Let’s face it this summer has been a bit of a wash out. I’ve 5 little ones ranging in age from 8 years all the way down to 9 months so finding something to suit them all on a rainy day can be a real hassle. Last week we were invited down to the Dome in Carlow which has just re-opened after extensive renovation. We had been to Kidsmania in the Dome a few times but were excited to see the changes. We found it’s the perfect solution for those rainy summer days.
On the ground floor are arcade games & slot machines which are actually not that expensive as they start at just 20 cent. Once you stick to the golden rule of giving each child a set amount before you go in you can easily stick to budget. Just be aware I have never seen anyone win in the teddy grabbing machines in all the years we’ve been going!
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| The Dome ~ Carlow |
A large part of the investment in the revamp was spent on importing & installing pins on strings in the bowling alley. It’s a more efficient way of playing bowling for the player. They’ve also upgraded their score boards to state of the art interactive screens that even allow you to take pictures of your players. I found this brilliant for the children as they could see who was up next when their photo pops up on the screen, well that was until Aoife one of my identical twin daughters thought Orla’s picture was her!
With the aid of a bowling ramp my three year old Cillian was leading on the scoreboard for most of the frames. We had great craic over the hour of our game. It’s best to book in advance & be prepared to wait a little while if they are busy as it can take a while to get all lanes set up. Bowling is €17.50 for 30 minutes or €30 for an hour; open daily 11am - 9pm. We received a complimentary 1 hour game for 1 adult & 4 children.
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| The Dome ~ Carlow |
I loved the cute baby animal print carpet that leads you upstairs to Congo Quest the soft play area with a new huge toddler only section. We were there for re-launch day with the Beat Fleet from Beat 102/103 providing tunes, face painting & games for the day. My little lad Cillian is still afraid of the large climbing frames so he stuck to the toddler area while my 3 older children had a blast on the new slides, only returning to me for a drink when they got too hot. I had plenty to time to relax & have a cappuccino while they all played in a safe indoor environment. Entry is Under 5’s €6.00, Over 5’s €7.50 3 or more children €5 each, open daily 11am – 6pm.
Another great budget way to pass a rainy weekend morning is to head to one of the kids clubs in your local cinema as they provide a children’s movie at pocket money prices. We have the choice of IMC Carlow, where tickets are €3 each for both adults & children. The new Omniplex Carlow where tickets are €2.50 each, ticket price also includes face painting & colouring in after the movie. We can also go to Odeon Cinemas in Newbridge where tickets are a fantastic price of just €2 each, ideal for the larger family like mine. Check the website of your local cinema as depending on the cinema there are kid’s club screenings on weekday mornings during the school holidays.
Tell us what do you do on a rainy day with your little ones? Have you any foolproof way of keeping them entertained even just for an hour?!
Disclaimer:
While this is not a sponsored post
we did receive complimentary entry
for 4 children to The Dome. As ever,
this doesn't alter our opinion
in any way, shape or form.
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