Henley Park is a pleasant area providing respite from the hectic pace of activity in the adjacent…read moreWhiston Hospital and the surrounding area. It's made up of a large field - great for kids and families on sunny days - surrounded by trees, shrubbery and a footpath around the perimeter. At the back is a rose garden and rockery that provides lots of hiding places for mischievous youngsters. There are plenty of benches, making it a great place to sit down with a book and relax after a leisurely stroll. The local council puts on regular events there; a noticeboard by the entrance will update you on what's happening.

I love this little park. I was taken there as a kid and roll forward took my own child there. It's…read morea good meeting place and a space to sit and think, a place to go when leaving hospital.l beg of all park uses don't disrespect our little park l look at it today and love watching it being used. Dog people pick up your s%#£, cafe up your game and arseholes go elsewhere. Let the little people enjoy it treasure it or it will be taken off us and made into housing. We have nothing around here apart from this little park let everyone enjoy it. From a Prescot resident.

When the Queensway Tunnel was dug beneath the river, the subsequent rubbish pulled from the ground…read morewas dumped and landscaped into what is now Otterspool Prom. Here you can do everything there is to possibly do on a riverside promenade; things such as walk, ride a bike, look at the water and...um...well that's about it. I suppose you could rollerblade if you wanted. If it's a warm day and you don't mind the style your hair will be sculpted into by the blustering gales, you can follow the prom and its interconnecting paths right up to the Pier Head. If you don't fancy that, try and unearth the ruins of the 1984 Garden Festival, which lies hidden by tree trunks and weeds. You don't know how overtly creepy something is until you accidentally stumble across a kid's overgrown swing park. I still have nightmares.

What a spectacular view. Did you ever see such a coastline? Especially when the waves are choppy…read moreand the wind blustery. I absolutely love the promenade; walking along beside the river with the breathtaking view of the Welsh hills in the background is really relaxing, there's lots of cyclists and dog-walkers around and it's a lovely environment on a clear sunny day. The park which was renovated through the 'Pride in our Proms' project is Amazing. It's a mini world of Big Kid heaven... for me anyway I regressed about 10 years and was on the swings, seesaw and monkey bars, and when we'd totally worn ourselves out running around and taking cool scenic pictures of the sunset we went for a well earned pint from the Otterspool pub which is handily a hop skip and a cartwheel across the park. Go fly a kite, see the sights, play on the park and grab a pint!

Sherdley Park is the largest park in St Helens, it is on the main road and theres several bus…read moreroutes which go past it so it is easy to get to even if you dont have a car. Admittance is free and it is open all year round, for the kids there is a pets corner with goats and cows and other animals to look at and also theres a large outside adventure playground area. Dogs are welcome to the park which can be a problem sometimes because there are many dog owners who let their dogs off the lead and run off to pester other people with dogs or with small children. On the minus side the park has no toilets and there is no facilities for drinks and snacks apart from an icecream man.

Not the best course and quite short, but its cheap and cheerful and good for a no nonsense knockread more

Stadt Moers Park is a bit of an oasis, sandwiched between Whiston and Prescot. It's basically a few…read moreacres of open parkland, much of it left to grow wild. There are footpaths you can take, and a large lake that's quite popular for fishing. It's a nice getaway for half an hour if you live in the area, the only drawback being that it's close to the motorway, so there's a steady hum of traffic in the background. There's a visitors centre open for occasional events, such as a weekly walking group and various educational stuff. There are also yearly events such as Whistonbury, a music-festival-cum-arts-and-craft-fair.

This place is lovely for walks and great views. You can take the kids or your dog and have a really…read moregood walk and feel great. If you only want a brief stop though, you can always park up and just go on the grassy area with your kids or dog, just remember to clean up after either, keeping the area nice and clean! Sadly it's not got any play things for children, but if you take a ball or a kite (if it's windy)etc, then you should be able to have some good old fashioned fun!

A little know gem of Warrington with bucket loads of history attached. It's got 2 main areas, open…read moregrass land and the willow marshes. Great dog walking area.

This is a wonderful, natural environment. Excellent for those who like to walk away from all the…read moretraffic and noise, but still be in contact with civilisation. It can be accessed from Farrell Street or Manchester Road (via Peacock Avenue) and has some pathways laid out, suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. Once again, it is often necessary to watch out for bicyclists, but most are very courteous here. The odd kids on stolen and/or illegal motorcycles are not. Contrary to popular knowledge of the law, these are not legal on what used to be called common land and still need a license, tax and insurance - none of which they have. Rant over! Just off the laid paths is a quite large area which is the actual twiggery - water and marshland completely enclosed in shrubbery which is more akin to jungle than parkland. The authorities have had built raised, wooden walkways throughout this area without destroying the natural aspects - it is possible to see all manner of animal and birdlife if one is quiet enough. I have watched heron fishing in the pond near the entrance as well as kingfishers and wagtails. On St George's Day, we usually manage to pick enough dandelions for the next year's dandelion wine - more than two gallons some years.

Victoria park has recently undergone a huge makeover, including a new lake being put in with a…read morefountain, a fountain from the town hall being installed, the gladstone fountain, a new cafe area and restored band stand, a new play park for kids with a water park area and a little ice cream kiosk nearby. There is also the butterfly house which houses not only butterflies, but iguanas, rabbits and guinea pigs! Victoria Park is a great place to spend the day with kids. The new improved facilities mean you can spend the whole day there, even have your lunch in the little cafe which served starbucks coffee and a variety of sandwiches and paninis.

The park is 7 miles long and runs from Carr Mill Dam to Newton-Le-Willows. Inside the park is the…read morevisitor centre, Stanley Bank nature reserve as well as loads of footpaths and cycleways. It is just perfect for taking your bike if you are up for a short ride. Public events take place around the park including guided walks, slide illustrated talks, moth nights, birdwatching events and art days. The park is also used regularly for school events such as pond dipping, bug hunting, nature rambles and scavenger hunts. The park is a site of special scientific interest for the nature enthusiasts to enjoy and there are numerous areas to fish (permits can be obtained through the local fishing clubs).

Walton Hall Park is not the biggest of parks in Liverpool but large enough to say the least! On a…read moresunny day, it is a wonderful place to spend the day with family and friends. If you fancy a picnic, there is plenty of open field space where you can't be noticed or noticed if you wish. The park has one main lake and a smaller pond where you can enjoy fishing or feeding ducks, swans or geese. Having said it is a great day to spend on a sunny day, it is also a great day to spend on a snowy day; back in January's snow flurry, the park had a magnificent white display with lakes turning into an ice rink. The place was beautiful to walk through but naturally hazardous for children and animals. Occasions like this are rare but when the opportunity arises, I would recommend a visit whether sunny or snowy!

I used to live fairly close to this park. It's pretty good sized, and provides a nice place to…read morewalk, play with your dog, take the kids for a picnic, etc. There's a paved track that runs all around the grassy area. I'm not sure how long the track is--possibly a fourth of a mile. Around the edges there are some trees that provide nice shade in the summer months. All in all a clean and pleasant park. :)

The National Wildflower Centre is an award winning independent charity funded through public…read moresupport. They run a seasonal visitor attraction that showcases wildflowers in a natural environment with lots of ideas that you can replicate at home. As well as this, they provide information and raise awareness about the importance of wildflowers and encourage people to learn about the creation and management of new wildflower habitats (which they call creative conservation). The centre has a mix of refurbished old buildings and new architecture, with courtyards and a walled garden demonstration space where they show seasonal displays of wildflowers. As well as this, there is plenty for children to do such as explore woodland, find minibeasts and burn off some energy on their climbing wall and play equipment. For a plantastic day out, choose the National Wildflower Centre in Knowsley!

Like flowers? Of course you do, you'd have to be the ultimate miserablist not to like flowers…read more Heck, Morrissey's a miserablist and even he likes to swing a bouquet around onstage. So if Moz is in need of more blooms to enhance his performance, you might want to point him in this direction. Certainly the place to appreciate a good plant, the National Wildflower Centre is the work of registered charity Landlife, so get ready to feel good about yourself. A great visitor attraction, the idea behind the centre is to allow people to enjoy the habitats they've created for wildflowers, raise awareness of the importance of foliage and enable wildlife to thrive and multiply. Birds, bugs and animals alike have found the environment perfect for settling down since the centre opened almost ten years ago, and the fact that it's part of Victorian Court Hey Park, a 35 acre attraction in itself, speaks very highly for it. A peaceful ambience and a superb family environment, it's well worth taking the bus ride out of the city centre for. Not only is it good for sightseers, there are also unique conference facilities available if you fancy holding an event with a little bit of pizzazz. You'd have to be very hard of heart not to be inspired by this place, there's no other word for it - it's truly gorgeous. Any money the centre raises goes to the charity so just by visiting you'll certainly make a difference. Do take the time to stop and smell the roses.

The Jungle Parc is an absolutely amazing place for kids, and not too bad for adults too. I never…read moreeven knew this place existed until I was searching the net and then came across this place. I would strongly recommend this for age 7 - 10 though smaller ones are able to come along too, height restrictions do apply to certain parts of the adventure courses, so to avoid disappointed I would recommend you go onto their website and check first. This place is all about fun and fitness for the whole family. They have a massive high wire forest adventure course; which is set within the countryside and developed to encourage you to get moving, and trust me by the end you the adventure a good cuppa and sleep is what you'll need, though if it is for the family then keeping the kids active by getting them tired then Jungle Parc is the place to bring them. It is a very safe environment and with all the proper equipment it is very enjoyable. The X-plorer course is for anyone over 1.35m in height and the Adventurer course is for children from 4 years old and with minimum height of 1.05m. The Jungle Parc is situated in Croxteth Country Park which is only 10 minutes from the city centre.

The Jungle Parc which (like Gemma) I also never knew existed until I came across a flyer, is based…read moreat Croxteth Country Park. The site is generally an incredible place for outdoor activities for those looking to burn off more than a bit of energy (adults and children alike). The premises consists of two different courses: X-Plorer course and Adventurer course (for the little ones). Each course is ideally designed with a practical element, almost like an assault course but with the fun involved. There are 40 amazing activities to enjoy as you glide through trees on rope bridges, zip lines and cargo! It definitely sounds exciting as it really is. Adults are just £20 and Juniors £15. Prices include full training and all equipment to make sure you are fully prepared and safe. Not bad at all for an adventourous day in jungle like surroundings.