This well used playground caters for wobbly toddlers to busy pre-teens…read more As soon as you walk into this playground you are met by a wind up 'sound' machine, which laughs and gurgles and whirs at you The colourful play equipment is full of clever detail. The small slide has wheels, embossed numbers, slidey handles and binoculars integrated into its neat structure. There are four swings, one 'nest style' for the littlens. There is also a large slide, miniature climbing wall and pole for biggens and several spinny objects for both age groups (spin fast for large, spin slow for small). Grange Gardens playground is surfaced with rubber to save bruised knees. Top tip: If you have an under 5 and want to avoid the boisterous older crowd, choose term times before 3.30 for your visit

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".

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.

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.

Alphabet Zoo is a indoor play zone for children, along the line of Scallywags or other centres…read more This is quite a small area, but it is packed with fun things to do, and is resoundingly bright and cheerful. The staff here were lovely, and there was quite clearly a community of mothers who all got along well as their children played together. I think there's also a free hot drink for parents, but please don't hold me to that one! I spoke to one mother, and she said she's been in the ball pit and around the walkways and slides with her children, which certainly sounds like a lot of fun to me! Few places allow parent interaction in this way, and I think I'd just end up too jealous of the kids if that was the case. This is a great fun space for kids, and is open every day of the week. It's situated just off Penarth Road, and can be a little bit of a devil to find as there's no signing: if you're travelling towards Penarth, out of Cardiff centre, the turning you want is on the left opposite Dream Beds. Have fun!

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

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.

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!

Such a cute park! I had tons of fun with my aunt and 2 younger cousins on the pedal boats (word to…read morethe wise : AVOID the algae, we ended up getting trapped and had to get a friendly couple to push us out XD). The boat is also quite a workout, we ended up getting lazy and making the 8 year old and the 12 year old pedal, classic haha! Lovely place to walk around, had a playground for the kiddies. Very enjoyable hour or so spent here.

Oh, wow. I love…read morestumbling across old childhood memories and getting ridiculously excited about them all over again. Llanishen Leisure Centre is one of those places. As an excited child, I recall this place seeming like it took over an age to get to, so was surprised to drive past it the other day and discover that it wasn't 20,000 miles outside Cardiff like I'd always imagined. In actuality it's an easy 15 minute drive from the centre. Who knew? Llanishen Leisure Centre has the most spectacular of swimming pools. Oh, the fun and jollity I did have there. There is a fountain and hundreds of floats and giant balls the big kids always tried to stand on (I was resolute that I was not tall enough/I was a coward). There is also, majesty of majesty, a wave machine. A giant wave machine! The pool itself has a gradual incline from one end so you can walk in as you might walk into the sea. This means that the pool is great for all ages, and it's easy to keep an eye on the extra small ones with the help of the ever present lifeguard. When the siren for the waves (yay!) goes off, they actually break and roll up the side of the pool, making great sport for active imaginations. Llanishen Leisure Centre also has a whole heap of badminton and squash courts, a gym, yoga, swimming lessons and a pool-side cafe and pool tables. Did I mention the wave machine?

Tried to book a handful of slots on their shockingly slow, clunky and useless website. It only gave…read moreme the option to book one, impossible to book more than that. Thought I'd try phoning the helpline to speak to someone who could talk me through it. Spent ages going through all the options only to be hung up on after requesting to speak to an advisor. Appalling customer service the last time I went there, but thought I'd give it another try. never, ever again. Anyone wanting to go there should look at all the awful reviews online about this place and make their mind up.

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!