WHEN I told Elsie I was taking her to Liverpool for the day, she was very excited.

She thought that the city would be full of ‘pools’ and that she’d be spending the day in her swimsuit (well it kind of makes sense I guess!), and although I had to point out to her that this wasn’t quite the case, thankfully it didn’t dampen her enthusiasm!

We did find water though, at the incredible Albert Dock, and ice cream (!) so she was more than a happy chappy.

I don’t really know Liverpool very well.

But as a Great Mancunian originally (I think that’s a term) I am a HUGE fan of Northern cities. There’s just something about the grit, humour, style and ‘make the most out of life’ attitude that I adore and feel at home with, when I’m oop North.

And just like Manchester, Liverpool has all of this in spades.

We arrived late Saturday morning with one happy little girl and the first stop on our list was the World Museum, which all in all was pretty impressive and free to enter.

A must for kids (Elsie loved it!) the museum offers all kinds of attractions including an aquarium, bugs room, natural history display and dinosaurs.

Being a Saturday I was worried that it would be heaving with families and perhaps too busy, but it wasn’t. It was perfect. Busy but quiet enough for Elsie to get stuck in with the displays.

Elsie’s favourite part of the museum? Definitely the dinosaurs.

She also really enjoyed the natural history section (the best bit for me!) and the Eye for Colour exhibition which is currently running.

After checking out everything the museum had to offer, it was time for a quick pit stop in the cafe, where we tucked into tea and the most delicious cakes (the flapjack was out of this world!), whilst enjoying the very lovely – if a little grey – city view.

We made a final trip to the dinosaur section again before hitting the souvenir shop, which is probably the cheapest ‘attraction shop’ I’ve ever been into!

There’s tons of stuff for kids for a pound and under in here, which got a big thumbs up from us…

Next stop on the list was the Albert Dock and a visit to Tate Liverpool, for culture of the arty kind.

The last time I visited the Albert Dock was over a decade ago and I couldn’t believe how much it had changed, and for the better.

The place was bustling with people, from locals to tourists alike and besides being a very scenic place to stop and enjoy an ice cream, it’s also got plenty of smashing attractions to visit.

Tate Liverpool was smaller than I’d imagined but still very impressive. Currently on is a Matisse exhibition which I loved and a hands on art lab for little people, which was just amazing.

Elsie loved playing with an interactive screen which made art with her ‘movement’ and having a go at screen printing for the first time, with a little help from Daddy.

What struck me the most about the Tate Liverpool though was the friendliness of staff, particularly towards Elsie.

Most of you, who have small children, will know that it’s damn near impossible to stop toddlers or pre-schoolers touching things or running about in large spaces!

There were a couple of occasions when Elsie raised a few eyebrows from people for doing both of these things in the galleries, however the staff were wonderful, encouraging Elsie to look at the art and allowing her to have fun. (Thank you!)

If you fancy racking your brains over some amazing modern art pieces and getting your kids inspired, it’s a must visit.

Finally, after a walk around the docks, it was time for something eat, but not before we stopped off at a book swap to have a gander. Love this idea!

After failing to find a table at about six restaurants, due to them being so busy, we eventually settled on Zizzis, rested our weary feet and stuffed our faces with lots of antipasta and pizza, before heading home.

As a family, we loved our quick trip to Liverpool and are already thinking of heading back soon. (Particularly as Mummy and Daddy want to explore the night life! *winks*)

If you’re not too far away and fancy a day or weekend of fabulous Northern culture, you’ll love this city.

There’s plenty to do in Liverpool, as we found out, to create your very own special ‘magical mystery tour’.

Many thanks to Travelodge who sent us on our ‘day trip’ as part of their #EvolvingCities campaign! What are your thoughts on Liverpool? Or what are your must visit places to see?

With love,

Kate