The Lowry, Salford

I bet if LS Lowry was alive today he’d be very pleased to have this wonderful place of art and culture named after him. From the outside it’s a spectacular example of modern attraction in the heart of Salford’s waterfront regeneration. Take a step inside and you’ll do a double take to comprehend the scale, proportions and bright palette of the centre. Children just love the clash of pinks, oranges and purple walls. On the ground flour is the café (next to the shop), which serves adult refreshments, including cakes for a diet-free day and children’s lunch boxes. There are also highchairs to borrow and a microwave for you to heat-up milk and baby food. The toilets are worth a visit just for the aesthetics. Upstairs on the first floor is the Lowry gallery (paid-for), which we’ve never been too as the children’s (under six years of age) room is located next door. Again this area is a rainbow of colour with pots of toys, jigsaws, books, comfy cushions and colouring pads with crayons. Next door is another gallery for touring exhibitions or one-off displays that may be aimed at adults yet always appeals to children as well. In this gallery you’ll find a mini-boat that we’ve found will have books for the children to read on the subject of the exhibition on display. If you’re visiting one of the nearby attractions such as Manchester United football ground, Imperial War Museum North or MediaCity then combine the two and you’ll have a great day out. If you’re local like us then it’s worth keeping your eye out on their website for children’s events, which if you’re a resident of Salford will be discounted.

My son and myself absolutely LOVE The Lowry Arts & Entertainment Centre. It's situated in Salford, so slightly outside of the main Manchester city centre and so a perfect place to visit without all of the stress, hustle and bustle. This attraction is quite simply a little pot of culture and creativity. It's absolutely fabulous for young and older children. There are often activities in the daytime during the week (arts and crafts/drama/music) for pre-schoolers but at weekend there is plenty to do for older kids too with fun groups along the same lines as those in the week. During half terms and school holidays The Lowry is simply THE place to be if you're a kid, there's none stop workshops and productions. Info is always on their website in good time before the actual events. As well as the craft sessions and arty workshops, there is of course the theatres. The children's productions tend to take place in the 'studio' which is a small theatre, perfect for small plays. We have recently seen The Night Pirates and Polly Dunbar's Penguin. Both of which were excellent, low key but perfectly so. The Lowry also has a cafe bar and toilet facilities as well as lifts to various floors. It is adjacent to the Lowry Outlet Mall which has some fab discount shops, including Gap and Marks & Sparks. A fantastic place to go. Obviously, prices vary depending on activity. Some workshops are free, however theatre tickets are usually between £7.50 - £10 per person for the children's shows.

The Lowry Art and Entertainment Centre in Salford, Manchester is a very interesting place to take children for a couple of hours. There is a theatre, an art gallery and a number of exhibitions that can be viewed. There are also a number of workshops that children can take part in and learn through, there is especially a good one for under five’s which works alongside the foundation stage curriculum. There are a number of gift shops in the Centre selling a wide range of gifts and souvenirs. There are also a number of places where you can eat and drink in the centre and there are also plenty of toilets and baby changing facilities available.

We were actually attending a wedding open day with the family and stumbled across a craft area for the kids with allsorts of materials to create a fun picture with. There was also an entertainer playing games with the kids through the galleries. He was great and my kids loved him. There's always something on for the young ones at the weekend, you just need to check their website to see the specifics. They have another room upstairs where the kids can draw, read and build blocks and they often have shows for them too. We recently went watching Peppa Pig which went down a storm!