Roots of Wonder logo — a sage-green seedling with terracotta roots beside the words Roots of Wonder
County Kilkenny

Workshops for parents & educators in Kilkenny

Kilkenny is comfortably within travelling distance, so in-person setting visits are readily arranged alongside the live online evening sessions.

Kilkenny services tend to arrive with a very specific ask, and it is usually about planning. Not whether to plan — everyone plans — but how to make the plan reflect the children rather than the calendar. Teams in Kilkenny city, Callan and Thomastown describe the same loop: observations get written, folders get filled, and then Monday morning arrives and the plan on the wall bears no relation to what any child was actually interested in on Friday.

Breaking that loop is satisfying work. It starts with observation — shorter, sharper, and focused on what a child is trying to do rather than what they managed. From one genuine interest, a whole week of provision can be built across language, physical play, maths thinking and social negotiation, and it takes less preparation than the theme approach it replaces. Teams usually leave with one child's interest already mapped out, so the method has been tested before anyone goes home.

The other regular request from Kilkenny is leadership. Rooms here are often led by someone who came up through the setting and now has to hold a standard among friends. That is covered honestly, including the part where you have to say the uncomfortable thing. Kilkenny County Childcare Committee handles funding and registration for services in the county; the workshops handle what happens once the door of the room closes.

For settings

Staff development for crèches, preschools and ECCE rooms across Kilkenny — setting packages from €399.

For parents

Evening sessions for Kilkenny parents on big feelings, regulation and play at home.

Private sessions

One-to-one from €25 for 30 minutes, or a private group around your own schedule.

Most requested by Kilkenny groups

Towns in Kilkenny we hear from

Parents and educators book from Kilkenny city, Callan, Thomastown, Castlecomer, Graiguenamanagh and right across the county. In-person dates are arranged around your setting; live online sessions are open to everyone, wherever you are.

Local support in Kilkenny

For funding, registration and local early years supports, Kilkenny County Childcare Committee is the first port of call for settings and childminders in the county. Visit Kilkenny County Childcare Committee

What attendees say

“Planning made simple, broken down and fun to discuss.”
Maria · Workshop attendee
“Amy's love for children shines through and her passion is contagious. If you want your fire reignited, Amy will most definitely help you light the match.”
Margaret · Parent
“Amy made supporting children through child-led activities and emergent interests so much easier to understand. She sat in the room with us completely non-judgmental and offered guidance that in turn sparked our own ideas.”
Chloe · Room leader, early years setting

Kilkenny questions

Our paperwork is taking over — can a session actually reduce it?
That is the aim of the observation and planning work. Most settings are writing plenty and using very little of it. The session looks at writing less but writing it in a form that feeds directly into next week's plan, so the folder becomes a working document rather than something produced for inspection.
Do you work with room leaders specifically?
Yes. Room leadership and team culture is a frequent request from Kilkenny city services, particularly where someone has been promoted from within and is now supervising former colleagues. It covers giving feedback, holding a standard kindly, and protecting your own energy while doing it.
Can a rural Kilkenny setting with five staff book in person?
A private in-person group needs six, so a five-person team either adds a colleague, joins with a nearby setting in Callan or Thomastown, or takes the online route at €35 per person with a minimum of five. A setting package is the other option and has no minimum attached.
Is there VAT on top of the price?
No. Roots of Wonder is not VAT registered, so the price you see is the price you pay. A public online ticket is €20 per person, in person is €35, and a setting package is €399, €599 or €799 as a flat fee for the whole setting. Nothing is added at checkout.
Are there booking fees?
No booking fees, no card surcharge and no per-person admin charge. You pay the ticket or package price only. An itemised receipt is emailed to you the moment payment goes through, and settings can request a formal invoice before booking so it can go through your own accounts process first.
Do staff get certificates, and do they count towards a Quality Action Plan?
Every participant receives a dated certificate of attendance naming the workshop, the date and the hour completed. Settings routinely file these as evidence of ongoing professional development in a Síolta Quality Action Plan. They are not CPD points, because that requires separate registration with an awarding body.
How long is a workshop and what is included?
One hour, with a take-home booklet for every participant and a dated certificate of attendance for educators. Online sessions are €20 per person and in-person sessions are €35, with €5 off when booked at least two weeks in advance. Private groups and full setting packages are also available.
See dates & book Ask about Kilkenny

Workshop topics for Kilkenny

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Trusted early years resources

Every workshop is grounded in Irish early years frameworks and national guidance.

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