Things to Do in County Galway with Kids
Looking for some family time inspiration? We’ve taken the hard work out of it!
We’ve created an interactive map of some of our favourite family activities, restaurants and playgrounds in County Galway. Check it out and decide where your next family time adventure will take you.
Family Activities in County Galway:
Turoe Pet Farm
Turoe Pet Farm is the perfect place to visit whatever the weather. They have both indoor and outdoor attractions including the Pet Farm, Jungle Town activity centre, Inflatable City with an 8,000 square foot bouncing castle, a Fairy Walk and more. Turoe has quite the exotic animal collection - watch out for Larry the Llama and Dundee the crocodile!
Pure Skill
Pure Skill spans over 25,000 square foot and offers you a wide selection of sports to enjoy from around the world including GAA, soccer, cricket, tennis, baseball and golf among others. Using special technology, your skill on each of these sports will be tested in the hopes of collecting up to 100 skills points. The challenges aren't too physical thanks to the tech, so this activity is suitable for children aged 8+.
The Planet Galway
The Planet Galway is a one stop shop for family entertainment. Visitors can play bowling, laser tag, pool, air hockey and other arcade games - there's even a soft play area for younger children. You can also test out their 9D VR glasses while watching 360-degree movie in their special motion seats. It's safe to say that the weather doesn't matter when you're at the Planet Galway.
Jump Lanes Galway
Jump Lanes Galway is full of fun activities to keep your family entertained all day long. There's a trampoline area, an indoor ice-skating rink, two human sized pool tables and regular sized table tennis and pool tables. Staff are on hand to help children and organise games while parents can take a seat at the viewing point and watch their child have a great time.
Eile Mental Activity Park
Eile Mental Activity Park is suitable for children age 10 and up and offers a range of fun activities such as outdoor laser tag, archery, disc golf, orienteering and paintballing (14+ years). With over 50 acres of forest and heath and striking views of Galway Bay, it's easy to see why Eile Mental Activity Park is so popular among adventurers both young and old.
Child-friendly Restaurants and Cafés in County Galway:
Pascal Coffee House
Pascal Coffee House is an independently owned, family run café in Edward Square, County Galway. Pascal designed the décor, logo and even the music playlists for the café himself. The staff are known for being friendly and welcoming and their coffee is speciality grade. This means that the coffee beans used in Pascal Coffee House score at least 80 or more points on the 100-point speciality coffee scale.
Busker Browne’s
Rated as a family friendly restaurant by the parents of Galway, Busker Browne’s is a popular gastropub set in the Latin Quarter. Attached to Buskers is a quite dining area named Kirby's - should that be more suited to your family’s needs. Both serve delicious, good quality grub that will leave you feeling full and satisfied.
Da Roberta’s
Da Roberta's Ristorante and Pizzeria is an authentic, family run Italian restaurant located in Salthill, Galway. The huge menu offers lots of delicious Italian dishes - including over 23 pizzas - to suit all taste buds and contains an extensive wine list featuring some of the best wines Italy has to offer.
The Dough Bros
The Dough Bros started off in a steel truck at Galway's festivals and now with a permanent residence on Middle Street, they are fast becoming one of Galway's most popular dining spots. Serving wood fired pizzas with options like The Hail Caesar and The Vegan Tandoori along with the usual, more classic pizzas choices, there's something to suit everyone at The Dough Bros.
Fat Freddy’s
Fat Freddy's has been serving up great food in Galway for over 30 years. Their broad menu contains pizzas, wraps, quesadillas, sour dough bread sandwiches, pastas and salads with options for meat eaters, veggies and vegans. This relaxed restaurant makes everything to order and welcomes families.
Best playgrounds in County Galway:
Millennium Children’s Park and Playground
Located beside Galway's University, the Millennium Children's Park and Playground has a host of attractions for all ages. There are swings, slides, climbing frames and a bright red train installation. There's also lots of green space for playing football and chasing and clean toilets for families to use.
Salthill Playground
Situated along the stunning Salthill Promenade, this playground boasts amazing views of Galway's seafront. Popular among younger and older children, the top attractions include a crazy swing, basket swing, slide and climbing frame.
Merlin Park Woods Playground
Resting on the edge of Merlin Park Woods, this playground is divided into different sections: a sand pit with diggers, a ground level trampoline area, a swing area and a hamster wheel section. There's also a cornered off toddlers’ area for younger kids to enjoy and two massive slides built into the park's hillside.
Cappagh Park Playground
Cappagh Park Playground is a modern facility that caters for children of all ages. There are swings, springers, play panels and play units for the smaller kids and a cable ride, carousel, swings and activity unit for the bigger ones. There's also picnic benches, woodland paths and football pitches in the surrounding park area.
Barna Village Playground
A brand-new facility, Barna Village playground has been designed around a shipwreck with the stern and rudder on one and the watch tower and mast on the other. Children can run around like pirates as they turn the steering wheel, climb the structures and ride on the swings. There's lots of opportunity for imaginary play at this playground.
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