In the shadow of the interesting Imaginosity building is a small ice rink that has been set up…read moreespecially for the Christmas season. There is an indoor tent type area where you can get your skates on and prepare yourself for scary slippy ice (okay it's probably not scary for most people but not being stable no my feet terrifies me!). The actual ice itself is made up of two sections a big one for big people and the kids who are really good at skating, much better than me. And then there is a small section for small children who want to give skating a go, I think I would have been better off in this section, there are none of those expert skater kids whizzing around in the small bit so there is no fear of someone knocking you over. It's a fairly simple set up, just somewhere to try out your winter sporting skills that most Irish people don't have. I wonder where they got the staffs who work here; they are expert skaters and are ready to pick you up when you fall down! Where did they learn how to skate?

Nice rink! Awesome ice for great skating, amazing staff, very friendly. Don't be afraid to ask for…read moredifferent skates to find the most comfortable pair.

St Stephens Green playground is a well maintained large playground with equipment for both smaller…read morekids and a separate playground equipment setup for the older kids. I think this is probably the 2nd best playground in central Dublin behind Herbert park. The ground is padded with the newly standard rubber playground material to keep the playground safe. There are multiple swing areas, again one for the younger kids and a separate set for older kids at the other side of the park. There are multiple sides and plenty of rope areas to climb up. This playground does get quite crowded and unfortunately at times, way too crowded. I think the reason may be the lack of other well maintained play areas around the city. Herbert park is great, but a little bit far from my location in central Dublin. Merrion Square has a playground and I generally will spend most of my time here, however it is definitely not as well maintained and could use a decent refurbishment. It may reduce some of the crowding here to have a few more well maintained play areas around central Dublin.

Great playground in a lovely park. It is totally enclosed, the parents are all attentive to their…read morechildren, and there are structures appropriate from age 1 to age 10. It is great to find a park that is safe yet challenging for kids in different age sets.

When you see experienced skaters gliding around nonchalantly it's easy to fall into the trap of…read morethinking that something that looks so easy must actually be easy. Naturally enough, all sense of romance is immediately abandoned upon stepping onto the ice in your fairly uncomfortable skates, and thoughts quickly turn to matters of a more survival-based nature. It would be great not to fall. Still having ten fingers at the end of this would be a result. And when you inevitably fall and release yourself to the rush of shame: it would be great not to have broken anything. And even if you have broken something, you suspect that you won't know till later as the sheer adrenaline-rush fuelled will not to be seen to have broken anything may actually carry you still skating off the rink. It's a wonder all things considered we return year on year to put ourselves through it again. I'm a survivor though and I still haven't broken a bone. And every year shows a small but definite improvement such that I haven't lost hope that one day, when I'm old, I'll be able to do that backward glide thing. or that knee bent spin thing. That's romance for you. And somehow the fiction mixed with the reality all amount to plain good fun. I've heard tell that the rink at the Point Depot (yeah I know it's not called that still, but it keeps changing its name a la corporate every five minutes so I'm reverting and I encourage you to do the same) has special things adults can hold on to (and I'm not talking about the sides of the rink) - the RDS only provides these for small kids - which make the risk of falling a whole lot less, so this might be a better option for those new to it. On the plus side, here you have outdoor rides, Funderland a few paces away (so rob a bank first), and all the junk food you can shake a pretzel at within easy reach. Book online to save queueing, come early to get skates, and be first off the rink if you don't want to wait 20 minutes to get your shoes at the end of the session.

It's a bittersweet moment, walking into the RDS when it's all dolled up for Christmas on Ice. I've…read moregot my own memories of learning to ice skate, and believe you me, none of them involved cafes, chocolate fountains or discos. Of course with those additions ice skating transforms from a right of passage (who hasn't compared skating bruises like fishing stories?) into a real event. Just the struggle to get a pair of those chunky hockey skates on is a great story. Toss in a mug of cocoa, Top 40 pop and REAL SNOW and that's a tradition in the making. Of course, financing a grand day out can be steep...prices for peak hours (all day Friday, weekends and holidays) start at €14 per adult. Also, much to my disappointment, sessions last only an hour -barely enough time to get those ankles straight and triple lutzes polished. Note: dress in layers. Sure it's cold when you first walk in, but after a few circuits you'll be sweating like Apollo Ohno.

A temporary installation - only here till Sept 2012…read more ARRRRGH me harties, come yea to the bouncy castles of Dundrum and bounce till you see your breakfast again. The cost is reasonably reasonable... 5Euro per child for 1 hours bouncing, jumping and sliding. The zorbing and boating involves an extra 3 euro a pop and a bit of queuing, junior thought it worthwhile. Parents go free but it is frowned upon if they actually use the facilities (there isn't a sign specifically saying "no short, fat, balding men allowed on the bouncy castle", but it is implied).

My companion here suggested that the Pirate Village should have an 'Adult Only' session after the…read morekids go home... bringing me to my only gripe with this place- that the grown-ups can't go on any of the cool stuff! Apart from that however, this is an unusual and entertaining way to amuse younger children for an hour or so. Conveniently located in Dundrum town centre, it costs €5 per child, with its adult(s) going free. A session is about an hour long. So, you enter into a 'pirate village' themed maze of bouncy castles, little slides, giant slides, boat-bumpers etc, etc... with staff members shouting, 'Arr me hearties!!...' The kids go demented. Now, if you could just lock them all in for an hour and come back afterwards... A point to note is that some of the things have a 5-10 minute queue and a few extra quid surcharge. We brought my three year old godson, who loved it, despite getting trampled on in the various bouncy castles by some bigger kids. He went on the smaller slide about 20 times, a boat ride (didn't want to get out of it!), and the giant slide, which he really enjoyed despite finding the 5 minute queue a little frustrating. Bribed by chocolate to get back into his buggy at the end, he then collapsed in an exhausted heap (could I jump up and down for an hour? Doubt it!) and we returned him to his mother, who'd had a coffee and stroll around the shops unencumbered by a hyper child. Then we went for a well-earned and much-needed pint round the corner.

Very big park, nice walk. The playground is very unsafe; my daughter went flying down the slide and…read morehit her finger off the metal. She broke her finger! I know despicable! I would rate this a zero if I could. Do not recommend very unsafe. Watch your little ones.

A kids' paradise! If I'd grown up in Dublin, this would have been my absolute favourite place in…read morethe whole wide world! Malahide Demesne Playground has the best in swings, flying foxes, slippery slides - the lot, basically! It even has some crazy sand digging machine! One of my friends is a nanny and often brings her kids here for a picnic. It's a great place for the family to hang out for a day. Surrounding the playground are grassy knolls, so you can easily set up a great picnic spot from which you can supervise your kids on that awful ride that goes around and around and makes you really dizzy (and is one that kids always want you to go on with them). Beyond the playgrounds there are acres and acres of green park just waiting for you to run around on them! Bring a ball or a kite, make a day of it. Gorgeous gorgeous spot! Accessible by DART as well, just fyi...

What a lovely spot. Walking past on a clear winter's morning, it's a strange sight to see: a…read morechildren's playground surrounding the remains of a deconsecrated church. The tower is all that is left but there's a plaque outlining its history. The playground is divided into three areas for children of different ages and seems very well maintained. What a great use of historical land in an inner city neighbourhood.

It's nearly here! Incongruously situated in the RDS in chi-chi Dublin 4, Funderland is the annual…read morecarnival/funfair that is wildly popular amongst Dublin youth and it opens on St Stephen's Day, December 26th, and runs until January 10th. Inside, there is all the rides and stalls that you might expect, closely packed together and manned by broody young fellas who set teen girls hearts racing. This year, they have introduced a recession busting deal for those of you over 1.10 metres - a wristband that gives you access to unlimited rides after 6pm If you prefer a more leisurely experience, just have a go on the Big Wheel outside the venue, where you get a good view of all the 1 million Euro homes and their attendant swimming pools. Expect to see people returning on buses bearing giant teddy bears.

Funderland is an annual occurrence at the RDS, much like 7Up on Ice, causing the local buses to be…read morecrowded as everyone is heading to and from the RDS. It's a big fairground with carousels and a big Ferris Wheel, so big in fact that you can see it from miles away. The rides are great fun though, especially the rollercoaster. On the downside though, there is usually huge queues and it's quite pricey- well it is in D4! Like Aoife said, the view from the Ferris Wheel is great and nearly worth coming to Funderland on its own. There is children's rides as well. All in all, it's a great afternoon out if you don't mind huge crowds and long queues.