Kids' birthday party venues

Of the 133 venues here that publish a price, the typical figure is about €18 per child, and the cheapest packages start from €6. Most venues also set a minimum number of children, so the figure to compare is the minimum spend rather than the headline rate.

Two to four weeks is enough for a weekday slot at most venues. Weekend afternoons in the run-up to Christmas and during school holidays are the pinch points, and popular soft-play and adventure centres take those bookings a couple of months ahead. Ring rather than email if the date is close.

Most packages cover a booked activity slot, a party host, and a food option such as pizza or hot dogs with a drink. Some include a private party room for the food, invitations, or a gift for the birthday child. Cake, decorations and party bags are often extra, so check what is in the price before you compare two venues.

Soft play and farm venues suit the youngest guests, roughly ages 1 to 7. Adventure, bowling, cinema and gaming venues generally start around age 6 or 7 and run into the teens. Each listing shows the age range the venue itself advertises, so you can rule out a venue before you ring it.

We currently list venues in 26 counties: Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Wicklow, Galway, Waterford, Donegal, Clare, Kildare, Mayo, Wexford, Kerry, Meath, Kilkenny, Laois, Roscommon, Sligo, Carlow, Monaghan, Tipperary, Westmeath, Cavan, Leitrim, Louth, Offaly, Longford. Pick a county above to filter by town, venue type and the age of the birthday child.