Nine family-friendly activities to do with kids over the Easter holidays in Cork and beyond
The Cork International Hotel has launched a special Afternoon Tea menu for over the Easter holidays. Picture: Brian Lougheed
Cork City Gaol’s Easter Bunny Trail is back from Saturday, April 8 to Friday, April 14. Located in Sunday’s Well, this family-friendly event is sure to get little ones excited. Upon arrival, children will be provided with a map and are tasked with finding all of the bunnies that are hidden across the Gaol — plus, there might also be a little treat at the end...
- Cork City Gaol is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Standard admission rates apply. Check out corkcitygaol.com
Liffey Valley Shopping Centre is celebrating Easter with the return of the Easter Emporium. Hosted in partnership with Butlers Chocolates, the free event is running from 5 – 8 April.
Using art materials from Liffey Valley reuse partners ReCreate, as well as some seasonal crafts, little ones will learn how to reuse, redesign and repurpose everyday items as they create themed decorations. They will also take home a free Butlers Chocolates Easter Egg.
- Customers are encouraged to book early at www.liffeyvalley.ie
Formerly Tayto Park, Emerald Park in Co Meath reopened on March 25. With a new name, the theme park also has some new rides, but Tayto Park fans will be glad to know that favourites like the Cú Chulainn Coaster are still up and running.
From 1-16 April, Emerald Park is open from 10am to 6pm with plenty of family-friendly activities to enjoy such as rollercoaster rides, the Lemur Woods, petting zoo and Robert Fossett’s Circus Tent.
- To book tickets, visit https://www.emeraldpark.ie/
The Cork International Hotel has launched a special Afternoon Tea menu for both children and parents to enjoy over the Easter break.
Easter Afternoon Tea will be served at 3.30pm from Monday to Saturday from 1-15 April. There will be a feast of sweet and savoury treats and an egg hunt at 4pm each day with the hotel’s resident Easter Bunny, making for a great family day out.
- Easter Afternoon Tea is €27.50 per adult and €15.00 per child. Booking is essential and can be done by calling 021 4549800.
For thrill-seekers, Funderland is back in Cork until April 23 so there is plenty of time to stop by and try a rollercoaster or two. Located beside Tramore Valley Park, Funderland is open for the Easter holidays (from March 31 to April 16) from 12pm until 10pm.
FotaWildlife Park has just announced the birth of three endangered baby ring-tailed lemurs and two black and white colobus monkeys, so now is the perfect time to stop by and pay a visit.
The baby lemurs were born on March 11 and on March 17 while on March 9 and March 15, two baby Black and white colobus monkeys were also born in the Park.
If the adorable new additions are not enough, visitors can also take part in an interactive workshop on plants and biodiversity with Peter Dowdall over the next two weeks. You can learn about the wonders of the animal world with daily wildlife talks hosted by the Education Department in Fota Wildlife Park, watch the rangers as they feed the animals and enjoy a number of workshops.
- All events are free with admission. See www.fotawildlife.ie
From 6-10 April the Hop Along event at Leahy’s Open Farm in Cork promises to be a fun time for all ages. There will be egg and spoon races, a trailer ride through the forest and of course plenty of Easter eggs to find. On arrival, little visitors will get a questionnaire and a map of the farm. Everybody who completes the questionnaire will be entered into a draw for a free return trip to Leahy’s Open Farm.
- Take a look at leahysopenfarm.ie
If you fancy a change from chocolate Easter eggs, Lush is hosting a number of special workshops where you can learn to make your very own bath bomb. The Easter workshops are taking place in the Lush Cork store on Oliver Plunkett Street as well as Lush Newry, Lush Dundrum, Lush Grafton Street and Lush Henry Street.
- To find out more about dates and times and to secure your slot for a Lush Easter Workshop, please get in touch with your closest Lush shop directly.
If you want to pay a visit to the Easter Bunny himself, he will be hopping along to the Jetland Shopping Centre in Limerick and the ILAC shopping Centre in Dublin from now until April 8.
Each visit includes meeting the Easter Bunny, a picture from a professional photographer and a chocolate egg for each child.
- €8 per child, adults and infants go free. Early booking is recommended. Check out www.easterbunny.ie
Meanwhile, the Easter Bunny will also be bouncing down to the Killarney Outlet Centre on Easter Sunday. There will be plenty of activities too such as a magic show, face painting and a children’s disco. The Easter bunny will be stopping by between 2pm and 4pm.
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