Primary Times Autumn/Winter Listings

Take a look at our Days Out this autumn – packed with family events, seasonal fun, and local activities to enjoy together. Check venue websites for the latest timings, and don’t forget to follow us for more local highlights and family news this season. 

Parent and Child Cooking Workshops 

Venue: Airfield Estate 

Website: https://www.airfield.ie/ 

Discover the joy of cooking alongside your child at Airfield's delightful Parent & Child Cooking Workshops! 10am – 12:30pm monthly on a Saturday. 

 

Kids' Drop by Activities

Venue: Botanic Garden

Website: www.botanicgardens.ie

Fun activities in the dedicated Children’s Erasmus Education Garden! Each week there will be a different activity to help you to become an expert gardener. Sow your own vegetable and flower seeds, play some nature games, make seed bombs, design bug hotels or re-use everyday things to create your own piece of eco-art. Suitable from ages 4 and up. All children must bring their own grown-up! 

 

Free Wednesday

Venue: OPW Heritage Sites

Website: www.heritageireland.ie

On the first Wednesday of every month, a variety of heritage sites managed by the OPW throw their doors open to the public. Take the family out for FREE to historic sites such as Casino Marino, Farmleigh House and Estate and Rathfarnam Castle.  

 

Viking Ireland: Family Tours

Venue: National Museum of Archaeology

Website: www.museum.ie

See a replica fishing boat, examine the beautiful oval brooches worn by Scandinavian women, and discover ice skates made of bone! Discover what life was like in Viking Dublin, and see the wider impact that the Vikings had on Ireland. This tour is for families, but all ages are welcome to join!  Not wheelchair accessible.  Places allocated on a first come first served basis. Meet in the Reception, on the ground floor. Families with children 7+.

 

Sunday Family Drop-in Workshop

Venue: National Gallery of Ireland

Website: www.nationalgallery.ie

Explore your creative side in the Gallery’s iconic Shaw Room at this drop-in family workshop. Artist Eve Parnell will lead this workshop, inspired by the Gallery's collection. Free, no booking required. Families with children of all ages welcome. All materials provided. Languages spoken: Irish and English.

 

Public Tour - Family Tours

Venue: National Gallery of Ireland

Website: www.nationalgallery.ie

Join us for a special tour designed for children and their guardians, parents and carers. We welcome families and visitors of all ages and aim to make the artworks fun and engaging for kids. Meet your tour guide in the Courtyard, near the Merrion Square entrance. All public tours are fully accessible to people who are hard of hearing and use a tour guide system with T-loop capabilities.

 

Parent and Baby Tours

Venue: Hugh Lane Gallery 

Website: www.hughlane.ie 

Tours cover different aspects of the Hugh Lane Gallery collection displays and exhibitions. Prams and buggies are welcome. Followed by tea/coffee and further conversation. Fee: €5.

 

Sunday Sketching

Venue: Hugh Lane Gallery 

Website: www.hughlane.ie 

Free family-friendly sketching workshops. Suited for ages 6-12. Parents stay with their children and are welcome to participate.

September Equinox

Start: 22-09-2025

Venue: Nationwide

This marks the end of Summer and the official beginning of Autumn. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. 

 

The Speks

Start: 16-11-2025

Venue: Mermaid Art Centre

Website: https://www.mermaidartscentre.ie/

The Speks present a lively show of nursery rhymes and sing-along songs set to acoustic Irish music which will have adults and kids jumping in their seats! Their handclapping, toe-tapping, hearty-laughing show is all about life on Glasses Island – a magical island off the coast of Co. Clare where everybody wears glasses! This will be a great, fun event for kids aged 2 to 92!

 

Science Week 

Start: 09-11-2025 | End: 16-11-2025

Website: www.sfi.ie 

Celebrating science in our everyday lives. Science Week includes a wide variety of events involving industry, colleges, schools, libraries, teachers, researchers and students throughout Ireland. Science Week has a number of regional festivals offering a range of opportunities for the public to engage with STEM in across Ireland.

 

World Children's Day

Start: 20-11-2025

Venue: Worldwide

Website: www.unicef.org 

World Children’s Day is UNICEF’s annual day of action for children, by children.

 

Polar Bear & Penguin by Paul Curley & John Currivan

Start: 05-12-2025 | End: 06-12-2025

Venue: Mermaid Art Centre

Website: https://www.mermaidartscentre.ie/

Following a sell out run in The Ark in 2022 and performances at Sydney Opera House, The Egg, Bath, Ottawa Children's Festival and Spoleto Festival USA Polar Bear & Penguin is coming back to the Mermaid for a limited run this December. A charming play for young audiences written and performed by John Currivan & Paul Curley, Polar Bear & Penguin tells the tale of an unlikely encounter between a Polar Bear and a Penguin.
This is the story of polar opposite characters meeting for the first time, getting to know one another and learning how to survive in a world that is melting beneath their feet...paws...flippers.

 

Causey Christmas Experience  

Start: 23-11-2025 | End: 23-12-2025

Venue: Causey Farm

Website: www.causey.ie

All the sheds have different Christmas-themed events and everyone moves from place to place to sample each new experience. Causey Farm comes alive with a festive atmosphere –with all the traditional charm and magic you’d expect. 

 

Wicklow Christmas Market

Venue: Leitrim Place Wicklow

Website: www.wicklowchristmasmarket.com

Returning with the popular Eco Ice Skating Rink and NEW Santa Express Book Now! The Market is FREE to the public, with over 50 twinkling chalets offering food, activities and entertainment for the whole family. 

 

Wild Lights

Venue: Dublin Zoo

 

Santa's House Express

Start: 22-11-2025 | End: 23-12-2025

Venue: Palmerstown House Estate 

Website: www.Santashouseexpress.ie 

Meet Santa's Merry Elves in their departure lounge, Sing along with the reindeer, Meet a mischievous special guest in the Ice Cave, Magical Train Ride to Santa’s Manor, Stories and festive treats with Mrs. Claus, Personal family meet and chats with Santa, A brand new cuddly, collectable sustainable gift for each child, All new immersive digital experiences and a Family Funfair. 

 

Taylor's Santa Experience 

Start: 25-11-2025 | End: 24-12-2025

Venue: Three Rock Hotel

Website: www.taylorssantaexperience.ie 

Taylors Christmas Santa Experience has taken the traditional Santa Grotto Experience & brought a whole new meaning to this festive activity. With a high energy show, a full theatrical production, Santa, Ms. Claus, dancing Elves, magical wonderland walk way, Santa Meet & Greet, photo opportunity, presents – we guarantee this will get everyone in the mood for the Christmas season! 

 

Farmleigh Christmas Market

Venue: Farmleigh Estate 

Website: www.farmleigh.ie 

Join in on the festivities every Saturday & Sunday of December for the Christmas Market at Farmleigh. There will be a great selection of hand-crafted products all made in Ireland along with a wide variety of food and treats for all the family, even for your pet dog. Come along to join the festive fun!