Liverpool has no shortage of wonderful family attractions and experiences to explore.
The city offers everything from fun play areas and soft plays to crazy golf and outdoor cinemas for families to enjoy.
Just a year ago, many of these much-loved attractions weren’t even available - but now everyone flocks to them.
Here's just some of the things families couldn’t do a year ago - but can now:
1. Go bowling in the city centre
A year ago families would have to travel outside of the city centre to the likes of Hollywood Bowl on Edge Lane to get their bowling fix.
Now, the city centre has two bowling alleys in the form of Lane7 in Clayton Square and Roxy Ball Room’s second venue in Rainford Square.
2. Try The Blob
The newest attraction at Adventure Docks, The Blob is a huge inflatable pillow for visitors to lie on and get launched into the air.
The fun attraction is created for those aged six and up.
3. Sit on couches at the cinema
And get food and drink delivered to them.
The Everyman Cinema launched in December 2018 and changed everything about family trips to the cinema in Liverpool.
No more trying to squeeze into tiny seats or running back and forth to buy snacks when you can laze about on a couch and have food delivered right to you.
4. Go to an indoor funfair
Gone are the days of planning a trip to the fair and having it ruined by the rain.
While it's not a permanent fixture in the city, the fair has visited the Exhibition Centre earlier this year with another planned later this month.
5. Play miniature golf at Otterspool
Otterspool Adventure opened its very own adventure golf course this summer, spanning more than 20,000sq ft over 12 holes.
6. Go down a slide at Liverpool ONE
This summer Liverpool ONE installed a bright red slide as part of its Summer of Champions.
The five metre-high slide takes riders from the upper level on South John Street to the ground floor below.
Can you think of any more? Let us know in the comments below.
7. Follow a magical trail at Speke Hall
New this summer, Speke Hall’s huge outdoor trail features characters from Tudor times, including Queen Elizabeth I and William Shakespere.
Families can go on an adventure filled with ‘mischief and merriment’ through the gardens to find all six ‘Trailblazing Tudors’ this summer.
8. See Shaun the Sheep in person
The UK’s first permanent Shaun the Sheep farm attraction opened at Farmer Ted’s earlier this summer.
While not technically Liverpool, families from the city visit so often it might as well be.
Families can meet their favourite characters, do arts and crafts and play themed games at the new attraction.
9. Meet life-sized dinosaurs
There has been a range of dinosaur themed events come to Liverpool this year, including Liverpool ONE’s Dinosaurs Unleashed.
Teach Rex, an interactive dinosaur experience, has also visited the city a few times, selling out shows at Camp and Furnace, and offering families the chance to get up close and personal with huge animatronic dinosaurs.
10. Walk the Ultimate Brick Safari
Knowsley Safari welcomed the Ultimate Brick Safari for the first time ever this year, bringing more than 80 animal sculptures made from LEGO bricks to the site.
The enormous figures, made up of more than one million bricks, include Tenzin the Tiger, a towering life-size Bengal tiger constructed from around 85,000 Lego bricks, and Earl Grey the Elephant, which weighs 1.2 tonnes.
11. Play combat archery
Artemis Academy launched earlier this year and offered families the chance to play combat archery in a 10,000sq ft battle arena.
Based in Aintree, Artemis Academy offers combat archery and indoor Nerf experiences in one place - a first for the North West.
12. Spend the day at Flip Out in Aintree
The £2m trampoline and adventure park opened in February this year and made it even easier for families to get their fill of fun.
The main area includes a 85ft horizontal climbing wall, two 24ft cyber towers for vertical races, a wipeout zone, battle beams, a laser maze and a huge free-running area.
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