Five things to do with kids in Kilkenny at Halloween 

 

If you’re looking for things to do for the Halloween holiday in Kilkenny, here’s a list of child-friendly suggestions  to keep the little dears amused when they are on their mid term break.

Shankill Castle 

The Great Shankill Pumpkin Hunt with pumpkin picking. Shankill Castle invites all to a family-friendly outdoor pumpkin hunt in the gardens at Shankill to find out who stole the pumpkins and find the hidden stash.

Participants can follow the trail, find the pumpkins and collect the clues to discover who stole the pumpkins. You can visit the secret fairy woods, old church and graveyard, magical trees and the pirates’ lair within the atmospheric grounds. 

When each child finds the stolen stash of pumpkins, they can pick their own pumpkin to bring home.Then you return to the Coach House Café to collect a reward (hot chocolate or apple juice and a Halloween treat). Halloween fancy dress is very welcome, but parents are advised to also come prepared for the outdoors – wellies are encouraged!

Suitable for children aged up to 12 years old. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times.

Dates: Saturday 22nd, Sunday 23rd, Saturday 29th, Sunday 30th October, 2022

Times: 11am, 11:30am, 12pm, 12:30pm, 1pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 2:30pm, 3pm, 3:30pm, 4

Children: €12 (includes: entry to gardens and pumpkin trail, 1 pumpkin per child, hot chocolate and a Halloween treat from the Coach House Café)

Accompanying adults: €6 (same price as entry to the gardens)

www.shankillcastle.com/

The National Reptile Zoo

The Zoo is currently open 7 days a week from 10am to 6pm, pre-booking is not mandatory but they do recommend it during busy periods like during school holidays and mid term. You can book your tickets online.

Animal Encounters take place throughout the day, starting at 10:30am and with the last encounter starting at 4:30pm. Animals are rotated throughout the day, so it will be a surprise which animal you will get to see, which only adds to the excitement. 

The National Reptile Zoo believes that the only way to really appreciate some of these magnificent animals is to meet them personally; and they give you the chance to do just that.

They hold animal encounter sessions everyday, usually every hour during  busier times and less frequently at other times. They ensure that everyone gets the chance to hold or touch some of their scaly friends.

All of the animals are “ambassadors for their species” and this means that they are housed at the zoo to allow visitors to better understand the plight of some of these animals in the wild, and how important they are to our ecosystem.

 Animal encounter sessions are carried out by trained reptile wranglers and they’ll show you a side to these beautiful creatures that you never knew existed! 

Tickets: Adults €12.90 Children €10.80  Family Ticket €34

https://www.nationalreptilezoo.ie/

Castlecomer Discovery Park 

A Bug’s Life – Family Friendly Trail at Castlecomer Discovery Park is running from Saturday 29th October to Sunday 6th November. This trail will send little ones out to navigate the 80 acres of woodlands to help Flik the ant defend his ant colony. This family-friendly self-led trail has been specially devised by the park’s education team to provide opportunities to learn about insect life in the park, the rich biodiversity, as well as having fun making bug crafts and getting exercise.

Running throughout the day from 10.00 am – 3.00 pm, this self-guided trail costs €7.50 per child (adults and under 3’s are free) and includes a small prize on completion. Suitable for children age 4 – 9.

Autumn Animal Foraging Treasure Hunt

As the Autumn sets in, some animals such as squirrels and rooks hide their food in the forest so that they have something to eat later in the winter. At Castlecomer Park during the October bank holiday weekend, they’ll be running an animal-themed Treasure Hunt for children aged 6-12. Kids get to follow the clues around the park, learn how animals hide their food in winter, and prepare their own ‘animal cache’ once they find the yummy treasure.

Saturday 29th October, €7 per child, adults free

11.00 – 12.00 & 12.00 to 1.00

“Fruits of the Forest” A Family Foraging Event

All of us remember picking blackberries along the hedgerows as children, but the forest has so much more to offer and Castlecomer Discovery Park is inviting families to their very own forage feast.

As part of Savour Kilkenny the park is  holding a foraging day. Spend time exploring the woodlands of Castlecomer Discovery Park, foraging for wild food and learning to identify plants. Search for edible fungi, fruits, nuts, and berries, and try out some foraged food at the end.  Specialist leader, Olwyn, is a forager and yoga teacher based in east Co. Galway. Her work with plants explores the relations between humans and plants and is informed by the need to reclaim food sovereignty, connect with local landscapes, and meet humanity's basic needs in ways beneficial to both people and planet. There will be a longer, very thorough session and two shorter, family-friendly ‘taster’ sessions so choose what’s best for your family.

Sat 29th October, 10am-1pm €20 per person

https://www.discoverypark.ie/