Mags Gargan
Mags Gargan looks at activity camp options across the country to keep children entertained during the school break
Lent is upon us and while it might seem early, now is the time to start planning how to keep children busy during the Easter holidays.
Easter Sunday can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25 because in the Western calendar the tradition is that Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox, which occurs around March 21. The timing of the schools’ Easter break follows Easter Sunday, which falls on March 27 this year, but will also be affected by St Patrick’s Day being on a weekday. Therefore, parents must brace themselves with finding entertainment for their kids for two and a half weeks (Wednesday, March 16 – Monday, April 4).
But don’t despair there are a number of Easter camps taking place across the country to keep children occupied over the Easter holidays. Here is a sample of the choices available:
Bushcraft & Survival Camp
Western Bushcraft Skills is a new outdoor activity provider specialising in bushcraft and survival skills courses. It specialises in teaching new skills and providing the knowledge for living in the wild, such as fire lighting, shelter building, whittling, carving and archery. It operates from a woodland site on the grounds of Cregg Castle, located about 25 minutes from Galway City Centre, near the village of Corrandulla. The five-day Easter camp is for children aged 8-12 years and 13-16 years from March 21-25. Admission: €120pp or €30 per day. See www.westernbushcraftskills.com or contact westernbushcraftskills@gmail.com or 086 2468066.
Let’s Go Easter Camp
‘Let’s Go! Summer Schools’ was founded by Kevin O’Brien and Eileen Sheehy, both physical education graduates of Thomond College of Education, Limerick.
This year Let’s Go has launched its first ever Easter camp for children aged between five and 13 years in selected venues throughout the country for four days of action and adventure in a safe environment. Activities include KMX karting, zorbee ball roll, human table football and a high energy assault course.
The camps run from March 21-24 and March 28-April 1. Admission: 1st child €80, 2nd child €70, 3rd child €60. See www.letsgo.ie or contact info@letsog.ie or 1890 538 746.
Archaeology Camps
Sia, the School of Irish Archaeology will be running archaeology camps in Harold’s Cross Primary School, Dublin for children aged 7-12 years to get their hands dirty and discover the adventure of archaeology.
Activities will include a Viking house dig, leather working, pottery, archery and a special trip to the passage tomb complex of Newgrange and Knowth. The camp runs from March 21-April 1. Admission: 1 – €115, 2 – €220, 3 – €325. See www.sia.ie or contact info@sia.ie or 087-7556808.
Mad Hatter Easter Camp
Imaginosity is Ireland’s only interactive children’s museum for the under 9’s. Based in the Beacon South Quarter of Dublin’s Sandyford, it is an accredited Discover Primary Science & Maths Centre, so all camps and workshops are designed to engage children in education outside the classroom in a fun and entertaining way. This Easter it will host a Mad Hatter Camp from March 21-25. Admission: €25 daily option, weekly €100. See www.imaginosity.ie or contact info@imaginosity.ie or 01-2176130.
Go4IT Technology Camp
Go4IT aims to excite, inspire, and motivate young people to use new technologies in fun, collaborative and creative ways. The camps blend the latest in technology with non-tech and outdoor activities to create a well-rounded camp experience.
Based in Dublin and run by experienced teachers and industry professionals the camps allow children to create their own animations, design graphics, understand programming and create phone apps. The camp runs from March 21-24. Admission: €120. See www.go4it.ie or contact mail@go4it.ie or 086-8668650/087-7338672.
Acting & Dance Camps
The Independent Theatre Workshop has schools in Ranelagh, Clonskeagh and Drumcondra offering classes in all aspects of the performing arts. During Easter juniors have dance in the mornings and acting in the afternoons. Seniors have acting in the mornings and dance in the afternoons.
The camp includes special guest workshops and an end of camp showcase. All ages and abilities welcome. The camp runs from March 21-24. Admission: €90 half days or €150 full days. See www.itwstudios.ie or contact office@itwstudios.ie or 01-2600831/01-2196842.
Anyone4Science Camps
Anyone4Science aims to provide an environment where children discover through active learning, laboratory experiments, workshops, demonstrations, play and exhibitions, that science is fun and interesting. It hosts events in Carlow, Cork, Cavan, Clare, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Kerry, Limerick, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow.
At the two-day Easter camp the children will have fun doing age appropriate experiments and work on some building projects all relating to flight – kites and hot air balloons etc. It runs from March 21-April 1. Admission: €70, Early bird €65. See www.anyone4science.com or contact info@anyone4science.com or 087-6749608.
Wooly Wards Farm
This year Wooly Ward’s Farm at Whitestown House, Oldtown in Dublin is launching its new Animal Easter Camp. Each day will be themed around a different animal, Monday – the furries, Tuesday – poultry, Wednesday – goats, pigs & sheep, Thursday – reptiles, and Friday – ponies, donkeys & llamas. The camp runs from March 21-25. Admission: €125 first child, then €115. See www.woolywardsfarm.com or contact info@woolywardsfarm.com or 087-3676787.
Surfdock Easter Camp
Surfdock is Dublin’s premier watersports course provider and watersports shop and is based in Grand Canal Dock, a short stroll from the city centre. This Easter it is offering four half days of fun on the water with stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, windsurfing, sailing and cable wakeboarding.
No experience in any of the sports required. All equipment and wetsuits can be rented. The camp runs from March 29-April 1. Admission: €95. See www.surfdock.ie or contact courses@surfdock.ie or 01-6683945.
Artzone Art & Crafts
Artzone is run by art teachers, typically qualified from the Faculty of Education, NCAD and all specialists in their own fields of art. The teachers have designed a portfolio of crafts, stories and games for the Easter camps in venues around Dublin, with projects including painting, drawing, collage, clay and 3D construction, print and graphics. The camps run from March 30-April 10. Admission per week: 1st Child €109; 2nd Child €99; 3rd and more €89. See www.artzone.ie or contact bookings@artzone.ie or 01-4990614.
Kids in the Kitchen
At a Kids in the Kitchen class in Carrigaline, Co. Cork, children learn how to work in a kitchen safely but still have fun, all the while learning how to make the correct choices towards eating a balanced nutritious diet. During the Easter camp kids will prepare and cook over a dozen savoury and sweet items, with a couple of Easter crafts thrown in as well. The camp runs from March 21-24. Admission: €50. See www.kidsinthekitchen.ie or contact kidsinthekitchen@hotmail.com and 087-6871251.
Limerick School of Acting
Established in 1992 in Limerick by actor Nigel Mercier, the Limerick School of Acting is offering an Easter camp in St Nessan’s NS, Mungret/Raheen with games, stories, film scripts, acting, art, puppets, set design and film-making. Week 1 is for 6-12 year-olds from March 21-25 and Week 2 is for 3-5 year-olds from March 29-April 1. Admission: €125. See www.limerickschoolofacting.com/easter-camp-2016/ or contact info@limerickschoolofacting.com or 086-2452994.
Killarney National Park
Killarney National Park is surrounded by mountains, woodland and lake shores. The Education Centre is a designated Discover Primary Science Centre and here the children who join the Easter camp get to experience nature close up and learn about some of the plants and animals of the park.
They will use mammal traps, pooters, nets and other equipment and explore the ecology of the park through many games and fun activities such as scavenger hunts, doing the ‘un-nature’ trail, the bat and moth game and treasure hunts.
The camp runs from March 29 to April 1. Admission: €105 per child. See www.killarneynationalpark.ie or contact knpeducationcentre@eircom.net or 064-6635960.