Things to do on the Wirral with kids: beaches, a free farm, a science museum and the best soft play in Merseyside

Liverpool families have a habit of forgetting the Wirral exists until a Sunday in August when every park on this side of the river is full. Which is a shame, because the other side has two coastlines, more country parks than the city and a run of things to do with children that are cheaper and quieter than their Liverpool equivalents.

Get there by Merseyrail (the Wirral line runs to New Brighton, West Kirby, Chester and Ellesmere Port), the tunnels, or the Mersey Ferry, which is a day out in itself at £9 a child and under 5s free.

New Brighton: beach, soft play, cinema

New Brighton beach has sand, the Marine Lake, lifeguards in season, playgrounds and a wheelpark at Tower Grounds, and public toilets at Harrison Drive. Marine Point next to it has Bubbles World of Play, the two floor soft play with a baby area and the all day term time rate, and The Light cinema with Family Specials from £5.75 at weekends. Three things within 200 metres of each other and a free car park is as good as a wet Saturday gets.

Seacombe: the science museum

Eureka! Science and Discovery is a children's science centre inside the Seacombe ferry terminal, £16.95 online for anyone 3 and over, £7.45 for a toddler and babies free, with the first paid visit becoming a 12 month pass. It runs relaxed SENDays and has a Chill Out room. Term time hours are short (Wednesday to Friday 10am to 3pm, weekends to 4pm), so check before you go.

Bidston: the free farm

Tam O'Shanter Urban Farm is free, open every day except Christmas, with level paths, a cafe and free parking. It runs on donations, so take some.

Birkenhead: the park, the priory and the gallery

Birkenhead Park, the park that inspired Central Park, has a playground, two lakes, a visitor centre with a cafe, toilets and baby changing, and no car park inside at the moment, so park on the streets. Birkenhead Priory is the oldest building on Merseyside, free with free guided tours, closed Mondays and Tuesdays. The Williamson Art Gallery in Oxton is free, on one floor, with a free car park and a Changing Places toilet. Europa Pools has a 25m pool with under 5s free and a soft play for 0 to 6s.

Port Sunlight: the village

The Lady Lever Art Gallery is free, and the Port Sunlight Museum is £5.50 a child, under 5s free, with a £24 family ticket that lasts a year and sensory backpacks to borrow. The station is 20 minutes from Liverpool Central and the whole village is walkable.

The Dee coast: West Kirby and Thurstaston

West Kirby Marine Lake has the wall you can walk round, a sandy beach and the council watersports centre for kayak and paddleboard hire; the Dee Lane car park is pay and display. Wirral Country Park at Thurstaston has a visitor centre, cafe, toilets, a beach and the start of the Wirral Way for bikes, with paid parking.

Country parks

Royden Park at Frankby has woodland, a lake, a cafe and a miniature railway on running days, with parking from £1.20 an hour. Arrowe Country Park has a toddler play area, an adventure playground and pitch and putt, with paid parking and a cafe that shuts at 3pm in winter. Eastham Country Park has woodland on the Mersey, a bear pit and a tea garden in spring and summer. Brimstage Farm opens its maize maze and play barn in the summer holidays and for a ticketed Halloween event, £14.50 a child, under 3s free.

Upton: the indoor stuff

Activity for All at Arrowe Commercial Park has a three tier soft play, climbing walls and high ropes, with a £12 meal deal in term time and Quiet Time sessions on Wednesday evenings. Blackout, on the same site, is 18 holes of neon mini golf; the entrance is round the back. Inflation Wirral in Wallasey is an inflatable park open at weekends and in the holidays with a toddler hour at 9am.

The FamDays verdict

New Brighton on a wet day, West Kirby on a dry one, Tam O'Shanter whenever you are skint. And go by train so somebody else does the tunnel.