Circus

The Moscow State Circus at Blackrock Park, Booterstown, Co Dublin: shows run at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., December 26thJanuary 4th; 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. January 6th9th and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. January 10th18th. Tickets: adults £8 £20, children £6£12. Advance booking, Tel: 087-241 5503. Box office open on site from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. (see right for more details).

Theatre

The Christmas Cafe at the Ark, Dublin: devised by the musician-in-residence, Nico Brown, this one promises to be full of musical magical mayhem. Performances on December 20th and 21st at 2.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.; December 27th and 28th at 2.30 p.m. and January 2nd4th at 2.30 p.m. Tickets: adults £5, children £3.50. Suitable for 4-6-year-olds.

The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast: a new production of C.S. Lewis's popular children's tale of Narnia. Continues until January 10th with shows at 2.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. No performances December 25th, 26th and January 5th. Tickets: adults £9, children £7. Tel: Belfast 381081.

Musicals

Showboat at the Waterworld, Portrush: the epic tale of life aboard the Cotton Blossom on the Mississippi River over 40 years and three generations performed by the award-winning Ballywillan Drama Group on a revolving set. Opens January 15th at 7.30 p.m. Shows run TuesdaySaturday at 7.30 p.m. and Saturdays at 1.45 p.m. until January 31st. Tickets £5, £6. Tel: 0801265-822500.

Hansel And Gretel at the Riverside Theatre, Coleraine: Kabosh Theatre Company presents its enchanting musical adaptation of the Brothers Grimm classic tale. Performances December 19th, 20th, 22nd and 23rd at 7.30 p.m., December 26th at 5.30 p.m. Matinees at 2.30 p.m. on December 20th and 27th. Tickets: adults £7, children £5. Tel: 080126551388.

Art Workshops

National Gallery Art Holiday: this annual post-Christmas creative frenzy is open to all 5-12-year-olds, 3 p.m.4.30 p.m. on December 29th, 30th and 31st. Bring your own paper, crayons and colouring pencils. No booking necessary. Admission free. Led by artists Geraldine O'Neill, John Keating and Grainne Dowling.

Triskel Christmas Art Project: make your own Christmas cards and wrapping paper and try your hand at printing. The last in a series of four workshops for 5-12-yearolds is on December 20th. The You Can Play Too painting workshops for pre-school children begin again on January 7th. All at the Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street, Cork. Tel: 021-272022. Children's Workshops at the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum: Make your own gifts and decorations in this Co Antrim museum. Sessions at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. December 22nd and 23rd. Cost: £1.25 for each child. Tel: Lisburn 663377.

Carols

A Christmas Festival at the National Concert Hall: Dublin County Choir is joined by the Billie Barry children and the Stedfast Band in the main auditorium, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin on December 20th and 21st at 8 p.m. Tickets: adults £7£9, children £5. Tel: 014751572.

Carols for Fun at the National Concert Hall: the Lindsay Singers, the Young Lindsays and the Linnettes will be directed by Ethna Barror on December 21st at 3.15 p.m. Tickets: £8, £5. Tel: 01-4751572.

Afternoon of Music and Festive Readings with Palestrina Choir and Brass Ensemble in the Pro-Cathedral, Marlborough Street, Dublin: December 21st at 3.30 p.m.

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin: no tickets are required for this festive celebration on December 21st at 3.15 p.m. However, you are advised to arrive early as this is a very popular event.

Christmas Concert at the University Concert Hall, Limerick: the pupils of Laurel Hill Secondary School join the Limerick Choral Union in this festive concert on December 21st at 8 p.m. Tickets: £10. Tel: 061-331549. The Glory of Christmas at the National Concert Hall: Dublin Concert Orchestra, Carlow Choral Society and St Bartholomew's Children Choir promise to capture the true spirit of Christmas in this performance on December 22nd at 8 p.m. Tickets: £9.50£19.50. Tel: 014751572.

St Mary and St Anne's Cathedral, Cork: St Vincent's secondary school carol service is on December 19th at 2 p.m.

St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork: Christmas carol service with children from the cathedral choir at 3.30 p.m. on December 21st. Arrive early as space is limited.

Galway Cathedral: Junior Carol Service with children from the cathedral junior choir on December 21st at 4 p.m.

St Nicholas Collegiate Church, Galway: Christmas carol service on December 21st at 4 p.m. (arrive early as this is a popular event).

The Snowman Family Concert at the Ulster Hall:

The Ulster Orchestra, presented by Johnny Ball, with seasonal show on December 19th at 7.45 p.m. and December 20th at 3 p.m. and 7.45 p.m. Tickets: £5 £16.50. Extra performance in the Anderstown Leisure Centre, Belfast. Tickets: £2, £1. Tel: Belfast 668798.

African Children's Choir Spectacular at the Belfast Waterfront Hall: the second of two concerts is on tomorrow at 8 p.m. Tickets £15.50 and £10.50. Tel: Belfast 334455.

Cribs

Pro-Cathedral, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1: while some of the figures are in place on December 20th, the baby Jesus itself is added by a midwife from the Rotunda Hospital during 10 p.m. Mass on Christmas Eve, led by the Archbishop, Desmond Connell.

St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin: the sixth-class pupils of St Patrick's Cathedral Choir School make this simple crib, in place in the Baptistry from December 18th.

Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin: this crib, complete with feeding, scratching, lowing live animals, is in front of the Lord Mayor's town house over the festive season (see panel on opposite page).

The Moving Crib, St Martin Apostolate, 42 Parnell Square, Dublin: the original of the species. The story of Jesus is told with nodding, hand-waving figures in quirky scenes from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Opening hours, MondayFriday, 2 p.m.6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11.30 a.m. 6 p.m.

GPO Crib: a traditional Nativity scene with friendly, furry figures that move, in the public office of the General Post Office, O'Connell Street, Dublin. Free entertainment from choirs and quartets at 1 p.m. daily until December 24th.

St Mary And St Anne's Cathedral, Cork: the crib takes up a more than usually prominent position in the freshly renovated cathedral. Local children will join a procession to the crib at 6 p.m. Mass on Christmas Eve.

St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork: the crib is placed at the west end of the cathedral and remains there until after the feast of the Epiphany on January 6th.

Galway Cathedral: The calming sound of running water is an interesting feature of this crib, situated in the Mortuary Chapel. The wise men, as in most cribs, are added on January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany.

St Nicholas Collegiate Church, Galway: the crib, which is being created by the church's mother-and-toddler group, is being reinstated after a long absence this year. In place from December 21st at the Chapel of Christ.

Outdoors

Dublin Zoo: open MondayFriday, 9.30 a.m.4 p.m., Saturday 9.30 a.m.4 p.m. and Sunday 10.30 a.m.4 p.m. Closed Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day. Opening hours extend to 4.30 p.m. in January. Admission: adults £5.80, children aged 3-16 £3.10, (under 3s free). Tel: 01-6771425.

Ski Club of Ireland, Kilternan, Co Dublin: lessons for 7-14-year-olds at 10.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Lessons for over 14-year-olds at 7.30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Advance booking essential. Tel: 01-2955658. Cost: £13 each lesson (include ski and boot hire). Closed December 24th-26th. Back to nature:

just get your boots, coat, mittens and scarf on, drag a responsible adult away from the bumper Christmas edition of The Irish Times, psyche the dog into a needywalk mood and head for a wood or forest. Alternatively, take a ramble on a frosty beach to check out what little sea-creatures emerge from the sandy ocean on days like these.

Don't forget to leave some crumbs out for the wrens and robins who will find foraging for food extra difficult these days. And for those keen to join an organised group, the Wildfowl And Wetlands Trust, Castle Espie, Comber, Co Down invites you to join its Boxing Day Treasure Hunt, all day long. Meanwhile, the Oxford Island National Nature Reserve

in Northern Ireland is hosting a New Year's Day Nature Trail at 11 a.m. Tel: 0801762-322205.

Horse Riding

Those who own horses and ponies will, no doubt, be riding out over the holidays, and those who would like to test their prowess can join a pony camp or go on a trek or mock hunt. Here are some suggestions.

The Ashtown Riding Stables, Navan Road, Ashtown, Dublin 15 is one of the few schools in Dublin which is open throughout the Christmas period (except Christmas Day). Cost: adults £12, children £7 for an hour. Tel: 01-8383807.

Brennanstown Riding School, Hollybrook, Kilmacanogue, Bray, Co Wicklow has a feast of activities for children over the Christmas period. These include three-day non-residential courses from tomorrow and December 29th; children's ride-outs on December 24th and January 1st, and a special Christmas Show with pony club games on December 20th. Tel: 01-2863778.

Broadmeadow Equestrian Centre, Bullstown, Ashbourne, Co Meath is also running a three-day non-residential children's pony camp from December 30th. A mock hunt on St Stephen's Day is open to children with riding experience. Tel: 01-835 2823.

For information on other riding schools, the Equestrian Holidays Ireland brochure is available at your local tourist office.

Playgrounds

Some of the best equipped and most imaginatively laid-out playgrounds in the capital can provide amazing fun and brilliant energyquenching breaks from tinselled-out homes. These are to be found at Bushy Park, Terenure, Marlay Park, Rathfarnham, St Anne's Park, Dollymount and Malahide Castle, all in Co Dublin.

Fun Factories

For those indomitable spirits who just have to keep moving, grooving and partying, the Leisureplexes in Coolock (Malahide Road, Tel: 01-8485722), Stillorgan (Old Bray Road, Tel: 01-2881656), Tallaght (Village Green Centre, Tel: 014599411) Cork (1 MacCurtain Street, Tel: 021505155)

are open every day except Christmas Day, with bowling and Quasar for older kids, Zoo for younger ones and snooker for quieter types. Be warned, don't go just after a big festive lunch. From £2.10£6.95 for a game. Closed on Christmas Day.

Cookery

The Busy Bee Christmas Holiday Cookery Course, Killiney, Co Dublin: this hands-on course for 11-16-year-olds runs December 29thJanuary 2nd and January 5th8th, 11 a.m.1 p.m. daily. Cost: £60 which includes all equipment and ingredients. Tel: 01-2858674.