I was here last night for the first time and I was hugely impressed by the facilities - It's…read moredefinitely had a recent facelift! I was there to play football and having played at a number of different sports facilities I have to say that these were right up there with the best. The have 6 floodlit 3G pitches that are available to hire. There are also two full size 4G floodlit pitches. They have rebranded the sports pitches 'V36' and they have obviously thought about the logistics of the centre as it now comes with a refurbished car park. Great facility all in all and relatively cheap to hire in comparison with other pitches.

Newtownabbey Council has put a lot of time and money into sprucing up the Valley Leisure Centre,…read moreand they've done a great job in my opinion. Back when I was young, the Valley was pretty dark and everything was brown or cream, but now the lighting's a lot better and you don't really feel like this is a place where joy comes to die. The slide in the pool was the main attraction when I was growing up, and it remains to this day. Beyond that, there are squash courts, indoor football pitches and rooms for classes. There's also a gym upstairs, which my brother is a member of and loves. Municipal gyms are some of the cheapest going and I think they're the best option if you're thinking of joining a gym. The Valley is also the location for many a children's birthday party and they provide a bouncy castle, so it's pretty easy for parents to organise.

Mookie world now known as the famous "Funky Monkeys" is superb for kids and of course adults who…read morelike to act like kids!! It is adult supervision at all times so its great if you love slides and climbing if not its too bad! There are two areas which include a baby area and a bigger play area from ages 2+. The baby area is brilliant for tiny toes who are not yet completely on their feet yet as it gives them room to explore without being flung to side by a wrecking ball (older child). This area has a tinier climbing frame, 2 slides, soft blocks and musical instruments...Let's face it who doesn't love the sound of drums :/ Funky monkeys has its own cafe so its strictly no outside food and drink and they are quite strict with these rules. This isn't suitable if you have a child with special dietary requirements i.e lactose intolerant as majority of the staff are reluctant to allow you to feed your child with your own food. Some of the staff are brilliant and completely understand and in most circumstances allow this to happen so thumbs up to them! The cafe is also quite expensive for example a tiny carton of apple/orange juice is £1! They have great facilities including a disabled toilet and a lift down to the main toilets. The staff are always on hand to make sure that child play is safe and secure which is great if you are the panic mum or dad. Overall Funky Monkeys is a great family outing! The kids all appear to love it as they run about beetroot red with tons of energy. Also don't forget that if you would like to join your kids make sure to bring an extra pair of clean socks :)

Mookie World has only recently opened its technicolour doors and so is still fresh, clean and…read morebright. Everything is in tip top condition and I think this place is completely brilliant. It has none of that hell factor that some indoor play areas have - it is as much a pleasure for the adults as it is for the over excited kids. Just one caveat - Mookie World describes itself as being suitable for kids up to age 11. I would have to disagree with that - my nine year old wouldn't choose to go as the equipment is too young for him. I think 7 or 8 is a more realistic cut off age. Having said that, the nine year old was delighted with the free internet access and a huge chocolate brownie from the cafe. Mookie World has the usual slides, ball pits and swings etc but it is really beautifully done - the theme seems to be Mookie the Cow who appears everywhere. For adults there are comfy seats and a really good cafe - Yum Yums. Actually it is yum yum. The tray bakes, brownies, muffins and scones are excellent and resaonably priced. For the kids there's plenty of sweets, crisps, drinks and fruit. They also do organic baby food and hot meals made with local ingredients. Another big tick for the fact that Mookie World opens at 10am on Sundays and we have been a couple of times for playtime for the kids and breakfast bagels and the papers for us. Result. There is plently of parking and the cinema and another couple of restaurants next door, so could be a good choice for a birthday day out. It's £4.95 per child and this is good value for money given the excellent facilities. I will keep going to Mookie World until even the 5 year old outgrows it.

The activity centre is like a small leisure centre with limited equipment but puts on good sports…read moreand events as well as the the halls being used for other events like collectors fairs . Decent amount of car parking and its Great for children to attend the sports and climbing activities. The two halls are good for sales and fairs with plenty of room for stalls. There's usually a toy collectors fair on once or twice a year .

I love these places and used to go to one a lot when I lived in Spain - I had never seen one in…read moreNorthern Ireland and was very excited when I spotted this one in 'The D' I took my sister and her little boy as a treat a few weeks ago. We called in the middle of the day so it was very quiet and we had plenty of space and time to pick our pottery, choose a design and get them all painted up. It was a fun, cheap afternoon with an entrance fee of only £4.00 each and then our chosen pieces which range in price but nothing that is going to break the bank. My finished pair of shoes are now sitting by the front door with a small plant in them! A good value day out for all the family.

Seaside Ceramics offers an alternative to the usual birthday parties. It is a pottery studio that…read moreis primarily aimed at children but can be fun for adults too if you don't mind getting messy with clay and paint. Seaside Ceramics also offers jewellery making but don't expect any Tiffany diamonds, this is all plastic and child friendly. The good thing about Seaside Ceramics is that it has a large space to make pottery in and is ideal for kids parties. It seats 28 people but is rarely full so if you are protective of your unique designs as I was you can keep away from little copycats. It is relatively cheap too, there is a £4 studio fee during the day and a £5 fee in the evenings but this is relatively reasonable when you consider Seaside Ceramics is an all day activity. You can purchase additional keepsakes for a further £4 but who knows one of your purchases could fetch millions in a future auction.

The Rack and Cue is a great place for pool and snooker enthusiasts alike! It's ok to go in and just…read morepay for a table, but there is a members option which is probably the best thing to do if your going to use their facilities on a regular basis! There is a large number of tables so there's theres always a good choice of getting a table when just walking in from the street. The atmosphere is a little strange. I always get unnerved walking into a place this dark when its so bright outside. It's just weird! But if you don't mind a place similar to the set of an English gangster film and you love your pool, then its the place to go

This is a football club, bar and function room and none of the three should be overlooked…read more Firstly, the football - there are some great afternoons to be had listening to the banter and chants of the small group of faithful Comrades followers. This isn't stadium football, and all the better for ityou can hear everything the fans and players are saying to each other in an atmosphere which is miles from the santitised experience to be found at larger clubs. While the main bar in the social club is a fairly standard social club-type of bar, it is a cheap and safe alernative to the very poor choice of town centre bars in Ballyclare. The function room is probably one of the best of its type around as it is relaxed, cheap and gives a perfect atmosphere for a function or fundraiser. All three are well worth a look, AND you'll be showing your support for true local football.

This centre has been here for years, and I mean years! To be honest I never really bothered with it…read moreyears ago. But I've been using it a bit recently and was surprised to find out how kitted out it was and how well organised everything is! They have a hall for kids parties with the usual bouncy castle, bikes, toys etc and a desperate room with a small kitchen (should you need it) for the actual party As for fitness, they hold several classes a week, all varied, and have a cracking wee fitness suite upstairs for all your gym needs. My only negative would be that it could do with a bit of updating, but other than that, wouldn't go passed it now.

A great park in the centre of Lisburn. It has quite a large play area for kids with loads of…read moredifferent pieces of equipment for them to climb and swing about on, including a zip line. There's also a small basketball court next to the play area. In addition to the play area, the park has some of the best indoor tennis courts which can be used throughout most of the year. These are situated within a large dome. There's also a cricket pitch; an outdoor gym; specific cycle lanes around the paths and a duck pond. Can get very busy on nice summer days or when an event is held in the park but still a lovely park to visit:)

I love this park...it's a bit away from me, but I love going here with the kiddies…read moreThe actual park has many aspects like cricket pitch, football pitch, tennis court, outdoor gym, walks & cycle tracks, toilets (so handy with kids!)duck pond and of course the kid park! But...the thing I love most about it is the fact that once you get parked and begin the walk from the entrance, it reminds me of Narnia! The old fashioned lamp-posts peeking out between ancient trees lining the edge of the path right along the length of the park always have me squealing inside in a very much fangirl way lol! I love it all year round, but especially in Autumn...when the leaves literally blanket the whole ground...it's almost magical...and there's nothing better than kicking up the leaves with the kids in our wellies with a nice hot choc from the coffee cart...absolute bliss!