Indoor Activities in Wigan

For a wet weekend, yes — nothing on it depends on the forecast, and you can decide on Friday without watching the sky. The trade is that every one of these venues keeps a family in one heated, occupied room for the length of the visit. Children who need to step outside periodically find that harder than adults expect, so factor a break into the plan rather than hoping.

Empire Cinema Wigan asks nothing physical of anybody and has a clear end. Jigsaw's Adventure Play lets a younger child go at their own speed and stop the moment they have had enough, which a booked session with an instructor does not. The trampoline and ninja venues are the opposite: they are excellent for a child with energy to burn and hard going for one who has already used it up.

Hollywood Bowl Wigan copes with the gap better than most, because bowling scales down for a small child in a way that a climbing frame or a trampoline lane does not. Ask when you book what is available for the youngest in the group. Failing that, splitting the group for an hour is a legitimate answer. Forcing a five-year-old through an activity designed for a ten-year-old rarely ends with anyone enjoying the drive home.

Whether the session needs booking, what the minimum age or height is, and whether socks or specific footwear are required — the last of those is the one families forget and the one that turns into a problem at the door. Roller, trampoline and ninja venues all have rules of that kind. A single phone call covers all three questions and takes less time than the drive.