SPORTS
- For a real outdoor immersion in surfing, kayaking, survival and more, Delphi in Wild Connemara caters for seven- to 17-year-olds. Camps run from July 3rd to August 17th, both residential or day camps from 9.30am-5pm, and prices start at €220. delphiadventureresort.com
- Kellogg's GAA Cúl Camps are reliable favourites, with one in every county teaching primary school kids the art of Gaelic games for the reasonable price of €45 per week all through July and August from 9am-2pm. kelloggsculcamps.gaa.ie
- The FAI runs well-regarded soccer camps country wide for €65 a week. summersoccerschools.ie
- Camp Rathdown in Glenageary offers a mix of sports, art and science and runs all summer in Rathdown Junior School, for €100 a week. It also has the option of extended hours, so you can rest assured your little birdies are in flying form after a full day of activity when you get home. camprathdown.com
SCIENCE AND TECH
- Some children like sport, some tractors, some Barbies. Most of them, however, like your iPad. To avoid finding a saliva-sodden rice cake on your new tablet, pack them off to one of the Lets go iPad camps throughout the country. For €100 per child, and a discount for more than one, it's a reasonable price considering it runs from 9.30am-3.30pm. Some of the Dublin ones have already been snapped up, but there are plenty of spaces in other centres around the country. letsgo.ie
- The Junior Einstein camp in Dalkey, Co Dublin, is ideal for the child who likes messy experiments and exploding fizzy drinks. The price of €160 for 10am-2pm, Monday to Friday, is due to the expensive equipment used, which is not available in schools. All teachers are real scientists and the camps runs for the first two weeks in August. junioreinsteinsscienceclub.com
- Whizz Kids comes recommended too – based in the universities and colleges around the country it offers hi-tech activities focused on creative work such as animation and web design. Prices start at €80 per week and kids from 8-15 years old can join. whizzkids.ie
- In Annascaul, Dingle, Co Kerry, is Scamps school, where kids will make their very own animated movie and upload to YouTube for all the family to watch. Runs July 7th-18th; prices from €55 per week. Contact Leonard on 086-9299380, leonardmccormack4 @eircom.net
DRAMA, DANCE AND MUSIC
- Do you have little ones delighting you or driving you demented with never-ending renditions of songs from Frozen? Treat them to some lights, camera, action. Starcamp runs a course of acting, singing and dancing in centres around the country for €90 per child – they are filling fast, however, so be sure to book soon. Starcamp runs all through summer, 9.30am-2.30pm, with students putting on a finale show on the Friday for their proud parents. starcamp.ie
- DCU has a musical summer camp in The Helix, which includes the chance to appear in Aladdin at the theatre if you do at least two weeks of the three week course. It runs from 10am-4.30pm, and costs €120 per week, which includes lunch. The aim is to promote self-confidence. thehelix.ie
- Ballet Ireland has summer schools dotted around the country, where children of all abilities will make their own ballet and learn about the life of a dancer. Schools run through July and August in Thurles, Ennis, Tallaght, Letterkenny, Cookstown, Naas and Carlow, with prices starting at €70 and aimed at children of 6-16 years old. balletireland.ie
- There's also the Dance Institute on Foley Street in Dublin 1, which offers a mix of ballet, jazz, tap, street dancing and more. It runs August 11th-22nd and costs €225 for the week. thedanceinstitute.net
ADVENTURE
After months of being cooped up in classrooms and on couches children look forward to fresh air on their faces and exciting outdoors fun.
- Donegal Adventure Centre has a great surf camp based in Bundoran for only €30 for the week, from 10am-1pm, and it caters for 8-12 year olds. donegaladventurecentre.net
- Atlantic Sea Kayaking, in West Cork, runs from July 7th to August 15th and has a split camp catering for 8-16 year olds. The camp combines kayaking skills, stand-up paddling and lots of water activity and runs from 10-1pm. atlanticseakayaking.com
- For something different, Alouette Language School in Skerries, Co Dublin, has teamed up with Outdoor Dublin Surf School to offer a combined camp of French tuition in the mornings and water activities in the evening. Catering for secondary school students, it runs from 10am – 5pm for the first two weeks in July, so make sure you book soon. alouettelanguageschool.ie
ARTS AND CRAFTS
Creative minds need busy hands and buckets of inspiration. Here are some arts and crafts camps to provide that.
- Pine Forest Art Centre in Glencullen, nestled on top of the Dublin mountains, beside a lake and in a forest, runs a two-week course for primary and secondary students for €260 – although there is also the option of just one week for €130. They join in on pottery, beading, painting, construction and much more, as well as plenty of outdoor adventures in this stunning setting. The camp runs through July and August, 10am-4pm. pineforestartcentre.com
- Teacher and writer Megan Wynne is running a unique creative writing camp in Malahide, Blackrock, Skerries and Swords through July and August for kids aged seven to 15. Kids will learn how to hook a reader, how to make their dialogue believable and how to form rounded characters. Well worth the €125 to nourish your child's inner Enid Blyton. meganwynne.com
YOGA
The Elbow Room in Stoneybatter runs a unique and worthwhile summer camp for children with dyspraxia, ADD/ADHD, autism, Asperger's and sensory-processing difficulties. It is a wonderful service that uses yoga, tai chi, meditation, music therapy, textile work and much more to create a soothing environment with one-to-one attention. This sugar-free zone runs June 30th-July 18th, and is taught by qualified occupational and speech and language therapists. It is pricey at €235 for the week, but the benefits of this therapeutic, holistic camp are second to none in this country. the-elbowroom.com
NATURE
Airfield Estate in Dundrum, Dublin, is running a camp, Wild Things, where the emphasis is on allowing children to interact with the environment in different ways. The aim is to help them "express themselves and find their place in the world". The camps are hands-on and interactive, with small groups to ensure that every child is involved. Children spend five days getting their hands dirty, exploring Airfield's wildlife, making art, and being led on an exciting journey through the five stages of the growth of the caterpillar into a butterfly. The camps run from July 7th-18th, 10am-2pm, and cost €130 for a week with a €10 discount for siblings. airfield.ie
FREE FAMILY DAYS
If your budget doesn’t stretch to summer camps here are a few free events for the diary.
- In Dublin, the opening night of the IFI's family festival is a free magic extrvaganza suitable for all ages. It's Magic at the IFI! in the IFI's foyer on Eustace Street will feature magician Brian Daly. ifi.ie
- Obsession Salsa is hosting a free outdoor salsa and zumba extravaganza at the Complex in Smithfield Square on Saturday, July 5th, at 3pm. thecomplex.ie
- Fleadh Cheoil is coming to Sligo with lots of free activity along the city streets and river banks on Sunday, August 17th, from 3pm. fleadhcheoil.ie
- Laya Healthcare's City Spectacular (fomerly the World Street Performance Championships) will see parks in Dublin and Cork transformed with free festivals. There will be the usual eclectic array of street performers with concerts, family picnics, artisan food events and outdoor screenings added to the mix. It takes place in Dublin's Merrion Square (July 11th-13th) and Cork's Fitzgerald Park (July 19th and 20th). cityspectacular.com
- The brand new Promenade Festival takes place in Tramore, Co Waterford, July 3rd-5th. The event celebrates the work of the local Emergency Services, and includes lots of family-friendly activities, including sand-art displays and live wrestling shows. facebook.com/thepromenadefestival
- For a day of howling good fun try the Deise Doggy Surf Day (also in Tramore) on August 31st, with discount "human surfing", face painting and a "doggy bakery". facebook.com/deisedoggysurfdaytramore
