Free Things to Do in Donegal

As parents, we here at My KidsTime know how expensive it can be to entertain the kids, so we thought that we would put together a useful list of things to do for free with the children - yes, ideas and activities that are completely free of charge.  We have compiled free things, ideas for what to do with kids, things for kids to do that won't cost you anything! Some ideas may involve a car journey, but half the fun is visiting a new area.  Pick a different town or village to explore, compile a list of interesting places to visit beforehand and then have fun!

Take A Walk: Why not go for a walk,or a hike up a hill ... there's no shortage of them in Donegal!! Whether it's over heath or through woodland, beaches and cliffs, or spectacular hill and mountain scenery, we've got it all. It doesn't have to be difficult. One place that we love to visit is Drumboe Woods, in Ballybofey and Stranorlar. It has a number of different loop trails to choose from, depending on how energetic we feel on the day but it nearly always, involves a competition on "who can skim a pebble furthest across the river"!  Find a trail near you.

On Your Bike: Take out your bicycles and get active. Follow an established cycle trail or find an off-road route. We often bring our bikes to Corrovaddy Woods and do a couple of circuits...

Go Geocaching: Turn almost every trip into an adventure with geocaching.. using a GPS enabled device (Global Positioning System) or an app for your smartphone will work too.

Letterboxing: Similar to Geocaching, except Letterboxing does not involve any high tech gadgets!

See the Sea: We are blessed with beaches in County Donegal. This year, twelve of our beaches have been awarded the internationally recognised “Blue Flag”. You don't have to wait for the sun to come out. Head to the beach with coats, hats and wellies, if needs be, and take a walk on the shore.  Bring fishing nets and explore rock pools or fly a kite!  Mind you, it's quite likely that the kids will want to get wet, so perhaps bring towels and a change of clothes, even if you don't plan on swimming!

Make The Most of Libraries: Make sure to check out your local library and find out what classes and events that they run throughout the year.  Your local library branch is a wonderful - and free - resource for families. All libraries are currently hosting their very popular, annual summer reading programmes.while many of the branches run or host parent and toddler groups, storytelling sessions, arts and crafts classes, book clubs, games and activities sessions, exhibitions and so on.  Not to mention the fact that there is free computer access and the option to borrow books and DVDs!  For a change of scenery, why not visit a different library to your local branch?

Visit a Playground: There are some great playgrounds throughout the county.  Why not print the list and aim to visit them all over time? It's an activity that is both free and good fun!  Make sure to bring some snacks and drinks or a picnic lunch.

History & Heritage: Donegal County Museum is open all year round and displays a number of exhibitions throughout the year. Also, on the first Wednesday of every month a number of Heritage Ireland Sites have FREE admission, why not take advantage and visit Newmills Corn & Flax Mills, just outside Letterkenny, Glebe House Gallery near Churchill or the beautiful Donegal Castle in Donegal Town. There are many Heritage trails to follow, try Killybegs Heritage Trail or the Donegal Ulster Scots Heritage Trail to name a few. National Heritage Week runs from Aug 20th - 28th, to see here for free events happening locally.

Local Events: Bet you know that there is a (Free)  bird of prey demonstration in Butterfly Park, Swan Park, Buncrana every Wednesday from 11am-1pm during July and August? Keep an eye on our Events page for updated information on regular free events taking place in County Donegal. Donegal County Council, Donegal Tourism, the Arts Council, Chambers of Commerce and many more public and private bodies hold regular free family friendly events such as festivals, carnivals, picnics, treasure hunts and seasonal things to do across the county.

As the saying goes, the best things in life are free!

If you have any more good ideas or suggestions, then please email us and we'll add them to the list