A mother and daughter watch a deer grazing with autumn tree in the background and leaves on the ground — A mother and daughter watch a deer in the Deer Park at Dunham Massey | © NT/ Paul Harris

Family-friendly places in Cheshire and Greater Manchester

Plan your a family day out in Cheshire and Greater Manchester. We've got play areas, wildlife to spot, plenty of things to do when it rains and loads of activities for kids (and the young at heart).

Get close to nature, step into the past or run tired legs out in a play area – there's something for the whole family to enjoy whatever the season.

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Quarry Bank

Plan your family day out to Quarry Bank and discover all the family-friendly things to do no matter the weather. From exploring the mill, to enjoying one of our seasonal trails around the property.

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Dunham Massey

From roaming fallow deer to bug-rich gardens and the heritage and history in the Georgian House and 400-year-old mill, there's something for all the family at Dunham Massey.

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Lyme

From running, skipping and jumping around Crow Wood play area and dressing up in period costume inside the house, to spotting red deer in the park, there’s something for everyone at Lyme.

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Hare Hill

Discover the secret gardens at Hare Hill, where little legs can roam safely; the perfect spot for a family day out.

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Little Moreton Hall

Whether you’re enjoying one of our self-led trails or the wibbly-wobbly floors, there's plenty of activities to keep the whole family entertained at Little Moreton Hall.

Boy throwing leaves in the gardens, Tatton Park, Cheshire

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At this special time of year when the trees take on their autumnal colour, visitors are welcome to walk, cycle and play in 1,000 acres of Parkland for free. There are lots of great trails, amazing viewpoints, and idyllic spots to relax and reflect. Call in at the Welcome Building for a free parkland map and explore! If you are lucky, you may spot a redwing or a fieldfare eating hawthorn berries.

Children play in the woodland den building area at Quarry Bank Mill, Cheshire

October half term in the North West

Looking for fun things to do with the family during October half term? Spot Scarecrows from Film and TV at Rufford Old Hall, explore the haunted Victorian Mansion as Speke Hall transforms for Halloween and keep your eyes peeled for the bone-chilling skeleton displays at Tatton Park. Or wander through the eerie grounds of Quarry Bank after dark in our brand-new trail, Halloween at Quarry Bank – brought to you by the producers of Christmas at Dunham Massey. Filled with many different surprises – the darker it gets, the spookier it gets!

There’s nothing quite like playing outdoors. Swooshing down slides, clambering over logs and letting your imagination run wild. It’s no wonder that play areas are an essential part of many family days out. Here are some top places to play in Cheshire and Greater Manchester. 

Child enjoying the Crow Wood play area at Lyme Park, Cheshire

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Crow Wood playscape at Lyme

Let off some steam and have fun with your family in the Crow Wood play area. It’s the perfect place to run, skip and slide. Get closer to nature on a walk through Crow Wood and see what wildlife you can spot in the mill pond.

Two teenage girls playing on logs in woodland on a sunny day. One is sat on top of a tall tree stump and the other is tight-rope walking along a narrow branch a few inches from the ground.

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The log pile at Dunham Massey

Is it a ship? Is it a castle? Will you get eaten by sharks if you fall off a beam? The log pile in the north park is a play area at one with nature. Perfect for little ones with active imaginations, these carefully placed logs and branches create a casual play environment for children (and adults) of all ages.

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Playground at Quarry Bank

You can find the playground just beyond the Mill Yard. It's small but perfectly formed, giving little ones the chance to jump, balance and climb obstacles. And with picnic benches are close by, it's perfect for parents to take a break with a warm coffee.

Children playing in woodland at Alderley Edge and Cheshire Countryside, Cheshire.

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Woodland play at Alderley Edge

Test your balance on giant logs and pretend the mud is water or strike your best tree pose on a tree stump in the natural play area at Alderley Edge. Look around to see birds flit from branch to branch amongst ancient trees and the woodland floor.

Den building area at Cragside, Northumberland

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Natural play area at Hare Hill

In spring, summer and autumn little ones can escape to the hidden natural play area at Hare Hill and discover the magic amongst the nature that lives there. Make a secret den and create some look out points to spot wildlife. Cook up a storm in the mini-mud kitchen – you’ll find all the ingredients you need on the woodland floor beneath.

When it’s raining (and we get a lot of that in the north west) you have two options: find somewhere indoors to explore or grab your waterproofs and get stuck in! Luckily we have loads of suggestions for both…

Four visitors looking at the water wheel at Quarry Bank, Cheshire

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Explore inside the mill at Quarry Bank

Shelter from the rain inside the mill and feel the floors shake beneath your feet as the historic machinery whirrs and clatters into action. See one of the most powerful water wheels in the country spinning as the river flows beneath it.

A close up of a girl in a recency style sun hat.

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Step back in time at Lyme

Sometimes even the best laid plans can be ruined by a sudden downpour. Never fear, from dressing up in recency dress to playing billiards, there’s plenty of indoor activities for you to try inside the house at Lyme.

Child in a pink hooded jacket, pink trousers and turquoise wellies jumping in a muddy puddle, Winkworth Arboretum, Surrey

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Embrace the rain at Dunham Massey

Don’t let the rain keep you at home – there’s plenty of activities that you can get up to no matter the weather at Dunham Massey. Put on your wellies and splash in muddy puddles, or create a modern art masterpiece from squishy mud – you can find inspiration with ’50 things to do before you’re 11¾’ activities.