We have a range of activities over the summer holidays for children, teenagers and young people.
Our summer camps and summer workshops offer an opportunity to try out new things or work on creative projects together. We have activities for children and young people in the following age bands: aged 7 to 10 years, aged 10 to 12 years, aged 13 to 15 years, and aged 13 to 18 years.
Booking for summer camps opens on Friday, 8 May at 10 am. Places are very limited, so advanced booking is advised.
There is a small charge of up to €12 for our three-day camps for one participant, or €20 for two or more participants in the same family. This is to go towards the cost of equipment and refreshments. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
We also have weekly activities for children aged 5 years and under, and our drop-in Make and Create workshops on Saturdays which is suitable for all ages.
Our partnership with Big Bang Festival of Rhythm returns to Richmond Barracks this summer, with African drumming and dance workshops for all ages over 12 years.
The full list of activities are below. You can view our full programme and book your place on our What's On page.
Saturdays, drop in from 2 pm to 3.30 pm
Make and create together at these family friendly drop-in workshops. Each Saturday join a different artist to explore art and crafts and try something new. These are drop-in workshops so no booking is required. These workshops are suitable for all ages. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. You can call in any time between 2 pm and 3.30 pm. Please note there will be no Make and Create on 20 June due to the Richmond Barracks Summer Solstice Fair.
Come spend some time in the garden anytime during our opening hours. If you’d like, we can give you our Biodiversity Self-Guided Worksheet for your children to explore the garden with puzzles, maps and information about the garden and biodiversity. Just ask at reception. It is also available to download here.
Chime in and Play: Music and Movement (ages 18 months to 5)
Fridays 12 June to 17 July, 3 pm; duration 1 hour
Chime in and Play is a weekly music and movement workshop for children and their grown ups. Join Artist in Residence Shane McGrath to explore different music styles, and to play, sing and move!
Little Gardeners (ages 1 to 5)
Thursdays 25 June to 16 July, 11 am; duration 1 hour
Little Gardeners is a workshop for babies, toddlers and young children aged 5 and under and their parent or carer. Let’s explore the Richmond Barracks garden and its biodiversity together! Join Eco-Gardener Polly Rowley-Sams to learn about different ways to encourage biodiversity and take part in some gardening in an environmentally-aware way.
Little Crafters (ages 1 to 5)
Fridays 24 July to 28 August, 3.30 pm; duration 1 hour
Join us for a weekly themed craft session for children and their grown ups. Led by crafter and educator Lisa O’Connor, each week we will explore new materials and get creative together. Each workshop will have different activities for both children and adults to take part in together.
3-Day Green Club Biodiversity Summer Camp (ages 7 to 10)
Wednesday 29, Thursday 30 and Friday 31 July, 10.30 am; duration 2 hours
Learn about biodiversity and nature, try out some eco-gardening and spend time in the outdoors. Join Eco-Gardener Polly Rowley-Sams for a three-day biodiversity summer camp and discover more about native Irish animals, plants and the environment.
There is a small charge of €12 for the three days for one participant, or €20 for two or more participants in the same family, to go towards the cost of equipment and refreshments. Children do not need to be accompanied by an adult during the camp, but will need permission from a parent or guardian to take part.
You can also book the 3-Day Printmaking Camp (see below) that runs on the same days from 1 pm to 2.30 pm. To make the booking process easier you can add tickets for both workshops to your basket before going to checkout. If your child is attending both camps, please provide them with a packed lunch. There will be a supervised lunchtime between 12.30 pm and 1 pm.
3-Day Printmaking Camp (ages 7 to 10)
Wednesday 29, Thursday 30 and Friday 31 July 1 pm; duration 90 minutes
Discover different ways of being creative through printmaking. Join Artist in Residence Shannon Jade Wilson for a three-day printmaking camp to experiment with different ways of making art. Using nature as inspiration you will experiment with different shapes and textures, explore techniques like collage and monoprint and try out using natural printing inks made from nature.
There is a small charge of €10 for the three days for one participant, or €15 for two or more participants in the same family, to go towards the cost of equipment and refreshments. Children do not need to be accompanied by an adult during the camp, but will need permission from a parent or guardian to take part.
You can also book the 3-Day Green Club Biodiversity Camp (see above) that runs on the same days from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. To make the booking process easier you can add tickets for both workshops to your basket before going to checkout. If your child is attending both camps, please provide them with a packed lunch. There will be a supervised lunchtime between 12.30 pm and 1 pm.
3-Day Making and Gaming Camp (ages 10 to 12)
Wednesday 8, Thursday 9 and Friday 10 July, 11 am; duration 2 hours
Learn electronics and technology skills. Join facilitator Aidan Fitzmaurice for a three-day making and gaming camp and try out electronics projects, make your own board games and explore retro computer games.
There is a small charge of €12 for the three days for one participant, or €20 for two or more participants in the same family, to go towards the cost of equipment and refreshments. Children do not need to be accompanied by an adult during the camp, but will need permission from a parent or guardian to take part.
Introduction to Stop Motion Animation (ages 10 to 12)
Wednesday 5 August, 11 am; duration 3 hours
Learn how to create stop-motion animation. Join animator Paul Madden and turn your ideas and characters into moving stories. You can bring a doll, an action figure or an everyday object of your own to animate, or you can choose something at the workshop. Children do not need to be accompanied by an adult during the camp, but will need permission from a parent or guardian to take part.
African Drumming Workshops (adults and ages 12+)
Saturdays 27 June to 25 July, 10.30 am; duration 1 hour
Take part in drumming workshops as part of the Big Bang Festival of Rhythm. The workshops will start with warm ups and technique tips. They will concentrate on the rhythms of the Mandingue people of West Africa, rhythms made for the popular hand drum, the djembe and the less well known accompanying dun duns. Beginners and improvers are welcome. Drums will be provided or you can bring your own. You can book to come to one workshop or as many as you like. People under 18 will need permission from a parent or guardian to take part on their own.
Stay afterwards for the dance workshop from 12 pm to 1.15 pm and join the dance or the live drummers. These workshops will take place in the Richmond Barracks garden, either outdoors on the grass, or in wet weather, under the tent.
African Dance Workshops (adults and ages 12+)
Saturdays 27 June to 25 July, 12 pm; duration 75 minutes
Take part in West African Dance workshops as part of the Big Bang Festival of Rhythm. Curated by Catherine Young Dance, each workshop is accompanied by live drumming. Bring water and dress to sweat! You can book to come to one workshop or as many as you like. People under 18 will need permission from a parent or guardian to take part on their own. These workshops will take place in the Richmond Barracks garden, either outdoors on the grass, or in wet weather, under the tent.
Art Making for Teens (ages 13 to 18)
Tuesdays 30 June to 11 August, 1.30 pm; duration 90 minutes. Participants are welcome to stay until 4.30 pm to use the space to hang out and make art together.
Join visual artist Claire Crowley in these workshops exploring creative art making. Try out different art forms such as sculpture, painting and printing while working with different materials each week. Young people do not need to be accompanied by an adult during the workshop, but will need permission from a parent or guardian to take part.
3-Day Making and Gaming Workshop (ages 13 to 15)
Wednesday 8, Thursday 9 and Friday 10 July, 2 pm; duration 2 hours
Learn electronics and technology skills. Join facilitator Aidan Fitzmaurice for a three-day making and gaming workshop and try out electronics projects, make your own boardgames and explore retro computer games.
There is a small charge of €12 for the three days for one participant, or €20 for two or more participants in the same family, to go towards the cost of equipment and refreshments. Young people do not need to be accompanied by an adult during the workshop, but will need permission from a parent or guardian to take part.
2-Day Stop Motion Animation Workshop (ages 13 to 15)
Thursday 6 and Friday 7 August, 2 pm; duration 2 and a half hours
Learn how to create stop-motion animation. Join animator Paul Madden for a two-day workshop. You will brainstorm ideas, create characters from everyday objects, make a storyboard and then bring your idea to life. This workshop requires no previous experience with animation just a willingness to experiment and get creative. You will use a smartphone or tablet to make your animation using a free animation app called Stop Motion Studio. We can provide a tablet to use, or you are welcome to use your own device.
There is a small charge of €10 for the two days for one participant, or €15 for two or more participants in the same family, to go towards the cost of equipment and refreshments. Young people do not need to be accompanied by an adult during the workshop, but will need permission from a parent or guardian to take part.
Visit our What's On page to see our full programme of activities.
We hope to see you soon!
Posted 06 May 2026
Tagged with: News