I have to admit that, despite scouring Istanbul for great things to do with our kids, it took me a long time to visit Miniatürk. I was being snobbish enough to think that we were better off with the historical and cultural than a park of plastic models. I was wrong in as much as Miniatürk is a brilliant and inexpensive (10 TL a ticket) day out. 57 of Istanbul's buildings (and buildings from other parts of Turkey and the Muslim world) can be walked around with ease. The hills and clutter of the city have not been replicated (woo hoo!!), so it is possible to glide along with a pushchair and view the whole of buildings out of their squeezed context. For Anton there is a model of a road with moving cars and a football stadium where you can choose which team's chant should come blaring out of speakers. There is a Trojan horse with a convenient spiral slide and a maze that allows you to see your path once you reach 1 metre tall (so adults can laugh at their confused toddlers!). It is easily possible to spend 5 or 6 happy hours here thanks to the cafe, playground and road-train. There are some exhibitions but as they are entitled 'Crystal Istanbul' and 'Victory Museum' I have not so far been lured in. This is a great place for an easy day out with kids if you need a break from the bustle. We took along some friends for  our fifth visit on Thursday and everybody smiled all day.