If, like me, you have skidded past Halloween and into the mid-term break with very little by way of plans to keep the kids entertained then this list of suggestions might come in handy.
Kilkenny:
Discovery Park
Why not try this high-adrenaline octagon with high rope challenges followed by Ireland’s longest zipline? There is also a new and extended low ropes course, which can offer an exciting adventure for smaller children.
Wexford:
Secret Valley Wildlife Park
Enjoy a day out in the sunny southeast and experience wildlife at Secret Valley Wildlife Park. There’s a Quad Train and an opportunity to bottle-feed baby goats. Visiting Llamas and Alpacas, and then taking a pony ride is all part of the day.
Dublin:
Viking Splash Tour
This is an extremely popular tour since it reopened in June 2022, and with excellent reason. It’s fun and educational but not too heavy hitting for the younger tourists who will enjoy some fun facts, wearing a Viking hat and roaring at strangers as they bob through the streets of Dublin and into the water at Docklands.
Birr, Clara, Edenderry and Offaly
Heartlands Hullabaloo
In Ireland’s Heartlands, the Hullabaloo Children’s Arts Festival returns with a jam-packed schedule of music, theatre, performances and workshops. The event takes place from November 2-5 in Birr, Clara, Edenderry, and Offaly libraries, and it aims to introduce children to the different strands of the arts.
Movie theatre in any town in Ireland:
Hocus Pocus 2
This is a brilliant movie that all the family will enjoy. A sequel to the 1993 Disney production, Hocus Pocus 2 is a cackling cauldron of camp chaos. The three original stars zap back into their roles as if they’ve been conjured straight from the original. They seem to be having a riot, hilariously stalking through the frame as one and firing off zingers with relish. Sarah Jessica Packer in particular steals countless frames with her comic capering in the background. In at least one scene the trio’s laughter seems real.
Top Choice: Stella Cinema, Rathmines.
This is an incredibly comfortable cinema for the whole family to treat themselves to a matinee of Hocus Pocus 2. The food here is terrific but equally both Elephant and Castle, for their famous chicken wings and Pizza Uno, for their smashing pizza and unmissable garlic bread are ideal for a post-film family feast.