Let's Play Families

Bloom will take place from the 29 May until 2June 2025, so come on down and join the Department of Children in the Budding Bloomers area for some outdoor fun activities!

Ireland’s National Museums are open and are free of charge. Check out museum.ie/

Ireland Art Galleries are also open and free of charge. Check out The National Gallery of Ireland

Why not see our list of fun Museums and Galleries!

Libraries Ireland have an extensive collection of free items to loan and resources to share. Check out what’s happening at your local library this summer at librariesireland.ie/

Summer stars is a free national reading programme for children that takes place in all public libraries and online each summer. Access to books and reading for pleasure is known to have many important long term benefits. Summer stars provides an opportunity to explore children’s books for all ages through reading, listening to audio books and enjoying online story times. Summer stars runs from 3rd of June – 31st of August 2025.

My Little Library Book Bag is a fantastic initiative for children who start primary school in September. This initiative is to help children to navigate starting school and libraries have put together a bag with a book for them that can be collected at any library from April 2025. Each My Little Library Book Bag contains a book on starting school, or making friends or being comfortable to be yourself. It also contains their very own library card and Special ‘My Little Library’ cardholder. Book bags are available in both Irish and English.

START is a public health campaign from Safefood with loads of active play ideas for families. Check this out at safefood.net

National Heritage Week celebrates Ireland’s cultural, built and natural heritage. The theme for this year is Explore our Foundations which invites us to delve into the building blocks of our heritage; uncovering not just the structures that surround us but also the cultural and natural elements that have impacted us and our communities . National Heritage Week will commence the 16th – 24th August 2025. For more information check out National Heritage Week

Wild Child Day encourages children to explore the world around them differently and to open their eyes to the wonder and beauty of the landscape surrounding them. On this day, why not visit somewhere you haven’t before. Organisers will be hosting in-person events and creating digital heritage projects for children.

Wild Child Day is to be held on Saturday 23rd of August 2025.

Parks are a fun outdoor adventure in itself. There is plenty of activities to do, going to the playground, enjoy a picnic, kick a ball around, play Frisbee, play chasing and anything else that the imagination can dream up. There are endless advantages to going to the park whether you’re on a staycation or you are by your local park, here is a guide to some of them. 32 great parks in Ireland – one in every county – The Irish Times

Why not check out some fun filled playgrounds too:

50 of the best playgrounds in Ireland – The Irish Times

While at the Park or Playground, why not have a nice picnic?

Bray Air Display is a family friendly, enjoyable afternoon suitable for ages. This year’s display will take place on Saturday, 2nd August 2025. Bray Air Display - Saturday, 2 August 2025

Cake Pops

For meals that will not cost the earth and will tickle all the families taste buds

Get Kids Cooking with Jamie Oliver

Baking Inspiration

Making a texture patch for babies

Storytelling of 'No David'

Multilingual May – the story is told in Spanish and English

Babies and very young children

Babies can be attracted to screens. This is especially true if people around them are using screens. But the most important things babies and very young children need for their development don’t come from screens. They are about human contact and family members talking, cuddling, singing and playing with them.

Below is the WHO’s recommendation for babies and very young children:

Safe Food

Safe Water

SunSmart - HSE.ie