The Play café

Where are you based?
You’ll find us at 172a Ballygall Road East, Dublin 11.

What is the premises like?

For you: A relaxing spot to enjoy tea or coffee and take a break, get some breathing space , You’ll be able to chat to other parents, staff and browse some Information leaflets on various topics as well as supervise your child close-by.

You’ll also have access to 3 members of staff with over 65 years of collective experience of working with (and being parents in some cases) to children with additional needs. You can feel free to ask us ANYTHING in complete privacy and we’ll offer whatever support, guidance and suggestions that we can.

For the children: A huge play area at the front and back of the premises as well as an outdoor garden to explore all safely and with plenty of space and toys and things to interact with.

Activity Space
Adjacent to the café, this large play area features traditional toys and activities for children. It provides ample space for kids to play freely and express themselves creatively.

Sensory Space
Located at the back, this calming area has soft colors, dim lighting, and sensory-friendly tools to help your child reset and find tranquility. We are currently looking to bring as much sensory and neurodivergent support aids etc in to this space so it’s under development right now. If you’d like to find out more or support our fund-raiser, please click the “Donate” tab above.

Outdoor Garden
This large, fully grass surfaces outdoor space at the back offers a safe area for your child to expend energy or take a moment to relax in the fresh air to catch their breath (or yours!).

Our staff have extensive experience in helping regulate children with a huge array of different needs. Please dont feel alone. We’re here to help and this is a significant addition to our service.

Where are you located?
172a Ballygall Road East, Dublin 11.

Is there parking available?
Yes, there’s parking right outside.

Whats available in the play cafe?
As we are in the early days of launching, please note that only complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits etc will be provided as well as water and fruit cordials though we will improve this significantly in the coming weeks.

Can I bring my own food?
Please do not bring your own food to the premises in the interest of the health, safety, sensory and allergy needs of the patrons.

What type of spaces do you have?
We have 2 main rooms and an outdoor space.

Will the space feel crowded?
No. The premises can actually accomodate 30 children however, to ensure your child has an abundance of space to be FULLY themselves if they need it, we’ve capped the room capacity to 10 children across the entire premises.

This works out roughly at the equivalent of each child having a large bedroom’s worth of space each.

Scroll down to see the spaces….