Fun Works is a newly opened indoor play and party centre in Glengormley. It is full of exciting activities to keep children amused, including a four-lane Astra Slide, mini football pitch, toddler area and climbing wall. Parents can relax in the coffee shop while the children play.

We were one of the first visitors to this newly opened centre. It was nice to go to a ball park that was clean and fresh. We arrived on the morning it opened and it was not too busy. The coffee area was nice and the magazines were new and up to date.

We have been a couple of times now. Some times we get in, sometimes we don’t due to capacity restrictions. Cafe style seating downstairs seems restricted by size of tables and is always busy. Upstairs seems to be over-spacious and under used. Refreshments are pricey and you can’t take your own.

The kids, on the other hand, love it and the close proximity to McDonalds has been a lifesaver at times as well. I know they run a Birthday party deal with McDonalds to provide Kids Happy Meals for parties which might suit some.

Cost per child = £4.50 (I may need to check this again)

5 year old loves everything
4 year olds loves to fly down big bumpy slide.

Stress 0

Fun 4

Cost 5

Carrickfergus Castle, Carrickfergus

(map)

We headed from Glengormley to Carrickfergus which is well sign posted. Carrickfergus is located 25 minutes from Belfast up the M5 motorway. It is well sign posted from all routes. Carrick is a cute little town with a lovely marina/harbour, steeped in history which is well noted throughout the town.

We arrived at 1.30 to find the castle not open until 2pm. (We are out of season so the opening times will differ in high season).  We decided to take a wander down to see the boats and walk along the harbour. It could have been an idyllic walk as the weather was good, cold but sunny. The views were fabulous and you could see the Isle of Man. Sadly you could not walk more than 10 yards without encountering a pile of dog mess. It was scattered along the marina like land-mines. It was scattered at the base of every obstacle and had even been landed on steps. It was disgusting. After two direct hits, (both the 6 year old and the 5 year old) I gave it up as a lost cause.

We headed back and went to the public toilets to clean ourselves up. They were clean and well kept (ladies only viewed).

It was nearly 2pm so we headed to the entrance of the castle. A number of other families were waiting as well. When the bolt was slid across the front door all the kids ran (as did some of the grown ups actually). It was fun to see. We were given a map and started at the Keep. This is three story building which housed all manner of excitement. The well, the banqueting hall, the spiral staircases with the famous Trip Step, the Royal lavatory complete with King John! We stopped on the third floor to play a game of giant Snakes and Ladders. They also have a huge game of chess which we attempted to play (I need to brush up on my chess skills I think, I have forgotten how the king is allowed to move! Eek). We did enjoy jumping the knights over everyone though. We had the place to ourselves for some time which was nice. After heading down the spiral staircase we ventured outside and dived straight into more history. We scaled the walls and looked out over the sea. We played on cannons and visited the bowmen. We visited a bloke in jail with only two fingers! All in all it was a good day out and the kids enjoyed it immensely. We all did.

The gift shop on the site is reasonably priced and offers a good range of cheap trinkets for the kids to buy as a souvenir of their day out. It also stocks some very nice gifts which are again not overpriced in my opinion. There is a cafe area which has a couple of vending machines. The snack machine was out of order on this visit but we managed an ok coffee and some soft drinks for the kids.

WOW Overview

Kids Say:
6 year old: Liked the castle and would like to have seen a princess for real. Did not like the trip step as it was very scarey, so was the dog in the Keep. Really liked wondering around the castle and the grounds.
5 year old: Liked the castle and like pretending to have a big sword and fighting the baddies. Liked the man in jail and the man with the bow and arrow under the ground. Liked the big dog in the Keep because he was not really real.

Stress Level: 0 (A very relaxed and easy day out. Some of the steps would be a bit more worrying if the kids were younger.)

Fun Level: 5 (Lots of fun and educational. I would like to think we all learned something :).)

Cost Level: 2 (At £3.00 for an adult and £1.50 each child I thought it was very good value. I think the vending machines cost me less than £2.00 for a coke, a water and a coffee. The gift shop cost me £4.00 for an orange quill, a little silver knight and a cross necklace.)

Thunderdome Café, Glengormley.

Off towards Glengormley for lunch at the Thunderdome Restaurant in Glengormley town centre. It is based in the centre of town and if you follow signs for Glengormley from the leisure centre it is hard to miss.

This is an American style Rock Cafe which has been well put together and definitely appeals to the kids. It has statues of movie stars including Lara Croft, Minnie Mouse and Spiderman. Humphrey Bogart also makes an appearance for those of you who will remember him. There are rally cars, motorbikes and even a Dalek if you know were to look. There are TV screens viewable from all areas playing MTV. They provide smoking and no smoking sections of the restaurant. This will change in April.

We arrived just before noon and were offered either breakfast or lunch menus. We opted for lunch. The kids menu has a good choice which included a roast beef dinner and a vegetarian option. The other options were pretty standard; chicken, sausages or burgers all served with beans and a side. The sides are offered as fries, pasta or salad. The menu ranges from £3.95 - £4.50 but drinks are a £1.50 extra as is ice cream (also at an additional £1.50). The adults menu was restricted to Sunday Specials only. They were happy to get me just a jacket potato though (I did not want to blow my diet too much).

Crayons were provided for the reverse of the kids menu and this proved popular with the kids and they busied themselves with colouring-in and the word-searches. The service was very quick and we had our food within 10 minutes of ordering.

It was not that busy when we were there but it did fill up towards the end of our meal. The waiters were attentive and the place is clean and tidy. The toilets (ladies only seen) were clean and well stocked with all the essentials.

WoW Overview

Kids Say:
6 year old: There was a lot of food. I liked the statues and I liked looking around.
5 year old: I liked the cars and the motor bikes. I saw spiderman on the roof.

Stress Level: 0 (There was no real stress to be honest with you but if it was busier it would not have been as easy to let the kids look around.)

Fun Level: 4 (I think the kids enjoyed it. We had fun talking about all the bits and bobs around the walls and on display.)

Cost Level: 4 (I think this is probably quite expensive. 2 Kids meals, 4 kids drinks, 2 ice creams bearing in mind I had a plain jacket potato and a coffee came to £19.05.)

Valley Leisure Centre, Newtownabbey.

We headed for the Valley Leisure Centre which is based near the AbbeyCentre Shops in Newtownabbey. About 10 mins outside Belfast heading up the M2 motorway. We arrived just after 10am and were in the pool by 10.15. It was not that busy but it was busier then I would have expected for that time on a Sunday morning. Obviously everyone had the same idea as me; miss the crowds. There are two pools, one big pool (which I consider to be a grown-ups pool) and a baby pool. The baby pool provided toys, floats, balls, watering cans, and boats which were well received. We had a wicked game of piggy in the middle and I don’t think I embarrassed myself too much! They also have a huge mushroom which provides a waterfall effect and dumps water on everyone within reach. The kids love it but to be honest with you it was not my scene, I found it a bit harsh. There is a little slide which again provided lots of fun. We were in the pool for just over 1 hour. It is well attended and there is a constant rotation of life guards wandering around at all times.

The disappointing for us but I guess good news for the Leisure Centre, is that it is undergoing a huge renovation programme and the pool is closing tomorrow until the end of May. I will be checking out the Leisure Centre in Ballyclare soon which will give you another option in the area. I will keep you posted.

WOW Overview

Kids Say:
6 year old: Best bit about the pool is the slide because you can go down it really fast and you land like a big lump at the bottom. I can only swim underwater at the moment but it is easy and feels safe to swim in.
5 year old: I like the slide because when you go down it you go underwater. I love the mushroom and love swimming underwater to get into the middle.

Stress Level: 1 (It was very relaxed but I had huge trouble getting the key in and out of the locker. This may be resolved with the up and coming renovations.)

Fun Level: 5 (It felt safe and was good fun for all of us.)

Cost Level: 1 (£2.50 for Adult and £1.40 each child. Total £5.30 - very reasonable.)

For further info check out….The Valley Leisure Centre

Cave Hill Country Park, North Belfast

Cave hill is situated 8 Mins from Belfast heading north on the M2. The drive was short and sweet.

As for the country park walks - well, it was an adventure for sure!

The park is located off the Antrim Road, before the Zoo (if you’re coming from Belfast). We had one quick stop at a shop to pick up supplies (4 packets of crisps, 4 chocolate bars, 4 fruit juices and two healthy cereal bars for the adults). The turn off for Cavehill country park was less than 20 yards away from the shop. We followed the signs, got a bit lost and went round again to make sure we were in the right place - the signs are not obvious!

Parking really looks like it could be tight in the high season - if you’re heading up Cave Hill, park in the first set of spaces you come to. If you’re going to the Adventure Playground, wait until you have passed Belfast Castle on the right and follow the road round.

There were a lot of very pleasant and cheerful people from all walks of life all over the Mountain. The signs on the trails are also a bit odd, trails seem to criss-cross and the map doesn’t really tell you which trail is which, which proved to be fun. We’d advise you to keep to the major paths and look ahead as we took a path that turned into a 10 cm wide track along the side of a ridge and ended up with us having to cross a shallow scree slope! It wasn’t dangerous but it gave the kids a real thrill! One of the boys slid about 10 foot down the muddy slope and we sent one unlucky adult down the slope to retrieve him. Once everyone had stopped laughing - we continued up the hill. Views were wonderful, we really do live on a pretty Island. Scenery both in front and behind was breathtaking.

After nearly two hours on the hill, we decided to start our decent. With the promise of the adventure playground to speed the kids up we were off down the mountain! Sadly, the park was closed! Not only that, there was a charge! £1.70 per child. Hmmm. We were there on a Saturday afternoon in February but it was a sunny day, chilly but very clear. I would again like to review this in high season. This is a council run park and therefore the amount of litter and broken glass on the walk itself - especially near the cave entrances - was very surprising. There wasn’t much dog mess which was a saving grace. It was a fun day out with the kids; they thought it was a blast. The slipping down on bums, the falling in wet grass, the climbing up rocks, the getting covered in mud. It was like a washing powder advertisement.

Closing times for Parks and Open Spaces

Cave Hill Adventure Playground

Belfast Castle Visitors Centre

Belfast Castle Estate (pdf)

WOW Overview

Kids Say
6 year old: “It was a lot of exercise! I really enjoyed watching my brother sliding down a muddy slope.”
5 year old: “I had great fun. I liked having to be rescued by Matt.”
4 year old: “It was good when he slipped down the side of the mountain. I didn’t like it when I fell and hit my lip”
3 year old: Too tired to talk!

Stress Level: 0 (until we turned up at a closed adventure playground! Stress then 5!)

Fun Level: 3 (until we turned up at a closed adventure playground Fun factor then 0)

Cost Level: 0 (until we turned up at the adventure playground and would have had to pay £6.80 to get in.

Carnfunnock Country Park, Larne.

1/2 hour from Belfast. Easy to find and well signposted from Larne town centre. Lovely drive up the coast road. Kids enjoyed the sea views, tunnels and light houses on the way. Plenty of parking once we had arrived. A number of different carparks became apparent once we had walked round a bit. The carparking was ample but it was out of season so there were very few people around. Out of season, it is free but you pay by the hour in season. The season starts from 17th March.

Very clean, no rubbish, no dog mess (which is a huge bonus when you have kids in tow). Wildlife galore, birds are very tame, nature ie. trees and plants are named for those who are into that.

Signs very descriptive for various gardens. The sundial garden could have been very interesting if there had been any sun! The walk were well signposted and took us well away from the main road. Kids enjoyed the freedom to run ahead and play.The maze was not open but has potential to amuse. Crazy Golf likewise. We didn’t tell the kids about the miniature railway or bouncy castle just in case of upset

The Adventure playground was a huge hit after the long wildlife/nature hike, although visibility seemed to be a bit restricted and some parents may not feel happy that they cannot see their kids all of the time. Generally there was plenty of seating, tables with built in barbeques and the ground was well-provisioned with rubbish bins. Views are outstanding from all areas of the park of the coastal countryside and views out over the Irish Sea. This trip was out of season as we have mentioned before. As a result, there was no cost and as an additional bonus, no crowds.

I would be very interested to visit again in season to compare the difference. The toilet facilities, even out of season, were excellent; clean and plenty of them with separate Disabled, Ladies, Gents and baby-changing facilities with child toilet and basin.

Official site info : Carnfunnock Information Page at Larne Borough Council

WOW Overview:

Kids Say:
6 year old: Enjoyed the day. Very keen on seeing the maze.
5 year old: Liked the views out to sea.
4 year old: Would love to be in the middle (of the maze, apparently)

Stress Level: 0
Fun Level: 3/5
Cost Level: 0

Adventure Island, Junction One, Antrim

Adventure Island is a welcome distraction from the retail paradise of Junction One. There are two sections, Indoors and Outdoors, which I’ll cover separately.

Indoors
The Indoor section upstairs is a “ball and tube park” much like others around the country. The first impression is that it’s always crowded. Walking into a crowded café/seating area where every table is festooned with the shoes and coats of the familes already present is a little depressing. If you’re attentive and sometimes quick, you can maybe secure a chair or table as there is no cloakroom provided. The toddlers area is separate and secure from the older kids but there was a lack of staff on the ground near the toddlers so supervision really has to come from the parents, which is entirely reasonable. Understandably, the larger part of the structure which has the older kids is better staffed. The staff at Adventure Island are very friendly and very good with the kids so no complaints there. The only concern is for those with younger children - much like other similar play areas, the older kids sprint around expending a lot of energy and the feeling that Adventure Island is cramped just increases the possibility that a smaller child would be bowled over in the rush. The café facilities are reasonable enough; a little too expensive for my tastes and very crowded.

Outdoors
Even with the bitter winds and spitting rain of a Northern Ireland summer, the outdoors were much preferred by the children. In January however, it’s a little colder but their enthusiasm for the park has not dampened.

The outdoor facilities are free, clean and provide plenty of seating for adults as well as very well maintained play structures. There’s a sheltered picnic area providing for seating in view of the play area and allowing use of the food and drink vendors in the Junction One complex. The flooring is made of soft impact synthetic material in case of trips and falls and the ship and castle are very approachable even to a toddler.

WOW Overview

Kids Say:
4 year old: Can we come back here tomorrow? Can I come here for my birthday? (Regarding the outdoors)
2 year old: I’m a pirate!

Stress Level (indoors) 4 (Visibility of older kids and lack of seating make this a little less stress free than it should be.)
Fun Level (indoors) 3 (The kids enjoyed it but were not pleased with older kids pushing them around.)
Cost Level (indoors) 3 (Café and entrance fee certainly add up. Add to this any shopping done by partners at the Retail Outlet.)

Stress Level (outdoors) 2 (Good visibility and the kids were really able to busy themselves.)
Fun Level (outdoors) 4 (Whether they just enjoy climbing or they get into the whole role-play of being pirates and princesses on the ship and castle, they had great fun.)
Cost Level (outdoors) 0 (Free is my favourite price. And it’s certainly as good as any outdoor parks I’ve been to in the province.)