Kid-friendly places in Dublin

18 places in Dublin, Ireland, where children are actually welcome — what each one is, what it costs, and what to watch for. 18 carry a warning worth reading before you go.

Play cafés
Playgrounds
Sports
Classes
Adventure

Play cafés4

Funky Monkeys DundrumIndoor playground
A fun indoor play centre great for kids up to ~8 with several thoughtfully-designed play areas, benches for parents to watch over a coffee or meal, good breakfast, toddler mornings and well-run birthday parties with lovely helpful staff; ~5km south, in Dundrum Town Centre

One under-3 step area flagged as a minor safety watch-point; busy at weekends
Go Kids Go!Indoor playground
An excellent, great-value indoor play centre with two play frames, an under-2s baby area, an indoor astro pitch and a mini go-kart track, plenty of seating, very reasonably priced food and drinks, themed party rooms and friendly helpful staff; ~9km northwest

Gets busy with parties; some rides/karts may cost extra
Little Darlings Play CafePlay cafe
A wonderful little spot for toddlers with a large area full of toys (and a bouncy castle), a music-and-parachute session at 11, exceptional cleanliness, a big car park and a warm, easygoing owner (Jodi), great for a play or a birthday party; ~5km north

Very limited opening days/hours — check ahead
Stop and Play CafePlay cafe
A lovely, always-clean play café for babies and toddlers with a great variety of toys and lots of space to run around, coffee and snacks for parents and kids, messy-play days, and flexible, warmly run birthday parties, friendly welcoming staff; ~4km northeast

Short weekday morning-only sessions; closed Mon-Tue and Sun

Playgrounds1

Weaver ParkPlayground
A nice, well-kept central park with a great kids' playground (options for different ages), a green area and a skate park with graffiti ramps, surrounded by lovely cafés and shops and beside many local attractions; ~2km southwest

Could use more swings; keep an eye out for off-lead dogs

Sports8

Awesome WallsClimbing
A great, big climbing venue with supportive, patient, encouraging instructors, walls of varied levels, kids' taster sessions (climb several walls in an hour) and a simple room for birthday snacks and cake, a good buzz and a café; ~6km northwest

Busy at peak times; book instructed/kids sessions
Clongriffin SkateparkSkate / BMX / roller
A big, well-liked free outdoor skatepark in a huge park, with enough space for kids of all ages and adults to skate at once, a few benches inside and out, good for learning and improving; ~8km northeast

Signs say under-12s aren't allowed but it's not enforced, so it's busy with young kids; packed on nice days
Dublin Circus ProjectAcrobatics / aerial
A beautiful, magical, inclusive circus community and training space with a great variety of equipment, friendly people, first-rate courses (handstands, aerial and more) and performances, now easier to reach via the Luas; ~6km west

Limited/variable opening hours — check ahead; no windows in the hall
Dublin Climbing CentreClimbing
An excellent, friendly climbing centre that's brilliant for kids — patient, professional, calming instructors bring you through routes of different levels, and children feel safe going all the way to the top, walls for every ability; ~9km southwest

Book instructed sessions for beginners/kids
Gravity Climbing CentreClimbing
A really nice, central climbing gym with a super-friendly atmosphere and well-set routes offering a good mix of challenge and fun for beginners and advanced climbers (technical slabs, overhangs, classic and comp styles), plus a café; ~3km west

The reception safety-check can feel officious; holds could use cleaning (bring a brush); gets busy in the evening
Jump Zone Adventure & Inflatable Park SantryTrampoline park
A very well-run, spotless and fresh-smelling adventure/inflatable park with separate areas for bigger kids and under-5s, a small café, clean toilets and lots of parking, brilliant fun for any age and for birthday parties; ~6km north

Book in advance to avoid waiting; party rooms can get hot; grip socks recommended (sold on site)
Le Fanu SkateparkSkate / BMX / roller
A well-maintained free skatepark with a good bowl and some freestyle area on a nice smooth surface, set in a lovely clean green park with good facilities for children and teens; ~6km west

Outdoor; no on-site shop (the nearby ice-cream shop has closed)
Taking FlightAcrobatics / aerial
A wonderful aerial-circus venue with joyful energy, an excellent safety culture and superb, patient teachers, a welcoming supportive community, taster workshops and kids' birthday parties the children love (with an option to bring your own cake); ~3km north

Classes/parties by booking; closed Sundays

Classes3

Dublin Pottery PaintingArt
A lovely, chilled central paint-your-own-pottery studio with a great playlist, a big choice of pieces, kind, generous, helpful staff who explain the paint-layering and kiln process, plus baby classes for capturing tiny handprints, great for kids, groups and parties; ~2km northwest

Pieces are collected later after firing
Dublin School of MusicMusic
A warm, welcoming music school with an old-worldly charm where skilled, multi-instrumentalist teachers let young children try different instruments until they find the one they connect with, a nurturing, flexible and encouraging environment; ~5km south

Email responsiveness can be patchy; closed Sundays
Leeson Park School of MusicMusic
A great, warmly loved music school with lovely teachers and staff and an engaging method that builds strong musicianship building-blocks, taking children from age ~3, with group pre-instrumental and individual classes; ~3km south

Closed Fri and Sun

Adventure2

Newbridge House & FarmPetting farm
One of the best farms around — animals beautifully looked after and clean, with chances to pet chicks and lambs, informative caring staff, a maze, water play, a great free playground and a grand house and gardens, a calm relaxing day out; ~18km north

The café doesn't match the rest; can be busy at events; a drive from the city
St. Anne's City FarmPetting farm
A lovely free community city farm inside St. Anne's Park, run entirely by caring, passionate volunteers, with a greenhouse (grow-your-own demos), a big sitting area with toys for children, delicious coffee and toilets, reachable by public transport; ~6km northeast

Open Sat-Sun mornings only; kids mostly view rather than pet the animals; donation appreciated

Other cities

Every place here is in the Kindering app too, on one map with the rest of Dublin, sorted by how far each one is from you.

Missing a place, or one has closed? Tell us.