If you’re looking for something to do with the kids, why not discover (or perhaps re-discover) Wirral. A place made for adventure.

Wirral an area to the North of Cheshire and just into Merseyside, is just an hour from Manchester, 25 minutes from Chester and a short hop on the Mersey Ferry or the train from Liverpool, and has some incredible tourist attractions for you to enjoy.

We recently discovered some new things to do in Wirral on a day out with kids and wanted to share those with you, together with some of our favourites.

For more Things to explore on the Wirral check out Visit Wirral.

Mersey Ferry

Whether you take the Mersey Ferry as a way of getting to Wirral from Liverpool, or simply a fun thing to do as a round trip, we are sure you’ll enjoy it.

If you’re anything like me you won’t actually be able to say ‘Ferry across the Mersey’ without singing it to the tune of the Gerry & The Pacemakers hit, so you’ll be pleased to know that they do actually play the tune when you’re crossing the River Mersey itself.

A full round trip on the famous mersey ferries takes around 50 minutes but usually people incorporate the ferry into a day out from either side.  

The ferries set off every hour at twenty past the hour on the day we travelled, but do check online or call before you head over. It’s also worth double checking what time the ferries finish for the day if you’re intending to get off so you can plan your day and be able to get back.

Eureka Wirral

The fabulous Eureka (of Yorkshire fame) has opened in the spot next to the Seacombe Ferry terminal where Spaceport used to be. 

Eureka! Science + Discovery is designed for children and young people up to 14 years old to discover how Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) influence and shape their lives. By connecting every day with the extraordinary, they aim to ignite curiosities and present possibilities.

If I’m honest we thought it was going to be too young for our three who are 11, 11 and 12 but they found plenty of things to interest them, particularly the human bodies section.

Most people will spend circa 2-3 hours at Eureka, so fantastic to do as part of a day out.

From Eureka (and the ferry port) you can hop on the 400 bus that takes you straight to New Brighton.

New Brighton Street Art

Created in 2018 the street art in New Brighton breathes new life into this buzzy, independent neighbourhood. The street art which is centred around Victoria Road in New Brighton means visiting the art feels like visiting an open air gallery.

The art, mostly drawn by local artists which depicts characters from pirates to pier divers who have shaped the town over the past three centuries is stunning. All of the family loved the wander round the streets, which can be done in about an hour, or can include lunch in one of the fabulous local cafes.

Check out the map of New Brighton street art so you can locate it all.

From Victoria Road why not wander down to New Brighton beach.

You can see a small selection of the New Brighton street art below, but to see all the street art we saw, do head to our full post on New Brighton street art.

New Brighton Beach

New Brighton has a huge sandy beach with views across to the Liverpool skyline. Spending a day out in New Brighton can include walking down the prom and taking in the views, checking out New Brighton Lighthouse, Fort Perch Rock and of course spending time on the beach whatever the weather.

Whenever we spend time on the beach, particularly when the weather isn’t so good, we like to play free beach games.

New Brighton beach is also right next to Marine Point retail park which hosts some of the usual high street names but perhaps more importantly the fabulous Marino Lounge which is always busy with locals and does the most incredible brunch and Caffe Cream which does the best homemade ice cream.

Fort Perch Rock 

Fort Perch Rock is a coastal defence battery built between 1825 and 1829 to protect the Port of Liverpool. The Fort is now home to a number of permanent maritime and aviation based museum displays, frequent guest exhibitions and cultural events. It also has a brilliant escape room.

Escape the Fort – Escape Room

A fantastic escape room set in the 200 year old Fort Perch Rock right on the beach. We were, to be honest, fairly useless at times. There was a bit/ok a lot of family discussion over what clues to follow, what to do and who was right, but with 3 minutes to go we stopped the Nazi invasion and saved Liverpool from being bombed so we got something right!

This escape room is set in 1940 and includes lots of WW2 memorabilia. Can’t wait for the next escape room to be open which is going to be The Dambusters! A hit for us and definitely recommended. 

Perfect for a half term trip with tweens and teens.

If spending time by the beach is what makes for a fun day why not check out the beautiful landscape of Hilbre Island.

Walk to Hilbre Island

The walk to Hilbre Island is around 4 miles (6.5km) over the sand from West Kirby to Hilbre Island and back.  It is only possible when the tide is out and you have to check the tide times carefully as they can come back in quickly!  

You can’t do the walk to Hilbre Island with a buggy, so if you have babies or toddlers then you’ll need to carry them in sling or carrier when they get tired – and they will.

Hilbre Island is perfect for nature lovers as you can see seals from the end point and you also get fabulous views out to North Wales.

There is no cafe on Hilbre Island so don’t forget to take snacks and water with you.

For more details on the walk to Hilbre Island do check out our full blog post on walking to Hilbre Island.

When you’ve finished walking to Hilbre Island you can always walk around West Kirby marine lake.

West Kirby Marine Lake

Why not grab an ice cream and take a short walk around West Kirby Marine Lake.  We have done this with the kids since they were in their prams, probably one of the first walks we ever did. It is around 2.4km round the lake and just over 1.2 miles. 

For me this is worth doing whatever the weather, you just get a different view over the dee estuary every time. If the water is high, it almost feels like you’re walking on water.

Wirral Country Park

From West Kirby you can walk or cycle down the Wirral Way towards Wirral Country Park and beyond. It’s one of our favourite things to do on the Wirral and a lovely way to spend the day doing something free. The disused railway line is now a bike and walking trail and actually spans 12.2 miles all the way from West Kirby to Hooton in Chester.  Yot cafe, just a short walk off the Wirral Way is a highlight for us too, just check out the excellent Tripadvisor reviews.

For more Things to explore on the Wirral check out Visit Wirral.