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Where do you take your toddler when the weather is bad, which is pretty much always

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    #32
    Millem
    Registered Users Posts: 7,729 ✭✭✭Millem


    Sligo1 wrote: »
    My little ones love panda play cafe. I also want to try enchancia in stillorgan. They adore funky monkeys... Absolutely love the place. But I have to say I find it too busy with the older kids. I can't sit down and leave my 2 to their own devices there as they would get hurt with the older kids. So I have to follow them around. If I have the 2 kids I wouldn't go without my husband as he'd have to follow one and if have to follow the other. It's not very relaxing and we couldn't sit down there and leave them to their own devices. Whereas in panda, I can chill out with a hot drink and leave the kids to it.

    OP if you around that area there is a lovely little playground in Booterstown. My 2 love it there. It's a small well looked after playground and it's really geared towards the younger children as opposed to the older ones. So you would see a lot of children under 5 there and it's never manic busy. My 2 kids are 22 months and just gone 3.

    Sligo1 the day we went to funky monkey we were meant to go to enchancia but it was closed over Christmas hols :( the funky monkey does a great trade the least they can do is put batteries in toys! They have the bottom part of little tikes lawnmower...no handle :eek: also I found it very grubby. Because it's all over place, parents didn't supervise kids. One boy went down slide on a scuttlebug and landed on another child????? Don't get me started on all the steps going up to it or the stupid lift :mad: Panda so much cleaner and safer, it is such a shame Terenure one closed :( Terenure always had batteries in toys.

    We go to the playground in bushy park a fair bit. My neighbour said there is a brill playground in rathfarnham castle but haven't been yet.
    I can't wait for summer as I am going to bring my lad swimming to cheeverstown during the week as it will be open to the public week days :)


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    #33
    Ruby31
    Registered Users Posts: 197 ✭✭Ruby31


    Ah yes I forgot about Enchancia in Stillorgan. The owner is so nice. The only thing is you're supposed to book apparently? I brought my son there once and was asked if we'd booked. We hadn't, but she let us in! Not sure what the rules are really.

    Regarding Funky Monkeys, it's so annoying when parents don't watch their kids. It's not up to the staff to supervise and there are signs to that effect. It is the only place my sons been attacked (slightly dramatic lol!) because kids know they can't be seen in the little tent-like shops to the right-hand side so they corner & attack! My son still loves the place though. I have to drag him out kicking and screaming.


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    #34
    Sligo1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,948 ✭✭✭Sligo1


    armabelle wrote: »
    Whereabout in Booterstown? Would love to take her. Thanks for the advice :)

    It's a little playground in Booterstown Park. You can actually see it from the road. It right next to the Dart Station. There's a carpark at the dart station but it's €4 for 24 hours... So expensive if you're only going to the playground for an hour. But if you go at the right times you can usually get car parking (there's only a few parks) across the road (busy road). A lot of the time I just pay the €4 and go the next morning again within the 24 hour period.

    Millem we've been to the rathfarnham playground. It's very good. Very big big tho! L loved the sandpit and T loved running around there. Again, we had to go as a family tho as I couldn't have watched the 2 of them myself. Panda and tie Booterstown playground are realistically the only places I can go and let them off by myself as I can see the 2 of them at all times there. Otherwise they are fine together in shopping centres or a walk around the park etc. they usually stay beside me then.


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    #35
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    Just found this yesterday (bucketting rain again!) so I thought I'd post it.

    Saturday and sunday in leisureworld bishopstown (cork city) they have loads of things to play with in the pool. Bouncy castle in the pool, water slide, toys in the baby pool. The changing facilities are good for babies there. The family rooms have wall mounted baby seats.

    http://bishopstown.leisureworldcork.com/index.cfm/page/family-fun


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    #36
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    Try http://www.cuidiu.ie/branches_webpages for local parent/child groups and http://www.meetup.com/ who also may have a Spanish group.


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    #37
    RentDayBlues
    Registered Users Posts: 2,131 ✭✭✭RentDayBlues


    The libraries in blackrock and dun laoighre are great, dun laoighre is probably better as the kids are is more separate. They all do toddler reading and some do baby book club.


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    #38
    Digs
    Registered Users Posts: 2,102 ✭✭✭Digs


    We brought our 2.5yr old to imaginosity in Sandyford on Saturday and as a treat I thought it was brilliant. The cost was €6 for her which was fine but €8 per adult which we thought was a bit steep.

    However it was like a childs make believe dream! She throughly enjoyed interacting with the other children, playing shop, playing doctor etc

    We went for the 10am session, it's two hours. We thought it was very well run and not too packed. All toys worked and were in very good condition. Each section had dress up clothes to match the theme which were in good nick too.

    While we didn't eat there is a cafe with healthy options and from what I could see the food looks good. We went to the vanilla pod in carrickmines afterwards for brunch, it caters well for buggys/highchairs and the kids menu is good.

    Dunnes in the beacon offer two hours free parking so that was an added bonus.

    It wouldn't be a weekly occurrance but it was a nice escape from the rainy Saturday morning we had and we will definitely go back. She hasn't stopped chattering about it since.

    ETA: great thread by the way, always good to pool information with other parents and hear about places to go I mightn't have come across before!


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    #39
    John Mason
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 10,661 ✭✭✭✭John Mason


    Millem wrote: »
    it is such a shame Terenure one closed :( Terenure always had batteries in toys.


    the one in Terenure was crap, hardly any toys and very run down. The one on Anglesea Road is okay but I really like Café O'Play in Drumcondra


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    #40
    scaryfairy
    Registered Users Posts: 388 ✭✭scaryfairy


    Hi OP, if you are in the South Dublin area, you should have a look at Airfield, too. While it's mostly outdoor, there is the house to visit, which is nice and warm :) and there is at least one cafe inside + an indoor play area with a shop, kitchen, little hut, whatnot. This is quite cold as one side is open but at least you are protected from the rain and wind.
    I think the others mentioned the natural history museum - you can park just opposite the museum and spend a good hour around.
    And we just seize every opportunity when it doesn't rain: I schedule our weekends around the weather forecast !
    And you have my sympathy when it comes to weather - I used to live on the continent myself. However, spring and summer and autumn are gorgeous here (when there is no rain hehe) and a lot less to worry about (ie no heat, and sun not as strong).
    Btw, have you been to the playground in Deerpark? It's lovely, and there a new caffe just opposite the road if the weather turns for the worst


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    #41
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,865 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    ...


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    #42
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,865 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    ok, going to go a slight bit leftfield, but we had the same issues at christmas there.
    2 kids who arent used to 24hours a day 7 days a week rain.

    Anyhow, it really doesnt rain 24hours a day and there are small breaks.
    What we did was to check the rain radar (a trick learnt from dodging thunderstorms in Germany) and just time the run and get out in between the breaks in the rain.
    http://www.met.ie/latest/rainfall_radar.asp

    with rain gear, which is perversely is virtually unobtainable in Irish shops (except from the german discounters), the child can mill about in a wet yard/ playground/ lawn to their heart's content.


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    #43
    Sligo1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,948 ✭✭✭Sligo1


    scaryfairy wrote: »
    Hi OP, if you are in the South Dublin area, you should have a look at Airfield, too. While it's mostly outdoor, there is the house to visit, which is nice and warm :) and there is at least one cafe inside + an indoor play area with a shop, kitchen, little hut, whatnot. This is quite cold as one side is open but at least you are protected from the rain and wind.
    I think the others mentioned the natural history museum - you can park just opposite the museum and spend a good hour around.
    And we just seize every opportunity when it doesn't rain: I schedule our weekends around the weather forecast !
    And you have my sympathy when it comes to weather - I used to live on the continent myself. However, spring and summer and autumn are gorgeous here (when there is no rain hehe) and a lot less to worry about (ie no heat, and sun not as strong).
    Btw, have you been to the playground in Deerpark? It's lovely, and there a new caffe just opposite the road if the weather turns for the worst

    Hey! We're at deer park at least 3 times a week! Is that new cafe nice? Do u know if it's child friendly at all? :). Thanks


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    #44
    scaryfairy
    Registered Users Posts: 388 ✭✭scaryfairy


    Sligo1 wrote: »
    Hey! We're at deer park at least 3 times a week! Is that new cafe nice? Do u know if it's child friendly at all? :). Thanks

    I haven't been in yet but I have seen families sitting there and planning to have a cup there myself with the little man...

    I think they would be kidding themselves if they tried to discourage families with kids, opposite a busy playground :D


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