School’s out for the summer, and it’s highly likely that parents are already getting weary trying to occupy their kids at home.
Planning an exciting, wholesome, active and fun summer for little ones can be challenging, not to mention expensive for many families. But as blogger Sinead Fox of the Bumbles of Rice dot.com blog, says, there are plenty of free things to do and places to see around Ireland that would delight little kids and grown adults alike.
The first thing to get comfortable with, however, is boredom.
“It’s absolutely okay to be bored and I suppose to not have your head in a screen”, Fox says. “It’s important to be bored, I think, in fact. Most of your summer memories are not huge days out, they’re eating ice pops in the rain when your cousins came over or being allowed to stay up really late because visitors turned up that you didn’t know were around.
“Little things like that. You don’t have to over-schedule, it’s exhausting if you’re working in particular and you’re trying to figure everything out. It’s exhausting to be at home with them, obviously and trying to listen to them being bored all day, as well.”
For endless adventure without the hefty price tag, Fox suggests visiting one of the many Coillte sites around the country, such as Avondale in Co Wicklow, Curragh Chase in Co Limerick and Rossmore Forest Park in Co Monaghan. The most you’ll have to pay is for parking, which Fox says is typically €5 for the family.
“Bring your ham sangiches and your flask or your Capri Suns or whatever it is.”
Heritage Ireland have a host of stunning sites to visit, and on the first Wednesday of the month entry is free for individuals and families, although you may need to book in advance depending on the location.
Fox recommends Charles Fort in Kinsale, Co Kerry, saying “their imagination can absolutely run wild in it”, as well as Swiss Cottage in Tipperary, which “is like you’re in the Alps”.
When visiting castles, she suggests leading with “talk about knights” rather than the history to awaken their interest.
Another unsung hero is the gallery, of which we have many around Ireland.
“Galleries do phenomenal activities for kids, you usually need to book them but IMMA and the National Gallery have fabulous bits and pieces that you can do. Kids are kind of being exposed to museums and art galleries through cartoons and things you wouldn’t even realise. My kids asked – they used to watch Peppa Pig – and they said ‘Peppa goes to a museum, we should go to a museum’.”
County museums can also be incredibly fun to visit, she says. While some charge for entry, many don’t, including Carlow, Monaghan, National Museum of Country Life in Mayo and Collins Barracks in Dublin.
As for how to manage expectations – both the kids’ and the parents’! – she says don’t plan for too long of a day: “I wouldn’t tell the kids you’re going to a museum for five hours, an hour is usually enough for primary school kids unless they have a big interest in something.”
For more tips on keeping your kids occupied this summer, listen back to the interview above.