Poslije vrtića idemo na ljuljačku i na mali tobogan.

Because poslije normally takes the genitive case, and vrtića is the genitive singular of vrtić.

• nominative: vrtić
• genitive: vrtića

So poslije vrtića means after kindergarten.

A native English speaker often has to get used to the fact that Croatian prepositions often require a specific case.

Yes, in normal usage poslije is followed by the genitive.

Examples:

• poslije škole = after school
• poslije ručka = after lunch
• poslije vrtića = after kindergarten

So once you learn poslije + genitive, you can use it in many similar sentences.

Croatian often uses the present tense to talk about a planned or expected future action, especially when the context already makes the time clear.

So Poslije vrtića idemo... literally uses present tense, but in English it may be translated as:

• After kindergarten, we’re going...
• After kindergarten, we go...
• After kindergarten, we’re going to go...

Here, poslije vrtića already tells you the action happens later, so the present tense sounds natural in Croatian.

In Croatian, the verb ending often shows the subject, so the pronoun is often omitted.

Idemo already means we go / we are going.

That -mo ending tells you the subject is we.
So Croatian does not need an extra mi unless you want emphasis:

• Idemo = we are going
• Mi idemo = we are going, with extra emphasis on we

Because na can mean movement onto / to / toward something, and when it shows movement to a destination, it usually takes the accusative case.

Here the idea is:

• we are going to the swing
• we are going to the small slide

So:

• ljuljačku = accusative singular of ljuljačka
• mali tobogan = accusative singular of mali tobogan

This is a very important Croatian pattern:

• na + accusative = motion toward a place/object
• na + locative = being at/on a place

The difference is movement versus location.

• na ljuljačku = onto/to the swing, showing movement
• na ljuljački = on the swing, showing location

Compare:

• Idemo na ljuljačku. = We’re going to the swing.
• Dijete je na ljuljački. = The child is on the swing.

This movement-vs-location contrast is one of the most important things to notice with na and u in Croatian.

Because this is the accusative singular of a masculine inanimate noun, and for masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative usually looks the same as the nominative.

So:

• nominative: mali tobogan
• accusative: mali tobogan

That is why nothing seems to change.

If it were a masculine animate noun, the accusative would usually match the genitive instead.

Yes, you may hear omission in some contexts, but repeating the preposition is very natural and clear in Croatian.

So na ljuljačku i na mali tobogan sounds completely normal. It clearly marks both destinations.

Repeating the preposition is especially common when:

• the two nouns are a bit different in form
• one has an adjective and the other does not
• the speaker wants the sentence to sound clearer or more balanced

So this version is stylistically very natural.

Yes, nakon is also possible, and it also takes the genitive.

So you could say:

• Poslije vrtića idemo...
• Nakon vrtića idemo...

Both are correct. In many situations they are very close in meaning.

Very roughly:

• poslije is often felt as a little more everyday and conversational
• nakon can sound slightly more neutral or formal in some contexts

But both are common and correct here.

Croatian does not have articles like English the and a/an.

So vrtić, ljuljačka, and tobogan can mean:

• kindergarten / the kindergarten
• a swing / the swing
• a slide / the slide

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, the listener will understand from the situation whether the speaker means a specific swing and slide or just those activities/objects in general.

Yes, vrtić is commonly translated as kindergarten, but depending on context it can also correspond to preschool or daycare in English.

So poslije vrtića is naturally understood as:

• after kindergarten
• after preschool
• after daycare

The best English translation depends on the child’s age and the local school system, but the Croatian word itself is perfectly normal here.

A few sounds may stand out for an English speaker:

• lj is a single Croatian sound, something like the lli in million for many English speakers
• č sounds like ch in chocolate
• ć is also a ch-like sound, but softer than č

So ljuljačku is roughly pronounced like lyoo-lyaach-ku, though that is only an approximation.

The important thing is to notice that:

• lj is one sound
• č and ć are different letters in Croatian, even if many learners hear them as similar at first