The place is a hit with all age groups
Kickair in Manchester has something for all ages(Image: Manchester Family / MEN)
We’ve seen attractions come and go in Manchester, but there’s one place that’s proving more popular with families than ever.
Kickair is on the edge of Manchester city centre and is the north west’s largest indoor activity park featuring different zones including the Air Zone, Kick Zone and Little Kicks soft play.
What that means is there’s something for every age group – which is rare at many attractions – and my teenage son and his friends who I took to the place on a busy Saturday afternoon were just as happy as the little ones we saw running around.
The Cross Over Pass means you access both the Air Zone and Kick Zone in the same session, with unlimited access to each area.
The Air Zone at Kickair(Image: Manchester Family / MEN)
In the Air Zone there’s all kinds of activities to help them burn off some energy – and there’s much more than you’ll find in a standard trampoline centre.
There are trampolines of course, and jumping off the tower onto the giant air bag never gets old, but there’s much more besides, including wipeout, a bouldering wall, children’s ninja course, basketball, cardio walls, as well as an inflatable section with slides and an assault course.
In the Kick Zone there’s even more fun to be had with a whole area dedicated to football fanatics. They can kick the ball at a giant inflatable – scoring points depending on which part they hit – and they can test their skills against the state-of-the-art Robokeeper.
The Kick Zone offers activities for football fans(Image: Manchester Family / MEN)
The robotic goalkeeper, manufactured in Germany, has previously beaten Barcelona FC stars Lionel Messi and Neymar, who struggled to score past it.
My lot struggled too, but it was all good fun as they took it in turns to try and score – fist-pumping a much younger boy whose goal put them to shame.
Both the Air Zone and Kick Zone are for ages five plus, while the Little Kicks soft play zone is for ages one to four with adult supervision – but it helps that you can see your little one clearly from the mezzanine seating area nearby.
You can test your skills against the state-of-the-art Robokeeper(Image: Manchester Family / MEN)
Plenty of people were tucking into food and drink on the tables here and there was no way I was getting out of the place without the boys at least having a slushie from the Kick Cafe to cool down.
The menu includes hot and cold drinks as well as hot food like paninis, pizzas and nachos; baguette sandwiches, cookies and muffins. It’s even got its own ice cream counter.
If you’re waiting for your session to start – or the kids don’t want to leave – there are some arcade games near the reception area including basketball, a Hot Shots Fire Rescue game and Bowling Champ, all paid for separately. My gang spent way too long competing on the Boxer machine to see who could throw the strongest punch.
The bouldering wall in the Air Zone(Image: Manchester Family / MEN)
Kickair director Naeem Akhtar opened the Great Ducie Street venue back in 2017 and says they’ve always been keen to update the attraction to keep it fresh. He says some new ‘exciting gamification attractions’ will be coming soon.
“We try to continue to evolve,” he said. “I think that’s what makes us so popular with families across Greater Manchester.”
Tickets for Kickair cost £11 for Little Kicks, £14 for Air Zone and £16 for a Cross Over Pass giving access to both. It also offers two-hour Yippee passes for £22, meaning the second hour is half price. VIP Party Packages can be booked for £24 a head.
The place has its own car park, which is free to use but you must enter your car registration details on arrival and waivers need to be signed for all participants. Socks cost £2 a pair. For more details, or to book, you can visit the Kickair website.