Along with my wife and children, aged five, three and one, we visited facilities in Larne, Carrickfergus, Whitehead, Ballymena, Antrim, Lisburn, Holywood, Belfast and Templepatrick over recent weeks, taking a look at what was on offer and seeing which ones provided the most entertainment for the kids.
Check out the list of 15 play parks. Hopefully the list helps to give you some ideas to keep your little ones occupied. We have deliberately looked at parks outside of the Newtownabbey area as we had aimed to discover playgrounds for Newtownabbey residents to drive to and visit parks they had not been to before.
Are there any parks you would add to the list?

1. Wallace Park, Templepatrick
Located in the Lylehill Road area of Templepatrick village, beside Templepatrick Primary School, Wallace Park had activities for our little ones, as well as older primary school aged children. We visited on a quiet Sunday morning at the start of December, allowing our children to enjoy what was on offer. The general upkeep of the play park was good, however, we did notice some graffiti and a climbing frame in the older section of the park could do with some minor repairs to its roof. There were toilets on site, although there was no hot water or soap available on the day we visited. If the adults in the group need a caffeine fix, the Templepatrick Milestone is under a mile away. There were benches to sit on and numerous bins, which had plenty of space for any extra waste on the day we were there. There were lots of parking spaces to pick from when we arrived. Our children enjoyed their time at the facility, particularly the see-saw, climbing wall and rope web. Overall, we've marked the park 7/10. Photo: National World

2. Victoria Park, Belfast
Situated on the edge of the Sydenham Bypass, Victoria Park is a retreat for residents and visitors away from the hustle and bustle of urban east Belfast. There was plenty of wildlife to see at the lake and a nice walk round the park, but our children were underwhelmed by the playground. We visited on a Saturday afternoon at the start of November and it was quite busy, so our older two children had to wait to use some of the equipment they were wanting to get on. In terms of parking, there weren't too many empty spaces to choose from when we were there. There was a toilet in the car park, but users needed to pay to access it, so this might pose problems for anyone who may not have their bank card or phone with them when they are there. The general upkeep of the park was good, with ample bins and benches. Overall, we rated the play park 6/10. Photo: National World

3. Cave Hill Adventurous Playground
The Cave Hill Adventurous Playground was one of the best parks we visited during our research for the feature and we went on a Sunday afternoon at the start of December. Set in beautiful surroundings at the foot of the Cave Hill, the play park is constructed in two main sections, with equipment for younger children on the lower level and activites for older children on the higher level. There was plenty of parking at the entrance to the park. There were activities for all three of our children in the lower section and our older two enjoyed trying the apparatus in the upper section. We purchased coffee in Glengormley before going to the park and drank it there. The general upkeep of the park was good and there were bins and benches spaced throughout. Overall, we rated the play park 7/10. Photo: National World

4. Drumglass Park
Living in the Finaghy area of south Belfast, Drumglass Park has been one of our go-to parks with the kids over recent years. Located off the vibrant Lisburn Road, the play park and surrounding gardens are surprisingly large and there is lots to keep babies, toddlers and primary school children entertained. There are accessible toilets at the park and these are always well maintained. The upkeep of the park was good and there was ample bin provision alongside benches located throughout for anyone wishing to sit down. One issue would be nearby parking. With the park situated in a built-up area, there is no dedicated car park and users have to park on one of the nearby streets. Depending on how busy the park is, visitors may have to walk a short distance to access the facility. Overall, we rated the site 8/10. Photo: National World