A child-centered environment providing quality daycare facilities for over 40 years
Happy Days Creche celebrates 25 years in Walkinstown in September 2025. Originally founded in 1980s by Kay Ingham and Sylvia Kelly as a playgroup. Happy Days Creche moved into a purpose-built childcare facility in the Greenpark area of Walkinstown. Since 2023 Sarah Kelly-Prior has taken over the role of registered provider in memory of her mother Sylvia.
We have been providing quality childcare to the Walkinstown, Templeogue, Ballymount, and surrounding areas since 2000.
The Happy Days Creche team prides itself on offering children a happy, safe, and stimulating environment. We strive to offer the children a home-from-home atmosphere through our cozy premises and caring staff.
We currently have twenty one highly qualified staff members, of whom five are part-time staff. We have been registered with Tusla since the inception of the Childcare Act. Many of our staff have been with us since their training in childcare. Most of our team have been with us more than five years.
Our team is managed day to day by Audrey French. Audrey has been part of our team since 2000. Through the years Audrey has been integeral in developing the Happy Days team. We believe our highly qualified and skilled staff is our best asset.
We offer full-day care, Ecce, and after-school facilities to children from 12 months to the end of fourth class primary school. We from time to time have part-time spaces but this is dependant on availability within the group.
Our childcare service is focused on working together with parents to care for children on an emotional, social, physical, and intellectual level. As a family-orientated service, we commit to continue the legacy Kay and Sylvia over the 40 years, and together with Sylvia's daughter Sarah, we continue to commit to providing a child-centered environment for the families in the Templeogue and Walkinstown area of Dublin.
With over twenty years of experience, we pride ourselves on the team we have built in Happy Days Creche. If you require further information please email us at info@happydays-creche.com
At Happy Days Creche, we offer a range of childcare services to meet the diverse needs of families in our community. Our goal is to provide a nurturing and stimulating environment where children can learn, grow, and thrive.
Open from 8:00am until 6:00pm for children from 12 months to school age. Our full day care program provides a balanced day of activities, rest, and play.
We offer playgroup sessions for younger children, helping them develop essential skills through guided play and exploration.
Five-hour sessions typically from 9:00am until 2:00pm for children of 2½ years or older, subject to availability.
Care and collection service for Bishop Shanahan National School, Templeogue. Full day care is also provided during holiday periods with excursions on our bus.
All full-day children from the ages of 2½ years to five attend the ECCE from the hours of 9:00 until 12:00am.
We cater for children with additional needs, providing inclusive care and education for all children in our service.
Note: Due to the limited number of spaces, we have a waiting list for places in all rooms. Priority is given to parents with siblings already in the service.
Happy Days Crèche believes in education through play. We balance the children's day between free play and more structured events. We are committed to creating a child-centered environment for all the children in our care.
Independence is particularly important for the younger child, whose individuality can be stifled by early constraints of regimented learning. We allow children to have the freedom of choice in their activities and to become active agents in their learning from an early age.
Through our curriculum based on Aistear, learning is guided through the community, shared experiences, and the children's interests. Play-based learning benefits children in constructing their own learning profile based on their individual needs and unique perspective.
We guide the children's language, social, physical, and intellectual development through our program of activities. Our aim is to facilitate the child to develop at their own pace while also motivating new skills.
We encourage heuristic play through natural materials of water, sand, paint, playdough, music movement, storytelling, and nature. These natural methods develop physical coordination in the young child and also cooperation and problem-solving techniques in older children.
We hope that every child who moves from Happy Days leaves with a strong learning foundation that they can build on as they move to "big" school.
Happy Days Creche offers competitive pricing for our quality childcare services. Below are our fees as published for Pobal Compliance as of 1st November 2024.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Full Day Care Under 2 Years | €253 |
| Full Day Care Over 2 Years | €233 |
| Sibling Discount (applied to older child only for five Full Day Care only) | €213 |
| Full Day Care 4 days Under 2 Years | €224 |
| Full Day Care 4 days Over 2 Years | €204 |
| Full Day Care 3 days (only available in certain circumstances such as room ratio) | €167 |
| Full Day Care 30 Hours per week | €182 |
| Afterschool Care (Full Day care available during midterm and holidays. Only available from Bishop Shanahan National School Templeogue) | €141 |
The Happy Days team contains highly qualified play educators. The majority of our staff has been with us for over five years, creating a close-knit team who work well together.
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Many of our staff were previously students of Kay Ingham through her role as lecturer in Ballyfermot Senior College. Our supervisor, Audrey French, has worked with Happy Days Crèche since we opened in Walkinstown and originally studied with Kay.
Kay and Sarah strongly believe that our staff are one of our greatest assets.
We encourage continuous development in our staff and are regularly attending professional development training courses. Our staff have completed training by organizations such as Barnardos, Early Childhood Ireland, and South Dublin Childcare Committee.
Audrey French, Happy Days manager, has completed the Leadership in Inclusion training and is a certified Inclusion Co-ordinator.
QQI Level 6 in Leadership for Inclusion in Early Years
QQI Level 5 in Childcare
BA in Primary Education
QQI Level 6 in Early Childhood Education & Care
BA in Early Years Education
Higher Diploma in Child Development
Masters in Education (Specialising in Early Childhood)
Diploma in Montessori Education
To help us provide a quality service, it is important for us to have input from the parent/guardian. By working together, we can help the child reach his or her full potential.
Parents/guardians are welcome to visit their children to make sure they are settling in and to discuss issues relating to the child with our staff members. We feel it is important for the child to see a trusting relationship between the parent/guardian and us, the caregivers.
We would advise any parent with children starting in the creche to visit their child/children and stay for a short while. This may help the child become familiar with his/her new surroundings.
Our owners Sarah and Kay and our manager Audrey are always on hand to discuss any issues you may have or that have arisen during your child's day. You can always request to speak to the staff member minding your child.
Stay updated with our latest activities, events, and news by following our Facebook page.
We are located beside Tymon Park in the Green Park area of Walkinstown, Dublin 12.
Full Day Care: 8:00am - 6:00pm
ECCE Program: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Please contact our Administrator Sarah Kelly Prior at info@happydays-creche.com or Audrey French by phone: 01 452 7544.
Currently, we are not able to arrange viewing appointments unless already booked in to start with us. We will arrange appointments at times that are suitable for the children in our care as their needs are our priority.
Places are given priority to siblings who are currently in the creche. The next priority is from the cancellation list.
We have closed the list for 2025 as there are so many children on it we will not be able to facilitate all a place on the cancellation list does not guarantee a place in Happy Days.
For 2026 ECCE or Full Days Spaces, please use this link.