Europa Pools is one of the most exciting places that you can visit on a regular basis when you 're…read morea young child! We used to go every week with our school for swimming lessons followed by a free swim session in which we could enjoy all the features that the baths has! They have three amazing water flumes which are great fun for children, the different coloured flumes relate to the varying speeds in which you'll shoot down them! They also have a wave pool which is great fun as the waves get switched on and off about once every 15 minutes. The wave pool was particularly scary for me when I was a youngster as I wasn't a particularly strong swimmer! Then they have the boring but, a full sized swimming pool for those that want to do lengths rather than play on the flumes or the waves! I guess it's a good area for adults to go though whilst you're having fun.

This is a large, multi pool swimming baths with a tropical theme! There are two leisure pools, one…read morewith a wave machine, the other decorated with jaccuzi area and fountains. There is also a swimmers pool (which is a bit colder!) This is not always available for public use as it is used for competitions. Other attractions include two water slides (a bit of a climb to get to) two jaccuzzi pools, and a baby/ toddler area. Also on site are a gym and fitness suites, party area and a cafe serving hot and cold snacks. Great fun to visit with a group of friends!

This leisure centre boasts an olympic sized 50m swimming pool, and a 20m swimming pool - this can…read morebe particularly handy around 4pm when the kids come in after school as they considerately split the adults and children. The centre also has a huge fitness centre, tennis courts, 5-a-side pitches, grass football pitches, athletics track, and resides inside The Mystery Park. Overall, it's pretty good value for money, the facilities are very clean and the staff are pleasant enough. What is the first thing most people want after a hard work out or swim? Usually something to eat and drink. So I suppose the only way they could improve is provide a cafe/restaurant instead of just your typical vending machines.

Wavertree Sports Park is a great new complex which brings you a whole range of sporting, exercise…read moreand leisure facilities. Lifestyles offer a range of membership schemes or pay and play options, which allows you to use the facilities. The first time I went, I made use of their 50 metre swimming pool though it's not as big as it sounds. There is a smaller pool section which is split up and more for beginners and younger children. At times, they will aisle the swimming lanes making it free from interruptions, which is always good whenever you have wild ones splashing around! It does depend on the time of day you go. Obviously at less peak times such as early morning, it's a lot calmer. If swimming is not your sport, the site does boast a tennis centre, sports hall and athletics park too. The techno-gym is also popular with locals. If anybody has used the gym, I would like to know what puts the techno into techno-gym! As a whole, this is a decent sports centre, very modern and well maintained. I would recommend it to anyone, as it's one of the classier Lifestyle centres in Liverpool.

As far as soft play centres go this is a pretty good one. I'm not sure how long it has been open…read morebut it feels large and bright as if it is fairly new or has just been well maintained, which I'm sure is not easy with hundreds of kids running around day in day out. There is one section suitable for babies and toddlers which has a good mixture of soft play activities such as a ball pool, slides, and a sensory and disco room. There is also another large section dedicated to much bigger slides and activities for kids old enough to run around there own to get stuck into. There is also a bungee type ride for the older kids, although I think this is charged at extra. The cafe is apparently award winning, although what award it's won I've no idea but actually the food was absolutely fine and probably much better than most soft play places and the veg soup I had tasted fresh and homemade. Tip : There is a car park at the front and an overspill at the back but if, like me, you've braved the school holidays then the nearest car park is a 5 minute walk down the road where Next is located.

Wow - Head over Heels is a pretty pimped up soft play place for kids - much better than some of the…read moreothers I've ended up in the past 12 months at Kids parties and trying to entertain my 14 month old daughter... Clean, modern, well run and designed to be an ok place to hang out for kids and parents - it was a fiver to take our daughter here for 90 minutes. There's loads of play areas for kids of all ages - giant slides (wow, even I enjoyed going down the main big one) and different sections like the disco room, cinema and sensory room - all pretty cool if you ask me. And for the parents there's a pretty big cafe selling what looked like good quality tea and coffee, soft drinks and snacks. Loads of room to sit and chill out - they've got it down at Head over Heels - check it out if you need to let your kid burn off some of that energy!

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.

This is an old building but it is a good leisure centre. It is very reasonably priced. The staff…read moreare very helpful and friendly. There is a swimming pool, fitness classes and a gym. It's best to ring and check when the schools are going to be in if you want to go to swimming during the day. The car park is right outside but does get very busy. You have to become a member of the leisure centres but if you are just visiting can become a temporary member.

Curly Whirleezs located just off Bury Road (A58), on Boundary Industrial Estate and is easily…read moreaccessible by both car and Bus and is open 7 days a week. Curly Whirleez is the largest indoor play centre in the area and comprises of a multi-level soft play, a Cafe, Gymnastics Room, Sports Lounge, Sports Court, Fitness for Kids, Yoga and has party rooms. It only opened around May 2008 so is lovely and new and all equipment is in good working order and looks and feels 'new'. The main part consists of a sports area (basket ball hoops, goalie nets and balls) a multi level large soft play gym and a baby/toddler soft play area. The staff on the door when we visited appeared young and under trained with limited to nil customer service skills. Basically having been assured by their website and banners on the building when passing that it was open 7 days a week we took our two small and very excited children on a two bus journey to get there only to be turned away as we'd missed a handwritten and unprofessional sign taped to the door. The place appeared open and vibrant yet not packed and yet people were simply being turned away, most of which looked disgruntled, miffed and startled yet remained too polite to actually question what was going on. I however wasn't so easily fobbed off and immediately began to question their reasoning and their ethics relating to their actions. The two teenage boys couldn't answer any of my questions besides mumbling about most of the staff being in a meeting. Unimpressed I demanded to speak to someone more senior, a lovely yet harrassed looking woman appeared from the cafe and explained that ALL the problem was that most of the staff were in a meeting and there wasn't enough staff to clear the empty tables to allow new customers in. She let us in straight away. My young son (4yrs) absolutely adored the place and had an absolute riot there. My daughter (2yrs) however is a little timid in new surroundings and would only explore with an adult in tow. The younger area was a bit too limited to her and didn't hold her interest at all and yet the older bigger part was of limited use to her as she's too young to explore on her own and being small she couldn't make the climb up anyway and I was uncomfortable enough with boisterous older kids harassing my 4 year old without putting my two year old in there too. the rules are a little ambiguous as they state that anyone over a certain height cannot use the equipment yet there were clearly some parents (rightly so!) accompanying their younger children on the equipment to help them gain enjoyment and confidence yet none of the staff clarified as to whether it was actually 'allowed'. Although the kids loved it i do feel it could have had something 'extra' like sensory play or trampolines. Due to the nature of the building, being an industrial unit, it was unbearably hot when we were there, so much so that my son over heated and puked and we had to strip our daughter off to just her vest and nappy! I'm hoping this will be remedied and also hoping that it doesn't mean it will be excruciatingly cold in Winter! The cafe there sells hot and cold food and hot and cold drinks and is reasonably priced. I did e-mail the place regarding their staff and asking clarification regarding adults accompanying children on the equipment but unfortunately received no response which again just speaks volumes of poor customer service. All in all a good fun and reasonably priced activity for the kiddies but could be better.

Withington 'Baths' is a seriously old school swimming pool - and has played host to entire…read moregenerations of South Mancunian schoolchildren who have been dragged their by their teachers in the pursuit of being taught how to swim. I should know, I was one of them (as was my Dad). I still have incredibly fond memories of the place - this huge Victorian monument to the pursuit of health, which towered over Withington belching out steam and chlorine fumes. The changing rooms smelt of feet, and our swimming teachers ranged from the disinterested to the downright sadistic. I still have nightmares about having to dive into the pool in my pyjamas in order to locate a plastic brick from its slimy depths. I still go to the baths occasionally for a quick swim, as well as to sweat out various accumulated impurities in its sauna. Not much has changed since my primary school days. The main tiled pool still looks slightly dilapidated, the lockers still look as though someone's been going around headbutting them, and the building still looks like an old Victorian sanitorium for the mentally disturbed. Yet, it still provides a vital service to the local Withington community, and is great value for money. And, it's nice to know that whilst Withington may be changing all the time, the baths is still a small moment of the past suspended in time - always different yet always the same.

If you're looking for an affordable place to keep fit, or just want to go casually for a swim/gym…read moresession/fitness class this place is ideal. I'm not one for being tied down. In gym contracts I mean. So, this centre is great for me. You can pay monthly for under 30 (student and Manchester city council workers have discounts) or just pay as you go. There'a pool, gym with free weights as well as cardio equipment, and a dance studio for classes. Everything you need really minus the swanky changing rooms and posh jacuzzi. But then, you're not being charged the Earth either!

Now a member of the David Lloyd group, this gym boasts several facilities. It is one of Lancashires…read morepremier racquet's club. The gym facilities are excellent and there is a range of equipment and activities for everyone, including a full timetable of classes. We particularly enjoy the swimming facilities. There is a large indoor pool with clean well maintained changing rooms. There are steam rooms and whirlppol spas. The best bit for us is the outdoor swimming area. All safe and supervised with views of the canal. I can highly reccomend a visit to this gym and we have had a family membership for a long while which we have certainly had good value. Have a look at the website for full details.