A look at what is happening this summer

MAY

Sticky Fingers Festival

May 17-24

Narrow Water Castle, Warrenpoint, and the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre, Newry, Co Down, 048-30257885

www.stickyfingersarts.co.uk

Billed as the first festival for under-eights on these islands, Sticky Fingers has a very impressive international programme of theatre and workshops. Worth checking out are Clay Play from Belgian company Théâtre de la Guimbarde, The Colours of Water from Italy's La Baracca, and The Flea Pit from Cahoots in Northern Ireland.

Féile na Tuaithe

May 26-27

National Museum of Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo, 094-9031773

www.museum.ie

Now in its third year, this family festival celebrates country life, past and present, with traditional children's outdoor games, craft demonstrations and a tented craft and organic food market. The Fanzini Brothers will perform circus tricks and Pied Piper Mary Curran invites children to join her on a walkabout in the park's gardens.

Belfast Children's Festival

May 25-June 3

Belfast City, 048-90312264

www.belfastchildrensfestival.com

Now in its 10th year, this is Northern Ireland's largest children's arts festival. Highlights include a Baby Rave at the Waterfront Hall, workshops and an exhibition on the theme of "the things children love". Also, lots of high-quality theatre shows (check out Jackie's Day from Graffiti Theatre Company), contemporary storytelling, and a workshop programme.

Farmleigh Summer Programme

May-Aug

Farmleigh, Phoenix Park, 01-8155900

www.farmleigh.ie

While the main summer programme for July/August is not yet available and there are no Proms this year, there are free visual-arts workshops for various age groups on Saturdays at 1.30pm throughout May and on the last two Saturdays in June. Activities aside, the magnificent house and gardens provide a welcome retreat for families in summer.

JUNE

Éigse Carlow Arts Festival

June 8-17

Carlow town, 059-9140491

www.eigsecarlow.ie

Oogly Boogly, a dance and movement performance involving up to eight babies (aged 12-18 months) and four adult performers is one of the most unusual events on this year's programme. Banyan Theatre Company bring their version of The Emperor's New Clothes to Éigse this year and visitors to Carlow town will be entertained by street performers. There are also dance and art/illustration workshops.

Spréacha International Arts Festival for Children

June 11-16

Draíocht Arts Centre, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, 01-8852610

www.draiocht.ie

One of Ireland's leading arts festivals for children, Spréacha mixes critically acclaimed international theatre shows with a dynamic visual-arts programme. Unmissables this year include HaHaHa, a tale of circus tricksters from Belgian company Okidok (age seven-plus) and A Cloud's Journey from Germany company Schnawwl Kinder und Jugendtheater am NationalTheater (for three- to six-year-olds). Other highlights include Utopias, an exhibition using mixed-media objects and Building Castles In the Air, a sculpture made from hundreds of cardboard boxes.

Cork Midsummer Festival

June 19-30

Cork City, 021-4215131

www.corkfestival.com

The annual Lord Mayor's Picnic in Fitzgerald Park on June 24 (1pm-5pm) is the main family event, with workshops, performances and boat rides. This year, the over-fives are encouraged to take their dads to The Spaceman, the Irish premiere of UK company Blind Summit's show about astronauts, at the Firkin Crane theatre. Check out family events in the Spiegeltent on Emmet Place, and the late-night shows in the docklands on June 22 and 23 for older children and their families.

National Gallery Children's Workshops

June/July

National Gallery, Merrion St, Dublin, 01-6615133

www.nationalgallery.ie

Children's art workshops are split into two age groups: the Little Masters classes for three- to six-year olds (€15 per week, Tues-Thurs, 11am-noon in July) and the Children's Art Club for seven- to 12-year-olds (€24 per week, Tues-Thurs, 2.15-3.30pm in July). Also, every Sunday at 3pm in June, July and August, children can participate in an art workshop focusing on a different painting in the gallery each week. Admission is free.

The Wiggles

June/July

www.thewiggles.com.au

One of Australia's biggest commercial successes for young children, these all-dancing, all-singing fun-lovin' guys are on tour again. Waterfront Hall, Belfast, June 1, 11am & 2pm, £14, 048-90334455; The Helix, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin on June 2 & 3, 11am & 2pm, €21, children under one are free if seated on an adult's lap, 01-7007000

Music workshops

June-Aug

National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, 01-4170000

www.nch.ie

New this year is a series of workshops in the Iveagh Gardens and a week-long summer camp for seven- to nine-year-olds (July 9-July 13, 10am-2.30pm, €150). In the summer camp, participants will compose a group piece for performance. The camp will be led by composer and animateur, Elaine Agnew. There are also workshops in Brazilian dance, African drumming and storytelling with music.

JULY

Children's Workshops

July 4-Aug 18

The Ark, Eustace St, Temple Bar, Dublin, 01-6707788

www.ark.ie

A series of workshops will run alongside the exhibition, A Century of Toys. Designed to suit various age groups, the workshops will give children opportunities to design jigsaws, create moving figures and flying machines. The workshop programme runs from July 4 to August 18 with family workshops on Sundays.

Earagail Arts Festival

July 7-22

Co Donegal, 074-9120777

www.eaf.ie

Aquatic themes dominate the children's programme at this arts festival in venues throughout Co Donegal. Highlights include award-winning puppet shows, theatre inside an inflatable sperm whale, sand sculpting, a drawing day and outdoor walkabout storytelling.

Chester Beatty Summer Club

July 9-13

Chester Beatty Library,

Dublin Castle, 01-4070750

www.cbl.ie

A series of workshops (for six- to 11-year-olds) exploring science and engineering will be held as part of the Leonardo's Codex Leicester exhibition. The free workshops, which run July 9-13, will be led by the Centre for Advancement of Learning of Maths, Science and Technology and the Waterford Institute of Technology. Booking opens on July 2.

CentreStage Summer School

July

University Concert Hall, University Limerick and LIT Millennium Theatre, Limerick city, 061-213307

www.centrestageireland.com

Musical theatre camps, youth singing master classes and youth theatre camps for those aged six to 18.

Diversions

July/August

Temple Bar, Dublin, 01-6772255

www.templebar.ie

This free season of entertainment includes a week of international circus performances, July 15-22 and Sun shows at 2pm in Meeting House Square from July 1-Aug 12. Part of a wider programme which includes live music performances and outdoor movies, Diversions offers free fantastic cultural treats.

National Museum Summer Workshops

July/Aug

National Museum, Kildare St, Dublin, 01-6486332

www.museum.ie

New this year are the Intrepid Explorers tours for children aged seven and over. Running every Thurs, July 12- Aug 16 at the Natural History Museum, they will include art work, quizzes as well as lots of exploring. Other highlights include two four-day summer schools for seven- to 12-year-olds, 10.30am- 12.30pm, Aug 7-10 and Aug 14-17 at the National Museum of Ireland. There are also weekly family tours at 11.30am on Tues at the National Museum throughout July and August. Booking for all events is essential.

Dublin City Gallery workshops

July/Aug

Dublin City Gallery, Parnell Sq North, Dublin 1, 01-2225553

www.hughlane.ie

Week-long art camps for seven- to 10-year-olds (July 10-13/July 17-20 10.30am-noon, €45) and a two-week drawing and mixed media course for 13- to 17-year-olds (July 10-13 & July 17-20, 2.30pm-4pm, €60) are followed by once-off Thurs morning (11am-noon) artist-led workshops for various age groups in August (€5 per workshop). Meanwhile, free sketching workshops (for aged seven and over) on Sundays at 3pm in May and June.

Ballet Ireland Summer Workshops

July/Aug

Various venues

www.ballet-ireland.com

Cinderella will be the storyline for these week-long workshops which offer children experience in dance, mime, music and drama. This year's venues are Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise, Co Laois (July 2-6, 057-8663355), Glór Irish Music Centre, Ennis, Co Clare (July 9-13, 065-6843103), Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co Wicklow (July 16-20, 01-2724030), Civic Theatre, Tallaght, Dublin (July 23-27, 01-4627477), An Grianán, Letterkenny, Co Donegal (July 30- Aug 3, 0191-20777), Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre, Cookstown, Co Tyrone (Aug 6-10, 048-86769949), Moat Theatre, Naas, Co Kildare (Aug 13-17, 045-883030), Solstice Arts

Centre, Navan, Co Meath (Aug 14-18, 046-9092300) and the Simon Ryan Theatre, Tipperary town (Aug 20-24, 062-80520).

Drama and Movie-Making workshops

July/Aug

Gaiety School of Acting,

Sycamore St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, 01-6799277

www.gaietyschool.com

The school of acting's extensive programme includes drama, acting, movie-making courses in venues in Dublin, Meath, Monaghan, Wexford, Tipperary, Laois and Cork, for eight- to 19-year-olds.

AUGUST

Kilkenny Arts Festival

Aug 10-19

Kilkenny City, 056-7752175

www.kilkennyarts.ie

Highlights include a family gig by Dervish on Aug 18, readings and workshops by children's authors, and storywriting workshops facilitated by the Ark.

Festival of World Cultures

Aug 24-26

Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, 01-2047271

www.festivalofworldcultures.com

The children's programme centres around the People's Park where performances, workshops, circus acts and storytelling are aimed at young audiences. New this year is a series of ethnic workshops.

Compiled by Sylvia Thompson