7 Great Early Summer Family Events
It’s the beginning of Summer - finally! - and we’ve found some great events happening here in Dublin and the surrounding areas this month. From planting and cooking workshops for kids, to family-friendly camping festivals and and arts/theatre events, there’s so much on! From Yamamori to the families of Dublin - Happy Summer :)
BONUS: FIND LOADS OF GENERAL INFO ON GREAT family THINGS TO DO IN DUBLIN, CHECK OUT FAMILYFUN.IE
1. FAMILY FUN AT BLOOM IN THE PARK
Bord Bia’s wildly popular Bloom in the Park festival, the 3-day showcase for garden plants, garden design, construction, horticulture and gardening as a hobby, features an incredible set of programmes for family fun. Crafts workshops, ‘GIY’ (Grow-It-Yourself) events on food cultivation and health, a picnic area and playground, and lessons on Conservation all make for what will be a fantastic weekend. The Cool Food School, whose “aim is to introduce children to healthy eating through fun activities and hands on workshops”, will be giving workshops on the Kidz Stage every day at 12.15pm and 2.30pm.
Bloom in the Park takes place in Pheonix Park, Dublin.
TICKETS: varies. See website for more details.
DATES & TIMES: 9am - 6pm, Fri 30 May - Mon 3 June
AGE RANGE: All ages welcome, with programmes for various ages
2. KALEIDOSCOPE - FAMILY CAMPING ARTS & MUSIC FESTIVAL
Ireland’s premier family-friendly, all ages inclusive weekend festival Kaleidoscope comes to Russborough Estate, Blessingtom, Co Wicklow, from June 28-30. A music and arts festival for the whole family, the performer line up over 15 stages is top-notch and there are loads of camping options available.
TICKETS: varies. See website for more details.
DATES & TIMES: Fri 28 June - Sun 30 June
AGE RANGE: All ages welcome, with programmes for ages 4-8, 8-12 and 12-16 year olds
CULTURE trivia
ACCORDING TO SAVVY TOKYO (The Ins & Outs of Japanese Elementary School Holidays, BY KIRSTY KAWANO, 10 AUGUST 2016), japanese schoolchildren are expected to do homework over holiday breaks. “A traditional summer exercise is observation of a growing plant. In first year the subject is – almost without exception – a morning glory. In second grade, perhaps a tomato. The children will probably be asked to count how many flowers or fruit grow, or make a few sketches of the plant as it grows.”
Read more on customs of japanese school holidays here
3. Cruinniú na nÓg - a day of events all across Dublin
“Dublin City Council [Arts Office] invites you to get involved in ‘doing’, ‘making’ and ‘creating’ on Cruinniú na nÓg, Saturday 15th June. Free events are taking place in your galleries, museums and public libraries; in local parks and public spaces, from city centre to local neighbourhoods. Come join a celebration of young people’s creativity and work, or simply take part in some of the huge variety of activities on offer – dive in and try something new!
Cruinniú na nÓg is a national day of creativity for children and young people, an initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and presented in partnership with the Local Authorities and RTÉ.”
PRICE: FREE
DATES & TIMES: Sat 15 June, various times/locations
AGE RANGE: All ages, event-dependant
Powerscourt Estate in County Wicklow features a stunning 47 acres of curated gardens, cafes, an expansive garden shop, Ireland’s tallest waterfall, statuary, and peaceful and inspiring greenspace such as the Japanese garden (pictured above). Highlights include Children’s Gardening Classes (as scheduled), and the upcoming theatre performance of “Treasure Island” on July 28 in the Walled Garden (tickets and info here).
TICKETS: Entrance fees for Summer months - Adult €10.50 / Children under 13 years €5 / Children under 5 years FREE. Family Ticket €25.00 (2 adults & up to 3 children)
DATES & TIMES: 9.30am – 5.30pm (Last entry 5pm) during Summer, closes at dusk in Winter
AGE RANGE: All Ages
5. Origami Workshop at the Botanical Gardens
Running year-round at The National Botanic Gardens, there’s an incredible array of Children’s events and workshops.
The Origami Workshop for Kids on July 20 is a great introduction to the classic Japanese craft.
“Come and get creative with paper at our children’s origami workshop, and learn about the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. Did you know ‘Ori’ means fold and ‘Kami’ means paper? Having mastered the basics of this elegant art, you can then transform a sheet of paper into something exciting like an animal, tree or flower. Materials supplied.”
Other Kids’ events include flower collecting, art workshops, drop-by activities, pond dipping and more! See the Kids Events Calendar here.
TICKETS: FREE but booking is essential. Call (01) 804 0319/ 857 0909 or email botanicgardens@opw.ie
DATES & TIMES: Various dates; Saturday 20 July / Saturday August 3, 2.30 - 4pm
AGE RANGE: 8-12 years
6. Young Chef 2019 at Airfield estate - breakfast bites
Running from June - December at Airfield Estate, the Young Chef 2019 Series features a once-monthly children’s cooking workshop.
“Is your little one a budding chef or do they love to help out in the kitchen? If so, then our kids’ cookery classes might be right up their street! Set over 2.5 hours, they’ll begin by exploring what’s growing in the garden and then move indoors to cook up their dish. Classes are suitable for 8-12 year olds of all abilities and are relaxed, fun and hand’s-on.”
June’s Chef Series is Breakfast Bites!
TICKETS: €25/child; Annual Pass Holder: €22
DATES & TIMES: Saturday 9 June, 10am – 12.30pm
AGE RANGE: 8-12 years
7. SCRAPEFOOT AT THE ARK
“So you think that you know the story of Goldilocks? Think again! This summer, enter the world of SCRAPEFOOT, a walk-through visual art experience for audiences of just four people at a time.” The Ark is located at 11A Eustace St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.
TICKETS: €7.50/€6 per child or unaccompanied adult (20% off for members)
DATES & TIMES: 10 Jul - 31 Aug / Open Tuesday - Saturday & Monday 5 Aug (Closed Tue 6 Aug) / Starts every 10 minutes from 10.30am - 12.30pm & 2pm - 4.30pm. Approximately 25 mins durations
AGE RANGE: Ages 6+. Adult Sessions: Every Thursday 6-7pm
