6 Toddler-Friendly Activities to do in Donegal

Covid has changed the normalcy of our world. It’s hard for us to believe, but Donegal was our first little trip with the kiddo since the COVID-19 outbreak. Young kids and toddlers love the outdoors as much as we adults do, and we wish we could spend more time outdoors with our kids over the last few months. Arushi really enjoyed this little trip to Donegal, and it was fun to travel with her. Without further ado, here are 6 toddler-friendly activities to do in Donegal.  

PS: This post is updated as of 2025.

6 Toddler-Friendly Activities to do in Donegal

Maghera Caves and Beach

Which toddler doesn’t like a little beach time? Maghera beach is really beautiful with its white sand and perfectly blue waters. It’s a perfect place for a little sensory play for your toddler. Let them run wild, play in the sand, and get themselves dirty. It’s probably my favorite of the 6 toddler-friendly activities to do in Donegal. 

If you time your visit to the beach during low tides, you will be able to explore some of the caves that this beach hosts. There are more than 20 caves here, and you will be able to enter a few of them. Make sure that you make a note of the timings of tidal waves, as the low tide can quickly change to high tide. 

Assaranca Waterfall

On the way to Maghera Beach, make sure that you stop at the Assaranca Waterfall. It’s a small waterfall, but something fun to grab your toddler’s attention. Parking is right in front of the waterfall.

 Slieve League Cliffs

Slieve League isn’t exactly toddler-friendly. However, with the proper gear, it can be a fun place for a little adventure for the entire family. Slieve League is about 3 times higher than the Cliffs of Moher and is absolutely stunning. Plan your trip to the cliffs on a relatively rain-free day, as it won’t be any good otherwise. 

There are two parking lots at Slieve League. The lower parking is bigger and has a toilet. However, you need to climb for 30-45 minutes upwards to reach the viewpoint. With the toddler in tow, we would recommend going to the upper parking right at the viewpoint. At the viewpoint, you can buy coffee, water, and ice cream from one of the cute trailers. 

We carried a baby carrier with us, and simply put Arushi inside and carried her like a backpack. It was so much easier to hike with her that way, and she absolutely enjoyed the whole journey and the view. We, of course, didn’t hike all the way to the end, as with a toddler, you never know when they will get bored and want to get down. On the way, we saw a flat stretch of the path and let her down to explore the stones and surroundings. Our kiddo was such a sport through our hike and had a great time.

At the viewpoint parking lot, there are a lot of wild sheep running around. Arushi had the best time chasing sheep and calling out ‘baa baa’. We were careful, as they were wild sheep after all, but such a fun activity to burn some extra energy. 

 Glenveagh National Park

All the National Parks in Ireland are absolutely stunning, and Glenveagh National Park is no different. It’s a little piece of Scotland, in the Irish landscape, with beautiful lakes, forests, waterfalls, and a castle. Visiting the park and visitor center is free of cost, and you need to pay a small fee if you want to enter the castle. 

In the National Park, there are a number of walking trails to choose from. We did the stunning Lakeside walk, and I loved how the path was buggy-friendly. It’s not a looped walk, so we had to get the bus back from the castle. At the castle, there is a little garden, a toilet, and a coffee shop. 

Malin Head

Leaving the best for last, you definitely can’t miss Malin Head on your trip to Donegal. It’s the most northerly point on the Island of the Republic of Ireland and raw natural beauty at its best. Similar to Slieve League, it isn’t exactly toddler-friendly, but with the right gear, you can have a great time. 

We got our baby carrier and did a hike along the stunning Irish coastline. We let Arushi down for a bit of a run when the trail was flat and risk-free. It was such a lovely day to be with nature, and our kiddo had the best time at the great Irish outdoors. 

4 years and another kiddo later, we visited Donegal again recently. It was a short trip with a 2-month-old baby, so we decided to keep it simple. We lucked out with the weather and were able to hike the coastline at Malin Head. Absolutely doable with a small baby when carried in a baby carrier. And our then-toddler, now 5-year-old, hiked the entire stretch on her own. 

Wild Alpaca Way

Wild Alpaca Way was closed back in 2021 due to Covid. However, it’s very much open today and was a big hit with our little 5-year-old. However, please remember to book your tour in advance. It’s a 60-minute tour, but since we reached the spot without prior booking, we were given a much shorter 25-minute tour for the same price. In the tour, you get to walk and feed the alpacas while enjoying the most stunning views of Malin Head.

Our recommendations on places to eat

When we traveled to Donegal in 2021, most of the restaurants were closed or operating on take out basis due to Covid. However, now in 2025, we enjoyed some delicious food and drinks in this area. Here are our recommendations:

• Tank and Skinny’s: They have multiple branches across Donegal, and this chain is one of our best finds. Everything we ate here was delicious. We went to their Muff branch for lunch. They do have vegetarian and vegan options on their menu.
• El Tapas Gra: This little Tapas restaurant is in Derry. They have so many vegetarian options in their menu and almost everything we tried was delicious. One of the very few Tapas restaturants we have actually enjoyed.
• Guildhall Taphouse: A nice little pub in Derry which was chic and fun to visit.
• T&D Coffee Moville: We went to this coffee shop in 2021 and again in 2025. A must visit, if you are in this area.

Where to Stay in Donegal 

Donegal is a relatively large county, and its attractions are somewhat spread out. So, we decided to split our stay between two different locations and accommodations. Since we were traveling with a kid, and are vegetarians, we decided to rent houses with a functional kitchen. 

The first accommodation was located in Killybegs, and it was very close to Maghera Beach and Slieve League Cliffs. We stayed at Killybegs Teachin Carraig, and it was such a cozy bungalow. 

To cover Malin Head, we stayed two nights in Moville. The Market Square Nook, was right in the town center, a bit tiny but good for two nights. 

 

Also, read other articles on Ireland

Having lived in Ireland for over five years now, we have explored a great deal around this tiny island. Liking a few of our favorite destinations here. 

• Explore Blarney Castle in Cork during winter
• 10 Awesome Things to do in Dublin
• How to spend a sunny day hiking the Cliffs of Moher
• The beauty of Connemara National Park will mesmerize you. 
• The Drive to Giants Causeway and Beyond
• Postcard from Sligo