Welcome to parents of toddlers! Whether you live in County Clare or are just visiting, we have put together some suggestions of Things To Do With Preschoolers in Clare.

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Spending time with your preschooler is precious as before you know it they will be in school. And the nice 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 Clare, we’ve got a few suggestions for you:

Things To Do With Preschoolers In Clare

Soft Play Centres in Clare

Spend a couple of hours at a play centre, most have dedicated soft play areas for preschoolers as well as tea and coffee for parents. Here are some soft play places in Clare:

• Dennis Den in Ennis offers two Toddlers areas, one for under 2s and the other for 2-5 years with Ball Pool, Slide and Play Area
• Barney’s Kidz Club, Ennis has a Baby and Toddler area with interactive equipment, toddler slide and ball pool.
• Planet Entertainment in Ennis has a Tumble Tots section for smallies.

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Storytime in Clare Libraries

Visit one of the libraries in County Clare. Ennis Library has Children’s Storytime on Thursdays at 3.15 pm while Kilrush Library holds Story Time for 3-7 year olds once a month on a Saturday morning where 2 stories are read, followed by a craft session. Check Library Events page for date and time each month (booking is necessary). Several of the other Clare libraries run children’s events, check out 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. If your preschooler joins the library they will be proud as punch choosing their own books to borrow.

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Parent Toddler Swimming in Clare

Taking your toddler swimming is a lovely activity. Some swimming pools in Clare have dedicated times for Parent and Toddler swims and/or specific swimming areas for smaller children.

• Shannon Leisure Centre has a baby pool and offer swim lessons from age 3 up.
• Active Leisure Complex in Ennis has a kiddies swimming pool and they run Aqua Tots classes for 3-5 years.
• Waterbabies have baby swim classes in Woodstock Hotel in Ennis, as do Aquababies.

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 run music and play classes for preschoolers at Barney’s in Ennis.

Playgrounds in Clare

Visit the playground for an outing. Several of the playgrounds in Clare have dedicated sections for smaller children.

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Parent and Toddler Groups

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

Attractions in Clare

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 places to visit in Clare with preschoolers:

• Small kids will enjoy the Folk Park at Bunratty Castle as you stroll from house to house or around the charming village street complete with school, post office, doctors house, hardware shop, printers and a pub. They also have a fun fairy trail and adventure playground.
• Moher Hill Open Farm has lots of fun animals, both exotic and more traditional to see and feed and pet. They have a daily bottle feeding and animal holding experience. The farm also has other fun activities including bouncing castle, ball pool, all weather out-door play area and miniature golf course.
• For your train-mad preschooler, a visit to West Clare Railway is a must, the highlight is one of the original West Clare Railway steam engines, The Sliabh Callan, brought back to its former glory.
• Follow the Shannon Dolphin Trail in Kilrush, it starts at the Shannon Dolphin Information Board in the town’s Market Square. Follow the trail markers and it will take you to the Shannon Dolphin & Wildlife Centre where you can listen to sounds from the bottlenose dolphins, see real skeletons of whales and dolphins, and many more “dol-fun” educational activities for children.

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Events for Preschoolers in Clare

Keep an eye on our events pages as there are regular workshops and events for younger children in the city’s galleries, museums, parks and more.

glór in Ennis run events for kids and families so check what’s on their upcoming calendar.

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Go For A Walk

Going for a walk (or a toddle) to parklands or woods or the beach is a great opportunity for preschoolers to run, collect leaves, stones, etc. and play hide and seek. Both Dromore and Cratloe Woods have great paths away from roads, perfect for a ramble. Check out our Family Walks in Clare for inspiration.

Clare Beaches

In Clare there are also so many beautiful beaches close at hand and you don’t have to have a hot sunny day. It’s great fun to dig, run, collect shells and generally mess about on the beach.

• Fanore Beach offers a vast expanse of beach perfect for making sandcastles, sand dunes to explore, and limestone formations where you might even spot fossils or sea life in the rock pools.
• Lahinch Beach: A golden sandy beach which stretches for a mile, perfect for exploring the sand and paddling.
• Kilkee Beach is a stretch of golden sand gently sloping toward the sea with interesting pools.

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 Clare, please let us know in the comments box below.