered as well, selling coffees and canned drinks, as well as hot dogs and even packs of Oreos (yes!). The best time to go is on a Sunday morning, where you'll pretty much have the place to yourself; otherwise get ready for an onslaught of families and hyperactive children, which isn't so bad, if you can be all Zen about it like the kind lady working the snack hut who simply says, "You don't even hear the screaming after a while - it's like white noise".

Victoria Park is, apparently, one of the most popular parks in the UK. I can understand why. This…read morepark is full of flowers (beware, hay-fever sufferers), trees, winding paths and grassy areas. This is a fantastic place to bring children on a sunny summer day. Victoria Park is probably most famous for its spectacular playground and massive shallow paddling pool (in the summer). Imagine ice creams and picnics and children splashing water everywhere. Good times. There are also a number of summer events that go on in this park. Summer Fetes and Scout/Guide events, face painting and throwing wet sponges at teachers. There is also a bandstand and a cafe. The only thing wrong with this park is its popularity, as it does manage to get heavingly busy on hot days. You've been warned. I have lovely memories from Victoria Park, so could you!

A lovely traditional park, covering nearly 20 acres, situated just west of Canton, on Cowbridge…read moreRoad. It has been awarded a prestigious 'Green Flag' award and attracts over 600,000 visitors a year. It was founded in 1897 and contains a mixture of traditional flower beds, mature trees, a paddling pool, bandstand, children's playground, tennis courts, a 5-a-side football pitch, and open lawns. There's a cafe, toilets and a park-keeper's lodge - one of the few left in the UK where the keeper lives on site. The park used to have animals in a small zoo (my mother used to visit them in the early 1930s), most famously Billy the Seal; caught accidentally by a local fishing boat in 1912, he was donated to the park, living there until 1939. After he died, he was found to be female! She is commemorated by a life-size statue in the park. A great place for families and children, as well as for a quiet stroll.

A lovely walk in the park!…read more We came here just to walk around on our last afternoon in Cardiff. We were tired of the Arcades and shopping. We wanted some natural scenery. This was a lovely walk. There was a cute cafe we popped into for a cup of tea on our walk.

We love walking through this park. Bute Park was originally part of the Cardiff Castle grounds…read more It is a spot of peaceful tranquility along the River Taff. There are a couple cafes in the park for drinks or a snack. It really is a beautiful place to stroll and enjoy the trees.

Just the thing for children to have fun in a local environment and it is right next to the Penylan…read moreLibrary. In the playing area he children can swing; jump, climb, run, go round in circles on the roundabout, bob up and down on a bobbing animal that they can sit on. The playing area is attached to a large patch of green to eat your picnics on, to chill out on, to play rugby, football, to run and walk about on. It is small, but it is just what the doctor ordered as place to entertain the kids and a park that can keep them occupied for a couple of hours or so. It is situated in an area near to loads of shops; cafes, a post office, restaurants, banks and so forth this is ideal for the locals within this area, but it is just as fine for the tourists too. I recommend it particularly for mums with babies or young children.

I spend a lot of time in Penylan Library, and whenever I get out of my car, I always find myself…read morelooking enviously at the children playing in the neighbouring park. And that's a sure sign that I'm getting old! It's not the biggest play park around, but one that's colourful, fun and clean, and in a very convenient location. It's extremely well placed for families living nearby, visiting the library, shopping on Wellfield Road or even after leaving one of the doctor's surgeries across the road. There are also a lot of schools nearby and it's very popular as somewhere to let young children run around after a day stuck in a class room, while slightly older children play football on the grass. It's also handy to have the library next door for toilets and baby changing facilities, and there's usually an ice cream van close by, too.

As others have said, this is a lovely, almost hidden park, with a small area of formal gardens with…read morea pond and fountain, complete with a statue of Peter Pan, wild woodland areas and a large playing-field area. It has wonderful views from the top across the lower Ely valley towards Llandough, as well as some amazing mature trees. It is one of the city's oldest parks, given to the city by Charles Thompson in 1911. Perfect for a short walk or a lazy summer afternoon picnic.

Although there are a whole lot of parks in and around the Cardiff area, Thompson's Park in Canton…read morein somewhat unique. Most others offer wide stretches of grass, the odd flowered border and playgrounds. Thompson's Park is smaller than most, and has a particularly quaint feeling. This park is landscaped well, and combined areas of woodland in the heart of the city, with fountains (including the famous Peter Pan statue), duck ponds, winding stairs and a wide grassy area on its higher level. On this field I took part in many school sports days in my time. Never won anything though. Thompson's Park is small and compact, but large enough to take you away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's like a lost garden in a city wilderness.

Parc Cefn Onn is out on the Northern fringes of Cardiff and isn't really a park, its more like a…read morewoodland area really. Its noted among plant lovers for the Rhododendron displays in the spring and its got lots of streams and ponds so quite good for wildlife. To be honest though there's not really much to see or do and its currently infected with Sudden Oak Death which is making it look a big dull. Its ok but really not worth a trip out of your way to get there.

This is a great set of woods to explore and get lost in. It's frequented by a lot of dogs (in…read moregeneral it's not on their own but with their owners) and families. There are various paths that lead off in different directions, but if you've entered at the main gated entrance on Cherry Orchard Road off the roundabout and keep walking you will most likely end up at the big field at the top by the golf course. Along the way you will pass a few ponds and streams which generally have a charming layer of algae on their surface. As well as this there are the legendary parts of the wood owned by the giant: these being the giant's house, the giant's chair (which is much larger than his house), and the enchantingly named, giant's toilet. These legends may or may not have been made up by my parents when I was growing up, as well as the possible myth that 'all the paths in Cefn-Onn lead back to one another', a frequent proclamation of theirs that I am certain was a ploy to lose my sisters and I for a couple of hours of peace.

This museum is the perfect price. Free! It is a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. There…read moreis lots of natural history as well as cultural history. Everything is in both English and Welsh. The natural history area had videos ad well as exhibits detailing the geographic history of the region. The Art of the Selfie exhibit had a small cost which was quite fair. Van Gogh's Self Portrait was the main draw, but they also had Rembrandt and other artists. In the other rooms, there were so many artifacts. Rooms within rooms and beyond, you can lose hours reading about everything on display.

it was a pretty good experience, but no one warned me that the bloody dinosaurs are getting starved…read morebecause they are literally just bones. animal mistreatment is NOT a joke I want to support, I cannot believe the STATE of this museum. Good value for money as its free. Cool stones and a selection of STARVED AND DEAD animals. and the service was poor because they encourage this. the toilets are good for kids, AND OTHER THINGS.

A lot of people think the bay is all bars, restaurants and waterside walking - it is BUT there is a…read morelovely little grassy area with a little kids park to enjoy to. It's just between the Waterguard pub and the cafe ship. This is a lovely place to come and sit, maybe even have a picnic, of a summers afternoon. They say the best things in life are free, this definitely lives up to this maxim.

This may be called a wetlands reserve but its more like a little walkway along the reed area of the…read moresea front. Its not very big and don't expect to see a huge array of animals. There are information boards around so if your a keen wildlife spotter or want to get the kids involved they are a nice touch. What it is, is a very peaceful spot where even on a very busy summers day you can find a spot to sit and enjoy the sun, or feed the ducks (although I don't think your meant too!)

This is a fairly exposed nature reserve with a boardwalk for visitors to stroll along, bordered by…read moremarshy reeds and offering views out over the Bay. These wetlands were created in 2002 when the barrage was completed to compensate partly for the disappearance of the old saline mudflats, which of course were being turned into a freshwater lake. The wetlands provide an important habitat for over-wintering and breeding birds, so the reserve is justifiably popular with birdwatchers. On a cold and windy day, this isn't the most pleasant open space you could choose to explore because it often gets really windy with a nasty chill factor - far better off finding some secluded woods to shelter in. In the summer, however, it's a different story - with some good views from the boardwalk back over the reserve and to the Bay's skyline and out to Cardiff Bay Barrage.