Rain & Shine

Tips and tricks for getting through the summer.

Inside track

With careful planning you should be able to avoid most of the pitfalls of travelling with children. Boredom is your greatest enemy. A good way to keep the novelty factor high on a flight or long car journey is to bring some new games, preferably ones that take a long time to figure out. But don't forget their favourite toy: getting children to sleep in a strange bedroom without Teddy is no joke. And make sure to pack a large box of tissues or wipes and extra drinks. A plastic sheet will also save you from the agonies of wet hotel sheets.

... Roísín Fitzgerald, Budget Travel

Cool for kids

Tired of being dragged to Shrek 2 every week? Then head along to the children's season at UGC Cinemas in Dublin. Seven classic children's films, including A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc and Toy Story, will be screened over the next four Wednesdays, starting tomorrow. Children's tickets cost 4.50 or 5; adults' cost €6.50. You can get more details from UGC on 01-8728444

... Fiachra Ó Cionnaith

Watch out

Tadpoles have turned into froglets, most of which have left the water and are now chasing tiny insects. This can leave the garden pond as quiet as Paris in August, were it not for the busyness of beetles. On the surface, hundreds of little whirligig beetles play dodgem cars. Shining like drops of mercury, they dash about, whirling and swerving, spinning on their axes. Below are the pond's fiercest hunters, the great diving beetles and their young. The adults fly occasionally at night, which is how they get from pond to pond.

Michael Viney

Stars and gripes  / Sonia Reynolds, model

Best holiday: West Cork - Schull to be precise - especially when the weather is fine. Last year in particular was amazing, as we had two weeks of glorious weather. It was the most carefree holiday. Great company, great weather and, of course, great local seafood and cheeses.

Worst holiday: Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands, over three years ago. It was a winter holiday with my husband and firstborn, Charlie. It was a package holiday in a concrete jungle, our worst nightmare. It was cold and overcast - a bit like home, really - and as we were still on the learning curve of holidaying with a baby it actually stressed us out more.

... In conversation with Fiachra Ó Cionnaith

Off the shelf

The Three Musketeers

by Alexandre Dumas, Oxford

World's Classics, £7.99 in UK

Don't discount this literary gem: there's a reason why it's been filmed so many times. With a scrupulously tight, cinematic plot, Dumas's riveting, exhilarating novel describes a saga of danger, bravado and political intrigue in 1625. The complex characters and plot threads involving D'Artagnan and the three musketeers make for a story leagues better than any film, and one of the most exciting you'll ever read.

Christine Madden

Get out

Where to go, what to see: For entertainment listings, see The Ticket, every Friday in The Irish Times, or go to www.ireland.com/ theticket

For other events see the What's On column in the main paper every Thursday and the Saturday magazine