Christmas Market, Manchester

This is one of our family's best places to visit in the lead up to Christmas. This is no ordinary market - it is streets and streets full of wooden, cabin-style stalls with home-crafted gifts, sweet treats and little places to drink and eat. There's so much to see and enjoy and there is often entertainment in the streets too. A lovely, lovely place to visit in December and a great place to get some heartfelt Christmas gifts for friends and family. This isn't a children's activity, it is a market and it is outdoors but this is definitely something that can be enjoyed by children. Toilets are available in various shops around the streets near to the market and there is plenty to see and do - it's a far more interesting way to shop with your children. Great for mummy meet-ups (which I also have enjoyed) and fab for buggy strolls. Make sure you have a warm cup of mulled wine, kids in tow or not!

The Manchester Christmas Markets are a great place for children and adults alike. There are a number spread throughout the town centre but the main focus of stalls is in Albert Square. Most of the stalls are European in origin and sell gifts, food and drinks. You can visit the markets either during the day or in the evening, if you have young children in a buggy then it is usually better to go during the day as it is less crowded. The markets are very busy at night and therefore more difficult to negotiate with buggies, there is however, a better atmosphere at night so if you can carry little ones it is worth going.

We went one afternoon when it was very cold and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The mulled wine gave us the will to go on as it was freezing, but there was no way we were going home without a pancake or two. The food was delicious and the gifts for sale were just lovely. We bought a wooden crafted duck for my dads garden and some traditional wooden christmas tree decorations to keep for years to come. It was a tight squeeze as the markets are very popular but the more people the warmer it actually is so it wasn't too bad. I would say no to taking a pram though but kids that walk are fine. Some of the markets actually spread down some of the quieter side streets so you can break free if you can't hack it. They still do the food stalls down there.