Bray Road Play Area

If you’re after somewhere you can actually relax while the kids run off some energy, this one’s worth knowing about. The enclosed setup means you’re not constantly chasing toddlers toward the road, and the sightlines are decent enough that you can keep an eye on things without hovering. There’s a climbing structure that keeps the younger ones busy, and the all-weather surface means a bit of drizzle — which, let’s be honest, is most days in York — doesn’t have to cut the visit short. The open grass field alongside gives older kids room to tear about once they’ve exhausted the main equipment.