Welcome parents of toddlers! Whether you are visiting Kilkenny or live in the city or county, finding things to do with children before they start school can be sometimes be hard. So we have put together some suggestions of Things To Do With Preschoolers In Kilkenny.

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The handy thing about when you have a toddler and are not tied to school times is you have a bit more flexibility to visit places during the day and at less busy times. If you’re looking for ideas for things to do with preschoolers in Kilkenny, we’ve got a few suggestions for you:

Things To Do With Preschoolers In Kilkenny

Soft Play Centres in Kilkenny

Visit one of the play centres in Kilkenny, with dedicated soft play areas for preschoolers, this is a great way to spend a couple of hours and burn off some energy!

Here are some soft play places in Kilkenny:

• The Playstation in Hebron Business Park has facilities for toddlers and under 5s, as well as parent toddler mornings.
• Jellietots Play Centre is designed for younger children and has a Mother and Toddler Morning on Mondays and Fridays.
• There is a soft play area in MacDonagh Junction also.

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Storytime in Kilkenny Libraries

Visit one of the many great libraries in Kilkenny. Many libraries host a weekly story time and/or a parent and toddler group. Graiguenamanagh Library has Storytime for children every Saturday at 11am while Castlecomer Library does Toddler Story and Crafts. Check out your local Kilkenny library to see upcoming events and news.

The junior section of the Library is also a fun way to spend an hour or two reading and choosing books. Your preschooler can join the library and choose their own books to borrow.

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Parent Toddler Swimming in Kilkenny

Go swimming! There are many swimming pools in Kilkenny that have dedicated times for Parent and Toddler swims and/or specific swimming areas for smaller children.

Children under 3 swim for free at the Watershed between 9.30am and 7pm. They also have a great kiddies pool.

Water Babies run dedicated baby swim classes in various locations across Kilkenny.

Music and Other Fun Classes

Sign up for a class. Music, movement, dance, drama, play labs, swimming or football! Check out preschool classes, it’s a great way to meet people and make friends too.

Gymboree offer music play classes for toddlers at Jellie Tots Playcentre.

Playgrounds in Kilkenny

Visit the playground! Here are playgrounds in Kilkenny. Several of the playgrounds in Kilkenny have dedicated sections for smaller children. Here are some of our favourites to go to:

• Playground at Castle Park – located in the grounds of Kilkenny Castle this playground is very colourful and has lots of swinging and climbing equipment to keep kids of all ages busy. There are plenty of benches too for the adults.
• Graiguenamanagh – This playground in Fair Green is divided into two sections with the smaller equipment on one side and the larger equipment for the older kids on the other side. There is also a large sand pit which seems to keep children of many ages happy for quite some time! There are some benches and picnic tables also.
• Thomastown – In a lovely setting beside the library on Marshes Street, this playground has a good variety of timber equipment to keep most kids happy. There are plenty of benches and picnic tables too!
• Castlecomer – This playground within the grounds of the Discovery Park (but open to the public) has adventure equipment for children of all ages.

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Parent and Toddler Groups

Join a local Parent and Toddler Group. There are many local groups throughout Kilkenny that meet weekly. Parent and Toddler groups are a lovely way for young children to mix with children their own age and for parents to meet other local parents.

Attractions in Kilkenny

If you have a free day mid week a big advantage with getting out and about with preschoolers is that you can visit places at “off peak” times when older children are at school and popular places aren’t as busy!

Some of places to visit in Kilkenny with preschoolers:

• At Nore Valley Park you can cuddle a baby rabbit or newly-hatched chick and bottle-feed lambs and goat kids. It’s a lovely place for a family outing.
• Check out the snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodiles and more at the National Reptile Zoo in Hebron Business Park, Kilkenny City.
• At Castlecomer Discovery Park, young kids can discover and play at the Timber Tumbles Playground, Junior Woodland Adventure Course and Elf & Fairy Village.

Events for Preschoolers in Kilkenny

Keep an eye on our events pages as there are regular workshops and events for younger children in the Kilkenny area.

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Go For A Walk

There are many lovely places for a walk in Kilkenny – perfect for preschoolers to run, collect leaves, stones, etc. and play hide and seek.

You might also enjoy reading our ideas for entertaining preschoolers at home.

If you have other suggestions for fun things to do with preschoolers in Kilkenny, please let us know in the comments box below.