Meet you at the mall: 10 things to do at the Trafford Centre

Archie’s Atomic is a neon pink roller rink from the local burger and shake supremos. With a giant glitterball and a colour scheme that would make even Barbie wince, it is very on-brand. The American diner goes disco.

With 180m of downhill skiing and snowboarding, The Snow Centre is the UK’s longest indoor real snow slope. And though you can’t compare it to the glistening slopes of Chamonix, it offers enough action to make a day trip there a must for anyone interested in snowsports (or just larking about on a sledge).

Dino Falls Adventure Golf is the only landmark kids care about in Manchester. You can’t miss the volcano and huge dinosaurs as you drive past on the M60.

If you like the idea of skydiving but not so much the idea of jumping out of a plane, this could be for you. At iFLY Manchester Indoor Skydiving, you get the weightless, flying experience without having to launch yourself off anything – the wind lifts you up rather than gravity pulling you down.

King Pins Trafford Palazzo markets itself as ‘the crown jewels of bowling’, but to be honest, they’re selling themselves short. It’s a right royal entertainment centre with bowling just one part of it.

Legoland Discovery Centre is Manchester’s ultimate Lego playground. If your children like building and creating with those brightly coloured blocks, then they will love it. There are evening sessions for adults available too so serious Lego architects can geek out undisturbed, otherwise adults (15+) must be accompanied by a child to visit.

ODEON Manchester Trafford Centre is the shopping mall’s only multiplex with 20 screens including a massive IMAX screen. It’s enormous and a little impersonal but given its mammoth size, the ODEON is usually showing whatever it is you want to see.

Play Factore is like a super-sized version of the traditional indoor play centre.

It’s enormous; crawling through tunnels, clambering through spider nets and zipping down slides is only the start of it. One of the highlights of the huge play frame is the big red slide – the biggest indoor slide in the UK. There is also a toddler area with mini slides, soft play and sensory lights for age-fives and under.

Sea Life Manchester is the city’s only aquarium. It isn’t enormous – for something bigger you’d have to travel to Blue Planet in Ellesmere Port – but there is plenty to keep the kids entertained for an afternoon.

The Trafford Centre’s Christmas offering includes a festive fairground lighting up the winter nights, an ice rink set under shimmering lights, a big wheel, a grotto and a circus.