It has been a long year. Children have spent much of the past 12 months away from their friends – not going to school and also not participating in clubs and camps.
At least, not in person. Like school, many organisations that run camps for children and teenagers have moved online over the past year – and several are offering ways to distract and entertain your children during the upcoming two-week Easter break.
Here are some of the best.
[ Academy of CodeOpens in new window ]
There are two three-day coding camps over the Easter break, perfect for beginners and intermediate coders alike. The mission is to making coding fun, using tutors and small class sizes. Beginners learn how to use Scratch, while older or more experienced students learn 'Processing'.
Format Two three-day camps (March 29th-31st and April 6th-8th), delivered via Zoom, with children divided into junior primary pupils (second to fourth classes), senior primary pupils (fifth and sixth classes) and secondary students.
Cost One week: €40 primary, €59 secondary; two weeks: €70 primary, €110 secondary.
Age Eight to 18 years.
Website theacademyofcode.com
[ Alliance FrançaiseOpens in new window ]
Whatever your child's level of French, the classes by Alliance Française Dublin will be led by native-French qualified teachers. While these holiday programmes are designed to be as lively and fun as possible, their content meet the requirements of the syllabus.
Format Online tuition through its e-learning platform, March 29th-30th and April 8th-9th.
Cost €25-€50.
Age Four to six years; seven to 10 years; junior cycle; leaving cycle and Leaving Certificate exam.
Website alliance-francaise.ie
[ Aniar Cookery ClassesOpens in new window ]
Michelin-starred Aniar restaurant owner and chef JP McMahon in Galway is hosting an eight-week cookery course for children starting on Sunday, April 11th. The course will teach children how to make crowd-pleasing and family-friendly foods, such as lasagna, pancakes, bread and even roast chicken.
Format Classes will be held via Zoom each Sunday from 11am to 1pm (the Saturday class is already booked up), and students will also have the option of cooking along with JP or tuning into the class later when it suits them.
Cost Full course is €250, with individual classes €35 (ingredients list and required tools shared in advance).
Age Eight to 15 years.
Website aniarrestaurant.ie
[ Anyone4ScienceOpens in new window ]
Always looking for enjoyable ways to teach children about science, eggs are going to be the theme for the Easter camp – does an egg sink or float in water? How to turn an egg into a bouncy ball. What are the physical and chemical properties of eggs. How to grow crystals in an egg. You get the idea.
Format Four-day camps delivered via Zoom, with a pack of specialist materials arriving in the post before the sessions commence. Easter dates are March 29th-April 1st or April 6th-9th (two sessions per day, 10am-10.45am and 11am-11.45am).
Cost €80 (including the kit).
Age Seven to 12 years (younger children are welcome but might need parental help).
Website anyone4science.com
[ ArtzoneOpens in new window ]
There are art portfolios running over the two weeks of Easter holidays, with drawing, painting, collage, clay construction, etc. Materials can be booked from the site and collected or sent to your address, or you can source them yourself.
Format Live on Zoom for one hour each day (workshop recordings are sent after the class to catch-up, finish off or redo).
Cost Each four day camp is €40.
Age Art camps are for all ages, Academy Camps for eight to 14 years.
Website artzone.ie
[ Cool Food SchoolOpens in new window ]
The focus is on providing online classes where children enjoy learning to cook healthy meals for themselves. In the Easter camp, children will get to cook a tasty meal just in time for lunch each day and make some healthy treats into the bargain. Apart from the Easter camp, there are regular classes, such as one making green soup and oat bread for St Patrick's Day and another on April 1st making healthy carrot cake muffins.
Format The three-day camp runs from March 29th to 31st, from 11am to 1pm each day.
Cost €50 for all three days, or €20 for one day.
Age Various.
Website thecoolfoodschool.ie
[ Find Your Essential NatureOpens in new window ]
Format Two three-day courses, via Zoom, on March 30th to April 1st, and April 6th to 8th (10am-11.30am each day).
Cost €50 (no charge for siblings).
Age 7-12 years.
Website findyouressentialnature.ie
[ Gaiety School of ActingOpens in new window ]
The school are used to running creative camps to keep children entertained. This Easter, the Gaiety School of Acting is running five camps for various age groups – Harry Potter: Make a Movie; The Descendants: Musical Theatre; Roald Dahl: Drama Camp; Casting Call; and Mamma Mia: Musical Theatre.
Format The camps are via Zoom (from 10am to 3pm) on April 5th-9th.
Cost €120 for younger camps, €200 for older ones.
Age Eight to 18 years.
Website gaietyschool.com
[ Healthy Ever After KidsOpens in new window ]
Family favourites with a healthy twist, Fiona McEvoy – who runs virtual cooking classes every Tuesday and Thursday at 4.30pm – is hosting a two-hour camp on Saturday, April 10th.
Format The class, via Zoom, takes place from 3pm to 5pm, with children guided through three recipes.
Cost €20.
Age Eight to 14 years.
Website healthyeverafter.ie
[ Instituto CervantesOpens in new window ]
The organisation is running intensive courses in Spanish for teenagers during the Easter break. Delivered by native speakers, the programme caters for students with a previous knowledge of Spanish and is designed to boost practical language usage. Consisting of engaging activities which aim to improve reading, listening, written and speaking skills, it has a particular focus on interactive oral exercises.
Format Run via Zoom, there will be four two-hour classes running from March 29th to April 1st.
Cost €100.
Age First year to sixth.
Website dublin.cervantes.es
[ Junior EinsteinsOpens in new window ]
The science club will be running several virtual Stem sessions online over the Easter break. "We have an Eggsperiments session running every day filled with messy Eggy experiments including Egg Engineering and fascinating egg facts." Junior Einsteins include a broad range of Stem subjects in their online sessions – including anatomy, forensics, fossils, engineering, marine biology, ecology, geology, physics and chemistry.
Format Junior Einsteins Science Club went online doing webinars for primary children in March 2020. They now also offer online sessions in a monthly online subscription.
Cost Prices vary depending on the event.
Age Six to 12 years.
Website junioreinsteinsscienceclub.com
[ Little LinguaOpens in new window ]
Little Lingua's award-winning camps are back this Easter. Children join in the fun of learning a language – Irish, French or Spanish – through songs, stories and play.
Format Online language camps delivered via Zoom, with weekly five-day camps as well as term-time classes.
Cost €60.
Age Primary school, from first class to sixth.
Website littlelingua.com
[ Next StageOpens in new window ]
Interactive singing, dance and drama for ages four to 14 with an at-home performance for family on the final day. The focus is on building confidence, having fun and meeting friends while improving performance skills from the comfort of your own home.
Format Delivered via Zoom from March 29th to April 1st.
Cost €25 (four to nine years); €30 (eight to 14 years). Family discount available.
Age Four age groups daily: four to five years and six to seven years (90 minutes each day); and eight to nine years and 10 to 14 years (two hours each day).
Website nextstage.ie
[ PlayActOpens in new window ]
Limerick native Adrienne Lee has developed a weekly live online drama and theatre experience where children and teenagers can socially interact, connect and enjoy learning to act, write, and more. And PlayAct is running several Easter camps for those into acting, storytelling, improvisation and games.
Format The Easter camps take place from Wednesday, March 31st, to Friday, April 2nd (11am-noon for three to six years, and noon-3pm for six to 18 years).
Cost €50-€112.50.
Age Three to 18 years.
Website playact.ie
[ Rozanne StevensOpens in new window ]
A seasonal online class, with a strong sustainability message around local fresh produce. Each day has a menu of three recipes: a main dish, side and a sweet treat. The children are taught classic French cooking techniques and culinary terms, as well as knife skills, food safety, proper food storage and zerowaste practices.
Format The "Susty Kids Easter Cookalong Camp" takes place from March 29th to April 2nd via Zoom (4pm-6pm). Rozanne is also running an Easter Monday baking class (April 5th, 2pm-4.30pm).
Cost €85. The Easter Monday class is €25.
Age Ten to 14 years.
Website rozannestevens.com
[ StarcampOpens in new window ]
The theme for the Easter camp is "The Mad Hatter's Party", which sounds like it will be an entertaining three days. The camp is an all-singing, all-dancing, collection of all things fun. Starcamp is also offering a free two-hour St Patrick's Day show (with children able to upload entries to win prizes in competitions including singing, art, baking and costume).
Format Easter camp is three prerecorded videos, with access from March 29th to April 11th.
Cost €25 (discount if booking with Summer Club).
Age Four to 12 years.
Website starcamp.ie
[ Tutti Music IrelandOpens in new window ]
A workshop for young musicians of orchestral instruments, this course is designed to prepare musicians for online performance and exam or audition recordings. The camp includes instruction in performing and recording, optimising your environment and equipment, conducting and performance platforms with professional musicians.
Format Two-day camp via Zoom: April 9th-10th (10am-3pm).
Cost €110.
Age Ten to 15 years.
Website TuttiMusicIreland.com
