Another day has come, pouring since morning, getting bored at home? Looking for things to do on rainy Days? Here are some great ideas for rainy day activities for kids in Donegal.

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Indoor Play Centres

Make your way to one of Donegal’s indoor play centres, where you can enjoy a coffee while the kids let off some steam.

Dizzys Den

At Dizzys Den in Bundoran, they have fantastic facilities to entertain kids on a rainy day! There is a large climbing frame with interactive sounds a 3 Lane Astro Slide, Rope Bridges and Labyrinth climbs. They also have a football & basketball area along with a seperate area for the Under 4s with a ball pool and padded slides. They also run a supervised Toddler Activity Mornings from Monday to Thursday at 10.00am until 13.00pm.

Arena 7

Arena 7 Entertainment Complex in the Ballyraine Industrial Estate in Letterkenny has a wide range of indoor activities for the kids to enjoy. Wayne’s World is an adventure centre and soft play centre. It has a Tiny Tots area with a ball pool, and for the bigger kids, there are slides, an obstacle course and more. For older kids there’s a large multi-level laser quest maze as well as bowling.

Bundoran Glowbowl & Macks Amusements

At Macks Amusements & Bundoran Glowbowl, they have indoor activities for the whole family to enjoy. Glowbowl has 8 lanes of computerised Tenpin Bowling. There are also lightweight bowling balls and ramps for the little ones. In their amusements area, Kiddies Rides Area, Teddy Cranes, Ball Games, Car Simulators and basketball. There’s also a great ice cream parlour across the road for when you’re finished!

Century Play

At the Century Play Complex in the Old Town, Donegal, they have many indoor facilities for kids including their Junior area, Toddler area, Baby area, Sports areas and arcade games. There is an adjoining coffee dock for parents to relax while the kids play. They run regular events, including Magic Mondays and Wacky Wednesdays, where they feature a new fun activity each week.

Irene’s Fun World

Irene’s Fun World is a soft play area located in Drumrooske Business Park. They have multi-tiered soft play with tunnels and a ball pit, as well as a private Movie Room and private Disco Room. There’s a café on site and they also offer several fitness classes for parents as well as Mother and Toddler Mornings.

Go Swimming!

Aura Leisure Centre

Enjoy some family fun at Aura Leisure Centre, Letterkenny. In addition to their children and adult swimming classes, they offer family swim times and family fun time events, with water-based inflatable bouncy castles, treasure hunts and raft races for all the family to enjoy together.

Waterworld Bundoran

Go swimming at Waterworld Bundoran, a brilliant indoor waterpark which has a wide range of facilities for kids to enjoy, ranging from child-friendly to adventurous to extreme! They have a Wave Pool, Slide Pool, Whizzer Slide (“the Fastest Indoor Waterslide in Ireland”) and much more, as well as Splash Features for Toddlers and smaller water slides.

Ballyshannon Leisure Centre

Ballyshannon Leisure Centre in Townparks also has public swim times. Entry for children costs €5.00 and there are family rates available. They have a 25m swimming pool as well as other facilities which the adults can enjoy, including a gym, fitness suite, sauna and steam room.

Catch a Movie!

Who doesn’t love popcorn and a good movie? Take in a movie at the Cinema with lots of popcorn and ice creams at one of the great cinemas in Donegal.

• Century Cinema in Oldtown, Letterkenny is an 8-screen cinema. They also run a Saturday children’s cinema club. Kids tickets cost €2.50.
• Bundoran Cineplex in Drumacrin has homemade popcorn, free parking and runs regular special offers and package deals for birthday parties.
• Eclipse Lifford is very child-friendly and they run a weekly kids club where the tickets cost just €2.30.

Alternatively, why not enjoy all the fun of the cinema, without ever leaving home, by creating your own home cinema experience! Get the kids involved in setting up the cinema, arranging seating, making tickets etc. then sit back and relax!

Related: Make Your Own Home Cinema

Visit Tropical World @ Alcorn’s

Tropical World is Donegal’s very own family friendly mini zoo! Located in Loughnagin, Letterkenny, this will be an unforgettable experience for the kids. As well as an already impressive array of tropical Butterflies, Reptiles and Birds, new additions include Cotton Top Monkeys, Lemars and Meerkats. Three forty-year old Sociata Tortoises and ‘Gordon’, a Great Grey Owl have also joined the collection of pampered animals in Tropical World, so plenty to see and do while you are there. They also have the massively popular Jurassic Land and Bug World features.

Facilities include an indoor play area, full disabled access and an on-site café. Children cost €7.50 and for kids under 3, admission is free.

Enjoy some Heritage

Donegal Castle

Donegal Castle in Donegal Town was built by the O’Donnell chieftain in the 15th century. Located beside the River Eske, the castle has recently been renovated, and is open daily from Easter to mid-September, and Thursday to Monday for rest of year. Explore the castle to gain a fascinating insight into history, and see the beautiful French tapestries and information panels chronicling the long history of the castle’s owners. Guided tours are available every hour.

Donegal County Museum

Donegal County Museum in Ballyboe Glencar, Letterkenny is located in a building which was once part of the Letterkenny Workhouse. The museum houses a massive range of artefacts covering all aspects of life in Donegal from the Stone Age to the 20th Century. Children’s Activity Trails are available on the first floor gallery of the Museum – these act as a fun guide to the Museum for children and are free of charge! Temporary exhibitions covering a wide range of topics are held in the ground floor gallery throughout the year, with something to suit all ages and interests.

Get Reading

Visit your local library. All libraries in the county have a junior section. Great for a rainy afternoon – go and read with the children or take part in many of the free events and activities that take place. Check out library opening times before you make plans.

Or why not visit your local bookstore and treat the kids to a new book. Spend time browsing for that special book and go home and read it together.

Get Outside

Sometimes, you have just got to get out and get wet!

Put on the raingear and wellies and go for a walk in the rain.  Most kids love splashing in puddles, and sometimes it’s a great way to release pent-up energy from being cooped up inside. See our Top 10 Things to do Outside in Rain for inspiration!

Warm up afterwards with a hot bath/shower, dry clothes and hot chocolate. Then, why not pull out a board-game or snuggle up on the couch with a movie – a perfect end to a wet day!

Related: 50 Fun Rainy Day Activities for Kids, What to Do on a Rainy Day & Activities for a Rainy Day