Child's Play (Part 2)

Drama, Media And Cookery

The Gaiety School of Acting: June 28th to August 13th

The Young Gaiety Summer School held in Temple Bar and Blackrock, Co Dublin explores voice, movement, characterisation and more effective self-expression through improvised drama games (two-week courses for eight to 15-year-olds, start dates: June 28th, July 12th and July 26th. Cost £110). Meanwhile the Youth Theatre Summer School explores the same areas, together with the study of texts (two-week courses for 16 to 19-year-olds, dates and cost as above).

The Gaiety School of Acting also runs week-long courses in making a play for 11 to 13-year-olds, and making a movie for 14 and 15-year-olds. (August 9th to 13th; cost £130, £145 respectively). Tel: 01-6799277.

Act One Drama School: June 28th to July 23rd

One-week courses for six to eight-year-olds (cost £80) and two-week courses for nine to 12-year-olds (cost £170) begin next Monday in the Rathfarnham Memorial Hall, Terenure, Dublin. Subjects covered include Latin American dance and hip-hop, a drumming workshop, mask-making and a behind-the-cameras look at RTE television. Tel: 014961018.

The Ark

Radio Heads is the fun title of a workshop in which eight to 12-year-olds and 10 to 14-year-olds will make their own radio programme. August 26th to 28th, 11 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. Tickets £5 and £15 for three-session module.

Pop Ark is an in-depth exploration of the process of recording led by David Boyd and Conor Brady for 11 to 14-year-olds. August 26th to 29th, 11 a.m. to

12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. Tickets £5 per day and £20 for a four-day module.

Six to eight-year-olds will make an animal sock puppet as part of the Odd Sock puppet workshop run by Puca Puppets. August 27th to 29th, 11 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. Tickets £5. Tel: 01-6707788 for details on all workshops at the Ark.

Dry Rain Theatre Summer Camp: July 5th to 16th

Two weeks of theatre games, mime, costume-making, set painting and more for seven to 12-year-olds at Dargle Road, Bray, Co Wicklow. Cost £50. Tel: 01-2866830.

Busy Bee Summer School of Cooking: until August 27th

BOYS and girls aged between eleven 11 and sixteen 16 can hone their culinary skills at this long-established cookery school in Killiney, Co Dublin, led by Bee Mannix-Walsh. Start dates for two-week morning courses are July 5th, 19th and August 3rd and 16th. Course fee £135. Tel: 012858674.

Sports

Tennis: July/August

As another Wimbledon tournament volleys into action, over 23,000 children in 14 counties will have an opportunity to take lessons on their public/community tennis courts this summer. Registration takes place in most venues (Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Kildare, Wicklow, Donegal, Belfast and Armagh) on June 30th, with lessons beginning on Thursday, July 1st. Tel: 01-8338711.

Soccer: June 28th to August 27th

Football courses for boys and girls aged eight to 16 are co-ordinated by the Football Association of Ireland. These soccer schools run from Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. (11 a.m. on Monday) to 4 p.m. in various college and clubs throughout the country. Tel: 01-6766864.

Sailing: July/August

Keen to learn to sail, windsurf, steer a powerboat or chart a course along the inland waterways? If so, call the Irish Sailing Association for their list of certified courses, from Clare to Donegal, Wexford to Leitrim. Tel: 012800239. Alternatively, check out the Glenans Irish Sailing programme - who offer Language Sail courses, which combine sail training and French lessons. Tel: 01-6611481.

Horse Riding

Riding schools throughout the country offer lessons and ride-outs for beginners and experienced riders. Contact the Association of Irish Riding Establishments for more details. Tel: 045-431584.