Bristol is filled with fun attractions for the younger generation but occasionally the top venues can feel too hectic.
And while fighting your way through the crowds can be entertaining some of the time, it's also nice to have those quieter days when you head off to somewhere more sparsely populated.
But finding those hidden gems can be a tough job.
That's why we're rounded up the best places to take your little ones that most parents have never heard of.
Troopers Hill
Tucked away on the edge of St George is a beautiful walk filled with wildlife.
Boasting a huge tower on it's peak, the hill also has a hidden wood and a play park at its top.
Its tower dates back to when the hillside was quarried and mined and overlooks the River Avon.
With colorful heather and broom, rocky crags, gullies, stunning views and a listed chimney, the nature reserve is one of the most impressive wildlife spots in the city.
Where? Troopers Hill Road
Grimsbury Farm
Most people know about the city's Windmill and St Werburgh's farms but few are aware that another one lies on Bristol's outskirts.
Based near the ring road and overlooking South Gloucestershire's rolling countryside, this working farm boasts ponies, goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, rabbits and guinea pigs which kids are given the opportunity to hold and cuddle.
There's also a large play park with a wooden climbing frame, a rocking horse and two slides.
The venue's cafe offers a selection of lunch and snack options and has indoor and outdoor seating which overlooks the farm's large ponds filled with geese.
Where? 90 Grimsbury Rd, Bristol BS15 9SD
Temple Gardens
Just off Victoria Street is a fourteenth century church famous for its leaning tower.
Only the shell of the church remains, surrounded by tall trees and a beautiful green.
Stroll down the picturesque diagonal path flanked by mature lime trees and make up your own stories about this peaceful hidden gem. All it takes is a little imagination to bring the place to life.
Where: Victoria Street, Bristol, BS1 6HY
Hollow
Free to visit, Hollow at Royal Fort Gardens is a permanent public artwork that surrounds you by millions of years of evolution and human history.
Inside Hollow, which you can access from Tyndall Avenue, you will discover over 10,000 unique tree species, which have been gathered by the artist from almost every country on the planet.
Under your feet lie fossils, which span 390 million years, and above you thousands of unique tree samples connect across time and space, each with their own story to tell.
Youngsters will love entering this unique sculpture and getting hands-on with it. Just remember to tread carefully.
Where: Royal Fort Gardens,Tyndall Avenue, BS8 1TH UK
Chance & Counters
With more than 600 games of offer, Bristol’s only dedicated board game café is the perfect place to alleviate boredom on a rainy afternoon. It opened on the Christmas Steps in 2016, and has since played host to thousands of fierce gaming competitions.
Offering hours of fun for older kids who enjoy getting enthralled in a good board game, this venue is perfect when the weather takes a turn for the worst.
Where? 20 Christmas Steps, Bristol BS1 5BS
Arnos Vale
Don't be put off because Arnos Vale is a cemetery as there is SO much to see and explore in this beautiful 45 acre site in the heart of Bristol.
Kids will love roaming Arnos Vale, with its greenery, wild flowers and huge Victorian headstones.
Encourage them to make up stories about the people who are laid to rest here and gently explain the significance of the war memorial.
There are self-guided walks, tours, a cafe and a gift shop as well as regular events and children's activities.
Where: Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bath Road, Bristol, BS4 3EW
Nightingale Valley
Based on the edge of Brislington, this leafy walk offers hours of fun for kids.
From small streams perfect for water play to old trees with long drooping branches, this picture-perfect wood is an ideal spot to take the kids.
There's also old stone bridges for the little ones to run over or climb under.
Where?Hill Lawn, Brislington, Bristol, BS4
Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve
Portbury Wharf is a favourite nature walk with us. The picturesque wetland is the habitat for many animals including some rare species like water vole and otter. Other animals like the hairy dragonfly, snipe and lapwing live off the land too.
Because of a large insect population, the greater horseshoe bat has been spotted hunting here. Buzzards, owls and other birds hunt for the small mammals that live in the hay meadows.
The area is a great place for birdwatching or to just enjoy a family day out.
Where? Wharf Lane, Portbury, Bristol
Ladye Bay
The small cove at Layde Bay is one of the prettiest beaches along the Somerset coast. A small stretch of sand between the rocks and backing onto the densely vegetated cliffs.
Where? Ladye Bay, Clevedon BS21 7BU
University of Bristol Botanic Garden
A beautiful garden filled with a huge diversity of plants, including many exotic species set in inspirational displays against the backdrop of a striking Victorian house.
The University of Bristol Botanic Garden is the first new University botanic garden to be created in the United Kingdom for nearly forty years.
The garden is situated in Stoke Bishop, just a few hundred meters from the edge of Durdham Down and a short walk from Bristol Zoo.
Where? University of Bristol Botanic Garden, The Holmes, Stoke Park Road, Stoke Bishop, Bristol
Frome Greenway loop
The Frome Greenway is a lesser-known alternative to the Bristol-Bath Cycle Path, but it's every bit as pretty. It takes in the best of both city and country, passing through Castle Park and out to Eastville, before looping around the stunning Stoke Park Estate and making its way back into the city centre. You can also stop off at the excellent St Werburghs City Farm on the way back, if you like.
Where? Begins at Queen Square