Ever since I was a wee gal I've been coming to Lickey Hills park - from school geography trips to…read morehuge picnics , it has something for everyone. As soon as you come in, theres a huge park for kids which is actually great fun for the big kids too ;) take my advice for it! And as you go deeper into the park, you realise what an incredible sigh of relief this park is as it gives you a break from the busy, industrial city ; instead offering you serenity and beauty. You wouldn't even think it's in Birmingham! Rolling hills, towering trees and a blanket of green surrounding you; each area is beautiful. Even if you do get drenched by the rain like I did, it's definitely worth it! A must for those seeking an escape!

If you're looking for the best views of Birmingham, Lickey Hills Country Park is the place you…read moreshould go! This very popular landscape, placed between Rednal and Barnt Green areas, is a 524 acres park with a visitor centre, golf, tennis and bowls and also a wonderful view provided from the top of the Beacon Hill, the highest point of Lickey Hills. It's a huge public space that is perfect for walkers not afraid of a bit of adventure and also families that can have a good use of its recreation park. There is a cafe nearby the recreation area and you may need some food and drinks after walking through the park. I have been to Lickey Hills with a group of very enthusiastic friends and I can tell that in the end of the journey to Beacon Hill we were all tired but happy because the perspective we have of some parts of Birmingham from that point is quite impressive. If you thinking about making some walking, make sure you have plenty of water and comfortable trainers to face this hilly walk. We had a lovely picnic up there and it was really a good idea to have some food to compensate all energy spent during the journey. We worth it! There is a free car parking at Lickey Hills. The bus number 62 service from the city centre and the Barn Green train station are the other options to get there.

One of Birmingham's lesser known parks, and all the better for it, if you ask me! We really are…read moreblessed / spoiled over in the south of the city when it comes to parks - there seems to be one every few hundred yards - from large, countryside-equse open spaces like Warley Woods and the Lickeys, to ornate urban parks like Cannon Hill Park. This place is a little of both - the large open space that dominates it provides a lovely respite from the bustle of Harborne, and the gardens that border it are well kept and a legacy of the park's Victorian roots. A great little park - much recommended!

Queens Park is one of Birmingham's best parks in my opinion, its very secluded and not very known…read moreabout and all the better for it! We don't have many great outdoor spaces in Harborne so its a great place for young children, teenagers and adults too. Its has a great open large space, people come here to play football, tennis (has 2 tennis courts), basketball (has a basketball court). Has a playground area for young children. Very popular with dog walkers, joggers and cyclists. Ive been here day and night and never had any trouble, the gardens are well kept and very pretty in every season. There is 2 car parks available on site which is free, space available for disabled vehicles too. A great little park!

Although this park is an arboretum, (that's a park with examples of different trees to you and me),…read morethe main reason why most come here is to give their suburban pooches some exercise. So, you'll find yourself chatting small talk with other dog owners as your canines get to meet each other. As the park doesn't have any facilities, it's a quiet park with enough space for everyone to play ball, picnic, or read. It's the main meeting place in the Winter for school kids and their families when schools are cancelled due to the white stuff, and you can get a good run down the hill near the High Street entrance with your sledge/skateboard with the wheels taken off/plastic bag, though my most extreme jaunt down the hill was at dusk at break-neck speed in a bath! Truly, a park for all seasons.

I'm reviewing this from a family friendly perspective, so if this isn't your thing, check out the…read moreother reviews instead. Highbury is a great park for taking the children to. Plenty of tarmac paths for bikes and scooters, plus loads of wide open spaces for football etc. The play area is lovely and very similar to the style of the new one in Canon Hill Park, but much smaller. It's inventive and interactive which is brilliant for imaginative games. My daughter especially loves the sculpted ridge at the back as it's great fun to tear round and have adventures on. One of my favourite things is to take along some bread, feed the ducks and walk round to the bit up by Moor Green Lane and Yew Tree Road. It's a little adventure haven and even better now the rangers have created new pathways to explore. There are also bee hives not far from the duck pond, which is really cool. Some of my favourite trees are in this park. Really lovely. If you're in need of refreshments, then there's a Costcutter not far from the main entrance on the High Street or Co-Op on Dad's Lane. Both of which are a little walk out of the park. There aren't any toilets, so it's as nature intended or crossed legs.

Having visited way too many soft play centres than is reasonably good for my mental health, I have…read morebecome quite the connoisseur. Others like their brandy, or their fine wine, for me, it's soft play. Play Pod is set back from the Stratford Road and can be quite easily missed if you don't know where to look. It's quite close to Shirley Park. Check the website for exact location. It's much smaller than all the other places I've been to. I really like the fact that there is a special section for 18 months and younger. It has a stair gate to the access point and has plenty of soft things to crawl over, plus it includes the ubiquitous ball pit. It's possible to have a coffee (or in my case the usual hot chocolate) and sit right next to the space which allows you to keep an eye and have a little peace. The bigger kids area is lots of fun too, with the usual tower frame allowing the children to go upwards as they play. I have been there for a birthday party and as these things go, it was definitely better than the usual. The birthday pods are nicely decorated and everything is in a good, clean state. The thing I also liked is that after the children have eaten at the party they're not allowed back onto the play area. There's a disco room too. It's not open on Tuesday's or Wednesday's and as ever with these places it can get very busy at peak times like school and bank holidays, when it's open 7 days a week.

I like Kings Heath park, it's got a lot going for it. First…read moreoff, it's a like a park of two halfs, oh and it's massive. It's like maybe two, three or even four parks in one. You've got the footpath that leads all the way around the park, which is popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists. This path will lead you from one of the three entrances right down to where the park edges alongside the trainline. How many miles this walkway is I don't know, but it's a good walk to take it all in. The path snakes in around the parks water feature which is really quite beautiful and is popular with ducks. There is also a tea room, tennis courts, a bowling green, basketball hoops, and two childrens playgrounds. This is a supreme park with large open grass spaces to boot. Kings Heath park is a great asset to the south of Birmingham and has a great deal to offer visitors.

Kings Heath park is absolutely huge. It's great to have picnics at, go for walks, have colour…read morefights (as my friends and I did ) , walk the dogs and even entertain the kids. Everytime I go there are always various clubs going on which is great to have something to occupy time with! Additionally, it has very quiet areas, especially by the pond , and I usually take work and do it there. It's a great park!

This is a lovely and peaceful park, which I enjoy cycling to when I have the time. I like to come…read morehere with a book and some snacks and just chill out under one of the many beautiful trees. It is very green and also has a stream running through the centre of it. There is also a path that goes through the park and so it is easy for those on bikes, those with wheelchairs and those with pushchairs to venture through. It is great for children to come and play in here and I have often seen kids in the summer playing in the stream. There are a couple of benches situated in the park too, although I think that it is great to bring your own blanket and choose your own place to sit in the park. It is a tranquil and pretty place to come and chill out in.

This is one of several parks in the area and possibly the least interesting one, but that's not to…read moresay it's not a good park. It's really just a large, open, square grassy area surrounded on three of its four sides by roads. I tend to walk my dogs over there when it's quiet as they can have a good old scarper about. There are three football pitches that dominate the space - two full size and one smaller, kids pitch. During the winter months there are goal posts erected by the council and on Sunday mornings there are usually one or two games going on. In the summer months it becomes extremely popular with students and gets invaded by literally hundreds of people enjoying BBQs, games and drinks. In fairness to those people they generally clean up after themselves and the park doesn't resemble Glastonbury festival the next morning. Recently some gym equipment has been installed in the park and, so far at least, this has remained intact and hasn't been vandalised, which I suppose tells you something about the area. As such it's popular with joggers who break up their runs with a few exercises.

Selly Park is a large, spacious area of parkland, and makes for one of the main University of…read moreBirmingham student hang-outs during the summer months. The park is a very good size, meaning that there's enough room for defacto areas to emerge daily for those wanting to play football or with a Frisbee, and those who just want to sit on the grass and soak up the sun. The park caters for all, being a perfect flat site for joggers and runners to loop around, and there's a well-equipped play park for young children that should keep them entertained for a good while. Recently, there has been some outdoor cross trainer exercise machines installed at various points around the perimeter for those wishing to break up their rigorous exercise regimes with... more exercise. The centre of the park lacks much identity, but large trees line the outside, making it a pleasant location.

I really love this park, It offers FREE parking too, on certain days Run Birmingham offer a free…read morerunning scheme called 'Couch to 5k' a 9 week program free to attend and gives you confidence to meet other fellow runners. Beautiful surrounding, come with kids to feed the wild life duckies in the large pond. Big area to ride your bike too with a number of facilities to park your bike. Kids can also have fun on the pay area too, with swings and a large climb rack. On my daily walks to the park I've even found wild black berries and bamboo being grown in the woodland area. There's a Cadbury Bournville house that has been derelict for quite a few years now, for such a great location I've always hoped that the council would invest money in this great location and maybe convert it into a little café? That would be perfect in my opinion. Have a good day everyone, thanks a bunch for reading

This is a really great place to go on a sunny day, or just a dry day if we can't manage any sun…read more It has three different play areas, one for older children with plenty of climbing at the top of the hill, a play area for little ones connected to a bit for slightly older children that has a big climbing frame and swings. It also has a lovely lake to take a short walk round. It's a brilliant place for bikes and scooters too. The paths are all suitable for pushchairs. The cafe is situated at the entrance to the park and has clean toilet facilities as well as stocking a wide range of the usual cafe snacks and ice creams. The food is pretty good if you forget to take a picnic. There's a lovely play and exploring area right outside the cafe near the picnic tables so you can sit and have a drink while keeping an eye on the children. There's also a spot from which you can feed the ducks on the lake nearby. If your children need even more to explore, there is a small area of woodland to run round on one side of the lake as well. It's a great way to spend a day. Plus, you can venture further afield if you really want to on sign posted walks.

l went here on a sunny but breezy day at the end of September and the park and visitor centre…read moreseemed relatively busy. The café stocked a variety of sandwiches, paninis and hot food. The mocha I had was nice and hot - served by friendly staff. Me and a friend sat out on the balcony over looking the lake which was nice. There are four maintained walks around the Arrow Valley park which I hope to return to do in the near future when it starts to warm up again.