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.

This place is seriously fun, if you havn't got a kid then borrow one!…read more Coconuts is a softplay centre in Sully, a 10/15 minute drive from Cardiff. It's a large space with netted multi-story play structures which include slides, ball pits, tunnels, bridges, swings and imaginative play objects that I can't even begin to describe. The centre is aimed at 1-14's and it's designed so adults of the over 3's can sit and sup coffee from the cafe Carla's Kitchen with friends. Prices are £3.95 off peak (week days) and £5.50 peak (holidays and weekends). Adults are £1. Coconuts is free before 1pm for CFFIW registered childminders (bring proof). Coconuts also host parties for around £8 a child and include extras such as party bags, balloons and t-shirt designing at a small additional cost. Tip: In the Summer don't forget your son or daughters socks or even your socks like I did! All children have to take their shoes off and be in socks rather than bare feet on the play structures and if you have a small child then you will need to follow them around in your socks too. Coconuts will add an extra 50p per pair onto the entry cost if you forget, though you do get to keep the socks afterwards. Top tip: Sign up to Coconut's email list to get reductions on entry

Excellent value for money, especially if you take your children on a Monday when the price goes…read moredown to £2.00 a child, which I did this week. We arrived at approx 12.00, the three children 2 boys of 7 & 5 and a girl of 3 ran straight to the climbing centre while I had coffee, they were given plastercine to play with all morning and painting was made available all afternoon, they loved both and took their masters home to put on fridge. They had a plate of chips each I had another coffee and we left at about 3.00. The staff were on the ball when a child climbed outside of the frame and was whistled at for his safety, all I saw was a lot of smiling faces from customers and staff alike, Coconuts definatly deserve the 5 stars that I've given them. Thank you Coconuts

Adventure Island is Barry's biggest and brightest indoor play arena for children…read more It's not just slides and big pools of plastic coloured balls either, it's an extensive all-weather indoor attraction with a bouncy castle, play climbing frames, ceramic painting, arts and crafts, and face painting. There's a special area for under 3s with a mini ball pool, see saws, activity rings and even a double storey giant dolls' house. They can also host children's parties (from £7.50 per head) for a wide range of ages, even up to 10 year olds - with their 5-a-side sumo soccer theme for the older ones. For the summer holidays, they're currently offering a special entry of £2.50 for any ages at any times, up until 5 September 2010.

A fab childrens soft play centre, with bouncy castles, abll pits and a two-storey areas for older…read morechildren. Reasonable entry makes this a good few hours out for children of all ages. There is a small food area on site. The only downside to this playcentre is that it is on the second floor of a building and there is no lift access, so it is near impossible to get a pram or buggy upstairs. Nevertheless there is a train station nearby and the beach is a minutes walk away so it does provide an extra playtime activity for children on a day out to Barry Island. Parties can also be booked here.

I have had some great times at Roath Park. This park is a wonderful place to go and relax and have…read moresome fun too. When the weather is glorious you need to take a trip down there to admire the beautiful scenery and even try to go for a boat ride so you can look like fools but laugh in the process. I remember taking a trip on a beautiful day with my girlfriend and we decided to have a go on the paddleboats and go across the lake and we ended up having one of the most funniest times of our lives, it was fun just to mess around and try to steer the boat when we were mostly dreadful, but that was all part of the fun. This is a great park to have a walk, see the ducks and swans, go for a boat paddle and the main thing is to just enjoy yourself. Roath Park is a beautiful park that everybody should visit.

There is so much to do and see in Roath Park that each activity almost warrants its own category…read more One of the things to do is take you kids to the playground. A few words of warning though - if you go at the obvious times your kid may have to wait for a go of a swing or a slide as it gets pretty popular. My advice is to go there on a sunny weekday afternoon rather than a weekend and you're child is guaranteed the run fo the place. There is a variety of swings, a big slide built into the banking, a small slide, climbing frames, roundabouts all you need to keep you occupied for an hour or so, sorry I meant all you need to keep you children occupied - I didn't have a go on any of them honestly!

At 27,000 square feet, the Cardiff Jump centre is the largest dedicated indoor soft play centre in…read morethe UK. That might sound slightly alarming if you find this type of place a bit of a nightmare, but for parents looking for an all-weather space where their children can let off steam, Jump offers just that. Packed with brightly-coloured equipment such as inflatables and play frames, the whole place is designed to encourage children to be energetic, develop social skills, and improve physical skills such as coordination and balance - while having plenty of fun. The Cardiff branch has enormous adventure play-frames including a space zone, a galleon and an enchanted castle, creating plenty of fun role playing scenarios. There are also huge inflatables, an indoor football pitch, ten pin bowling and an enormous zone just for toddlers. They can also host themed children's parties in separate, private rooms, and there's a café there for refreshments as well as daily activities. Might be worth parents arming themselves with some ear plugs before visiting, though?

I am not really a fan of children so I don't know what possessed me to say yes to looking after my…read morebest friends 5 years old. I thought it would be best for the child if I took them somewhere that I didn't have to entertain them and I found this place on the internet. I really wish that there had been places like this when i was a kid. Its basically a massive place full of inflatable things, ball pools and fun stuff, and what's more I was aloud to take the kid on there myself! It cost less than a tenner for me and her to get in, which was well worth it from my point of view. It is big so I can kinda see it would be easy to lose the kids but there were plenty of staff around keeping an eye out too for any upset looking littleun's and it was reassuring for me as the non parent that I wasn't going to upset my best friends kid. Its open for children under 12, and they hold themes parties and even better they do adult parties as well with lasers which sounds like great fun!

Ynysangharad War Memorial Park. Now try saying that when you're sober! This park is an excellent…read moreplace to visit and enjoy the many activities they have to offer. You can bring the family down and enjoy the park area with a giant swimming pool and play area for the children. Or you could play tennis on the number of outdoor courts they have. Or you could do what I like to do; play on the pitch and putt golf course they have. I remember when I first visited the park and I was surprised by the size of it. It is a huge mass of land that holds all sorts of fun. I have to talk about the pitch and putt golf course. When I used to think of the word 'Golf' I thought of men in silly looking trousers walking for miles to find a little white speck on the floor. Then I actually played on the course and it was fun. You don't have to know how to play golf because the courses aren't even that long. All you have to do is pay £3.50 for two clubs and a ball (that price also includes a £1 deposit) and if you're a student it costs a lot less. This was a great way to spend a day rather than sitting indoors playing pretend golf on the Nintendo Wii. If you are stuck what to do for a day then visit Ynysangharad War Memorial Park because all will have a fun day!

I loved coming here today. What a beautiful little park just across the bridge over the River Taff…read morefrom the town centre. There are delightful paths to follow bordered by lovely old trees. Lots of grassy areas, raised flower beds which are well kept and full of spring flowers. There is a play area for children with swings and climbing frames, tennis courts, and plenty of benches where you can sit. You can't escape the sound of traffic in the distance but it's still a great park.

The station serves the suburb and popular tourist destination of Barry Island, 10 miles from…read moreCardiff, but is currently in a very sorry state - a clear case of fallen grandeur. Barry Island grew up in the late 19th and early 20th Century as a seaside destination for workers from the South Wales Valleys north of Cardiff, complete with funfair and (later in the 20th century) a holiday camp. The railway was opened at the start of the August Bank Holiday in 1896 (the buildings have the date of construction as 1895 on them) as an extension of the Barry Railway, and Barry Island quickly became a very busy excursion station, handling 150,000 passengers in one weekend at its peak. It was provided with a large station building, three platforms and traditional large canopies. The line continued through the station to a terminus at Barry Pier, but since closure of that line in 1976, Barry Island has been the terminus. The trains now terminate at one end of the platform, with the buildings and the far platform having become part of the Barry Island Railway heritage line, but the site currently looks very sorry, with weeds everywhere, and a general air of dereliction. It is well located, however, close to the beach, cafes and the funfair. A new canopy has been provided for the terminating trains, but it provides meagre shelter from the winter Atlantic winds. The station still gets three trains an hour off peak from Cardiff and the valleys north of Pontypridd, and is busy with commuters and summer visitors (over half a million passengers a year, in total). It could just do with a lot of tidying up.

Lately, this is disappointing as it is really looking tired and dishevelled at the moment but this…read moreplace can be fantastic! I've hundreds of fantastic childhood memories of the Pleasure Park and I am sure that with some much needed investment and attention, this can be restored to its former glory. (Hence the two stars) It is in a fantastic location with coffee shops, cafe's, bars and the beach and promenade - and right next to a train station (also in need of a facelift). Quite often I've got off the train and seen disappointed prospective fairground customers - they've usually travelled far to come for a day out at the fairground - only to see it shut. I couldn't tell you when it's open - so if you are coming to Barry Island to visit the Pleasure park then don't expect it to be open - if it is, it's a bonus!

Anderson fields is a green space in the heart of Adamsdown that has recently been liberally…read moresprinkled with beautiful alien fun-structures. These new structures include alternative football goals, some small grassy hills and totem sculptures, added to what was before an open, flat space with not a lot to do. When I visited Anderson fields there were kids sitting chatting on a 'skeletal boat' structure, a young mum and her toddler walking, some boys playing football, two men sitting in a seating pod listening to a radio and Brian, an artist in residence, carving totems. This landscaped oasis was designed by artists, with the help of school children from the neighbouring Adamsdown Primary. It was designed to be used by the under 14's in particular. The playground is full of practical art to play on and sit on and slide down, all built from quality, natural materials such as oak and steel. Judging by my recent visit the new space is being well used and enjoyed by all.