Your guide to keeping the kids amused this summer
Summer and childhood go together like tea and digestives. The good news is that there have never been so many organised activities for kids, from summer camps to educational experiences to intriguing exhibitions. Here are some suggestions for parents eager to give their family a July and August to remember.
The success of the Lego movie and the Art of the Brick exhibition at Dublin’s Ambassador Theatre was a reminder of the popularity of Lego. Of course, the toy is beloved by parents as much as kids because it encourages creativity and problem-solving. Those are some of the skills taught at Lego’s week-long summer camps, running across Ireland through July (in Cork, locations include Blackrock Castle Observatory and Lifetime Lab on the Lee Road).
Details: www.learnit.ie
It’s a tradition that goes back generations: Wimbledon begins and, suddenly, kids across Ireland are playing tennis in the driveway. To give your children a proper taste of the sport, however, Limerick Tennis Summer Camp, run by the city’s Lawn Tennis Club, provides introductory classes, coaching and everything else budding racket-wielders could wish for — in a safe and non-competitive environment.
Details: www.lltc.ie
There’s more to tablets than YouTube and Angry Birds. With a little know-how the iPad can be a powerful creative tool — as children will learn over this five-day camp, in which they are shown how to plan a project and follow it all the way through. Children will create movies, music, comic strips and so forth — activities that will unlock the doors to their creativity. Through July, at locations across the country.
Details: www.letsgo.ie
For children aged five up, Cul camps offer a fun introduction to hurling and football. Each day classes focus on building different skill sets, which children will later try out in mini-games, where the emphasis is on fun. The camps run for a week through July, at locations across the country.
Details: www.kelloggsculcamps.gaa.ie
Your children can try their hand at sleuthing at this four-day camp, for kids aged five and up. Subjects covered include code breaking and fingerprint analysis. Children will also have to solve a mystery — gathering evidence, piecing together clues and testing their powers of reasoning. Through July at locations nationwide.
Details: www.thedetectiveacademy.ie
It is increasingly easy to take technology for granted and be passive about the way it has shaped our world. However, for children who want to use computers to create, Whizz Kids puts on informative summer camps, for kids aged eight and over. The programme includes web design, video game programming, and film production. No previous computer experience is required and outdoor activities are incorporated into the schedule. The camps are run at third-level institutions including UCC, DIT, UL, through to July 18.
Details: www.whizzkids.ie
The goal of these song and dance camps is to instil confidence and self-esteem in kids. Singing, dancing and acting are all on the programme, with the emphasis on team-building. The course lasts a week with a group show at the end. Classes nationwide, through July and August.
Details: www.starcamp.ie
On a hot summer day, there’s no better place to bring your children than Fota Island, now home to two tigers and €700,000 Tropical House. Elsewhere, you can experience the natural world at first hand, with wallabies, peacocks and other animals roaming freely. ‘Big ticket’ displays include cheetahs, giraffes and a multitude of monkeys. At Dublin Zoo, new arrivals include rare mangabey monkeys.
Details: www.fotawildlife.ie , www.dublinzoo.ie
The Natural History Museum — colloquially referred to as the ‘Dead Zoo’ — is a wonderfully creepy time capsule. Stepping into the 150-year-old building is like falling down a rabbit hole and emerging into the era of Sherlock Holmes. The huge stuffed elephant, for instance, was shot in the Punjab by a big-game hunter; there are also rhinos, gorillas, leopards and a huge variety of Irish wildlife. Free, closed Mondays.
Details: www.museum.ie
In the heart of Dublin, The Ark cultural centre provides fun educational classes and exhibitions. Highlights this summer include a series of ‘family stand-up’ performances, with comedians putting on shows tailored for children and adults alike.
Details: www.ark.ie
One of the country’s oldest aquariums, Sea World is surprisingly large, with a diverse collection of sea-life. The show-stopper is the shark tank, which contains several varieties of everyone’s favourite ocean-going villain. There are also manta ray, an octopus and some striking lionfish. Dingle Oceanworld has a polar penguin display, sand tiger sharks and an underwater tunnel.
Details: www.visitsealife.com , www.dingle-oceanworld.ie
For more than 25 years, Prince August has been producing impressively realistic hobby miniatures in rural Cork. A tour of the factory shows how these intricate lead soldiers are created — plus there are classes where you can paint up a ‘mini’ and take it home.
Details: www.princeaugust.ie
The National Aquatic Centre has an area devoted to kids, including a lifesize replica pirate ship. Aquazone also boasts a ‘master blaster’ ride that propels children uphill on jetted water.
Details: www.aquazone.ie
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