Keep an eye out for events for under 5s too. Find out more here – Under 5’s – Salford Museum & Art Gallery Portland Basin museum From April to July 2023, Experitots will take place in Experiment, our family-friendly interactive gallery.

During these relaxed sessions, toddlers and their adults are encouraged to play, explore and experiment together. Their team of friendly explainers are on hand to support young explorers throughout the morning. Beyond The Music is founded by producer, presenter, promoter and social enterprise founder Oli Wilson, working alongside BTM Director Sarah Pearson, Founder of Wasted Youth Music, and Chair Rose Marley, CEO of Co-Operatives UK, and a committee that includes Michael Adex, CEO of NQ, and Jane Beese Director of Music, MIF / Factory International. With Beyond The Music, Oli Wilson intends to build upon the foundations laid by his father Tony Wilson, a broadcaster, journalist and creator of Factory Records and the Hacienda nightclub, responsible for some of the world’s greatest music. It has developed strong ties with local schools, most recently working in conjunction with Solihull Council to run a competition where local schools were invited to create a flag for their chosen Commonwealth country made of entirely recycled material. The 16 flags then featured as a trail around the centre, with visitors answering quiz questions as they identified each flag. The centre has also fostered links with a local special needs school, with three students attending each week to do work experience. One has since been employed as part of the centre’s housekeeping team. Republic: collaborating with charities School’s out for summer, as Alice Cooper once said. That means six weeks to, ahem, enjoy with the kids. year-old Jen, from Leicestershire, says: “The London accent is just so grating, and everyone is so rude. No one thanks the bus drivers. Everyone is always rushing off to brunch or to work in the City, and they’re all hyper-trendy. Everything is about 20 times more expensive in London. I’m not entirely sure Londoners realise that there is a world outside London. The only redeeming feature of the Londoner is that they’re generally quite fit.”There are books you can grab to read with your child and on Tuesdays there are free story and rhyme time events from Play Maker Events. A next-generation office and education campus spread over four buildings comprising 650,000 sq. ft of office and retail space, Republic is at the forefront of East London’s commercial and cultural regeneration. Brought on board by Trilogy Real Estate and fund manager LaSalle Investment Management, Workman’s role is to manage the property effectively, while also helping it become a part of the local community. Discover the wonder and delight of science at work whilst making memories with your favourite tiny people.

Manchester Central Library has an incredible children’s library that has books perfect for toddlers to enjoy. This is a great way to pass some time in the city centre. As well as letting the good vibes roll on the rink with roller boots to fit young and old, the StarWash experience has a fresh and funky photo booth to capture your star quality StarWash vibe – dang you look good! At the heart of Beyond The Music will be four days of live music by the most exciting new and established artists from around the world, alongside a series of conferences exploring The Past, The Present, The Future and The Summit, identifying everything from the entrepreneurs who have aided in defining Manchester’s music DNA to the new wave, the right to sustainability, ownership and equality within the industry, and how to find music’s place within the new cultural economy of tech, gaming, branding and film & TV. Billed as the funkiest rink in town, the Star Wash Roller Disco is open all summer-long at Trafford Centre, from 19th July – 27th August. Ellie, 20, from Bridgend in Wales, says: “The thing about people from London is you always know they’re from London. It’s like a compulsion where they have to tell people.”Florence also told me: “That’s all people in London seem to care about – career. I don’t know if it’s just the Shoreditch vegan hipsters but they seem to have no real common sense of anything important. I just don’t think they spend enough time thinking about the people around them – I don’t get how they can’t talk on public transport or even look at each other- it’s like everyone is guilty or competing London definitely has great things to it – the gigs and fancy burger places and the fashion. But after a few days you miss the overalls and wellies and the smell of pig shit.” So there are my ideas for free things to do in Manchester with toddlers. Do you know any more I need to add to this list? Where to next?

The recently reopened Manchester Museum has some incredible exhibits mainly to do with animals and ancient history which little ones will find fascinating. Manchester Central Library There are loads of great parks in Manchester. Here are some suggestions in case you are looking to try a new one. Outdoor art club – for children of all ages, these sessions encourage free play and exploring nature outdoors. They include water play, mud and much more. Make sure your toddler is dressed for the weather and don’t forget the spare clothes for afterwards! If you’re worried about running out of ideas for things for kids to do before the end of the first week, we have a line-up of some of the best, and (mainly) free, family-friendly events in and around Manchester to keep them entertained. Summer Reading Challenge at Manchester Libraries Welsh Ellie says: “People from Wales are much nicer, I feel like Londoners don’t really care about each other. Maybe it’s because there’s so many of them. And they always complain about the tube. I literally don’t care about your Oyster card.”Sarah, who has two boys aged four and two, said it initially took her a while to find the place, but once you know where you're going 'it's actually really easy'. This is another free museum with lots for children of all ages and they have a few small areas for toddlers. They also run free and low cost term time activities for under 5s. Find our review here – Science and Industry museum Manchester. Runway Visitor Park With other attractions nearby including the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester Central Library and the People's History Museum, she added: "This is such a great location for a free play space and I wish every town had one." Entry to Summer Daze is on a first come first served basis. The only element of the outdoor event which is available to pre-book is the fairground.