The summer holidays are in full swing and if your energetic brood are bored of TV and tiring of the garden trampoline, it's time to get creative.
Ireland is positively teeming with festivals, events and fun attractions this month. In fact, whether you've got a miniature animal lover or a keen explorer on your hands, there's so much to do in July it'll be difficult to fit it all in!
Our advice? Mark your favourite events in the calendar and pack a bag with enough supplies to keep the kids out and about all day. By the time you get home they'll be nodding off before bedtime!
Welcome to your incredible shared moments of joy - in association with Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons.
1) Feeding Time at Fota Wildlife Park, Cork: until October
With four adorable new cheetah cubs to check out, Fota Wildlife Park should be on everyone's 'must visit' list this summer. The cubs were born to mum, Nimpy, on May 29th and the litter of four is made up of two males and two females. Regular visitors make a beeline for their favourite animals at feeding time, so keep the following schedule in mind:
Feeding Times
10.45am: Penguins
12.45am: Cheetahs
2.15pm: Siamang Gibbons
4pm: Cheetahs
4.30pm: Penguins
5pm: Seal
Daily wildlife talks run throughout the summer, check
here for a full schedule.
2) Drop-In Craft Club, Airfield Estate, Dundrum: July 29
Not only is Airfield a truly gorgeous spot to hang out for the day, it's also got loads of cool stuff laid on for kids. Their next drop-in
Craft Club takes place on July 29 and little visitors can expect to learn about bees, birds, seed planting, the food they eat and plenty more. Each session will have a different theme. Afterwards visit the Airfield Drawing Wall- a place for budding young artists to show their creativity and record their visit to Airfield and play old fashioned lawn games in the sunshine.
3) Greenan Maze, Wicklow: seven days a week throughout the summer
Do you believe you'd be able to find your way out of a life-size maze? Head for Wicklow with the gang to find out. The half-acre
Greenan Maze is seven feet tall so adults and kids alike can test their skills inside. The solstice maze is a more gentle contemplative experience and don't miss the three traditional farming museums, jam packed with hand-made crafts and horse-drawn farm machinery.
4) Pond Dipping at the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin: July 22
Have you got a miniature horticulturist on your hands? If so, an opportunity to explore the weird and wonderful diversity of insects and minibeasts living in and around the pond at the National Botanic Gardens will be right up your street. Perfect your technique with guidance from the experts at the Irish Wildlife Trust and learn how to identify the amazing creatures you have captured. The fun begins at 11am and admission is free. Booking is essential so make sure to
put your names down on the list.
5) Galway International Arts Festival, Galway: now until July 30
If surreal giant puppets, enchanting music and awe-inspiring street theatre sound like your cup of tea, Galway International Arts Festival will take your breath away. A celebration of extraordinary experiences - a creative collision of performance, music, visual art, theatre and spectacle - the next two weeks will see acts like Ladysmith Black Mambazo take over the Big Top while volunteers construct a life-sized cardboard building in Eyre Square, led by the French artist Olivier Grossetête.
Colouring; puzzles; recipes, and more: our HerFamily Shared Moments Of Joy PDF will keep your little ones entertained for hours. You can find it here.
And if you have a child aged six years or older, make sure to enter our amazing Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons competition to be in with a chance of winning a spot on our big family day out at Karibu Farm on July 27.
Alpacas and pot belly pigs appeal to kids and grown-ups alike, so Karibu Pet Farm will entertain mum, dad, granny and uncle Jim equally. This family run pet farm in Maddenstown, Co. Kildare even boasts a playground complete with zip wire, swing boats and large indoor and outdoor picnic areas (so your sandwiches don't get soaked if it happens to pour down during your visit!
That's not all: all participants will be awarded a goodie bag and certificate. All you have to do is fill out the form below:
