Ok I'm going to sound a bit like an old fogey here…read more I walked down to the barrage about a month ago (something i love to do) and there wasn't any suggestion of a skate park. All of a sudden scroll on a month and not only is there is a fully built skater park but there is a competition going on there with loads of people watching. Here's the old man bit - part of me thought - will this park and all its followers i.e. baggy pant wearing graffiti artists spoil this lovely tranquil part of the bay that I so often stroll through? Then part of me said -about time this part of the bay was utilized more. So as yet I'm in two minds the large part of which tell me its a good thing.

It's about time!…read more Cardiff now has its very own skate park, and it's not in the back of a housing development or a run-down woodland. It's got a spot on some prime real estate - the Cardiff Bay barrage. Only officially opened last week, the skate park showcases street features from Barcelona, San Francisco, and Bejing, and is now a place that local skaters can comfortably call home. Um, yeah, I wish I had the grace and physical strength necessary to steer a skateboard 15 feet without falling off, so I just played the part of aging hipster on the side lines. The level of skill on show astounds me, and the added bonus of seeing a cluster of female skaters always stokes the smoldering embers of my feminist heart. Apparently this £150,000 project was the result of petitions, protests, and even a Facebook campaign (which is standard now, I guess). It's nice to know that when kids holler, the Council listen. I must say, it kinda renews my faith in local government.

This park, situated just by the Swimming Pool in Bedminster, is a great place to come and relax on…read morea summer's day. As well as a good-sized area of grass for picnics and the like, the park also contains a basketball courts, a skate park and an enclosed play area for children. As such, a multitude of different kinds of folk converge in this one spot, making it a fantastic place to come and people watch. The fence on one side of the park has been designated as a graffiti zone and the murals adorning it are painted over pretty much every weekend. It's worth heading down on a Saturday to watch some of the artists at work, if you're so inclined.

A popular little park that has embraced all of what is needed for a modern park to succeed. WIth a…read moreskating area and a basketball court you have already ticked most of the boxes of requirement for all the boys to want to go to the park. Having a designated Graffiti zone as well means the park has embraced the popularity of the art form that Banksey so famously shown the people of Bristol, and allows young people a surface to legally practice their art without having to worry about people frowning at them for Graffiting. Being just by the swimming pool means that it is popular with families to bring their children for a small kick-about or frisbie throw.

This is a reasonably new addition in terms of skating facilities in Cardiff. It is a free site that…read moreanyone can use. It is really popular and it tends to be occupied a lot of the time, come rain or shine. It's located on the field right in front of Llanishen Leisure Centre and clearly visible from the main road going past. I think this was a decision by the council to allow it to be a safe environment for people to skate or ride a BMX in clear view of passers-by. Local kids that are skating enthusiasts or trying their hand at it for the first time find it a great place to while away a Saturday afternoon and fall over as they try their latest trick. It isn't monitored or watched over by anyone so if you're worried about accidents then it may not be the place for you, but a broken arm here or there is all part of growing up, isn't it?

I've walked and driven past this outdoor skate park near Llanishen Leisure Centre so many times,…read moreand it is now considered the best skate park in Cardiff amongst both BMXers and skaters. It has some good ramps and a decent layout - and what's more, it's free to use. You'll spot plenty of regulars who ride and skate there all the time, so it has a friendly sort of atmosphere - but also has a reputation for being no trouble, and welcoming to newcomers. It's the only skate park in Cardiff with a wall ride (4 foot), plus there's a 5 foot jumpbox, 8 foot high and 16 foot wide halfpipe and flatbank, a 6 foot death box, a 5 foot spine, a 6 foot quarter, a 5 foot quarter, a 4 foot bank and a Kinky kinked rail, plus more. Because this is a community facility, is outdoors and is free to use, it's also open 24/7, which is a bonus. The Leisure centre is situated just few metres away if you want to grab some food or drink - or need some first aid!

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.

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 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.

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".

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.