And they're off. . . the form guide to summer camps

The long school summer holidays are looming and it's time to plan. Louise Holden provides a sample of what's on offer across the State.

Irish college, a French exchange or a week of rounders and daytime discos - these were summer camp options for Irish kids for decades. Now they're off on cordon bleu cookery courses or environmental awareness training. There's no excuse to have even a week off anymore.

Marie O'Reilly, publisher of Primary Times Dublin, brings out a yearly guide to summer activities for kids and she can't get over the explosion of new offerings in the last couple of years. "Cookery courses are big again this year and we're seeing a number of new trends too. Courses in environmental studies, science and computers are all new to the Irish summer camp scene."

The popular sports camp is also a more sophisticated affair, with big names such as VHI and Pepsi coming on board to sponsor national summer camps. Kids can also sample more unusual sports camps such as martial arts and surfing.

Here's a selection of what's on offer this summer.

Science and Technology

Whizzkids Summercamp

www.whizzkids.ie. Tel: 061-339178

Children from nine to 15 have fun with technology. Using state-of-the-art computer facilities at Ireland's universities children will learn how to design their own website, use digital cameras and make films. Spy academy with code breaking, navigation, computerised identikits, reaction tests, observation and memory tests. Camps in DCU, UCD, UCC and NUI Galway. Camps run throughout July and August from 9.30am to 4pm.

Anyone 4 Science?

www.anyone4science.com, 087-6749608 or anyone4science@eircom.net

Summer camps for children aged between seven and 12 years during July in Kill of the Grange and Rathgar, Dublin and also in both Newcastle and Bray in Co Wicklow. Recycling and alternative energy, separating mixtures and investigating the chemical and physical properties of sticky solutions. Experiments using simple materials. Supported by the Royal Society of Chemistry and PharmaChemical Ireland.

Environment

Wild and Wonderful Art.

Airfield House Dundrum, Dublin.Tel: 01-2984301 or e-mail: paula@airfield.ie.

Nature trails and arts and crafts. Ages eight to 11. August 14th to 18th.

Kippur Education Centre

Tel: 01- 4582889

Provides environmental and outdoor activity-based learning programmes for school and youth groups. Outdoor education and eco-adventure days for primary school and youth groups have developed to meet school and curriculum objectives.

Cookery

Food Active Summer Camp

Tel: 086 8066111,www.foodactive.ie

Week/fortnight cooking and nutrition course with Garth McColgan and L'Ecrivain's Derry Clarke. With sports/activity in the afternoon. Runs weekly from June until August at St Conleth's College in Dublin from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Mornings comprise cookery classes, nutrition, food label reading, shopping guide, excursions to places of culinary interest and wild food foraging. Afternoons of soccer, basketball and tag rugby.

Busy Bee Summer School of Cooking

Ballinclea Heights, Killiney, Co Dublin, weekly June 12th to mid-August (three courses overall) Tel: 01-2858674. E-mail: busybeeschool@eircom.net.

Kids aged 11-16 can learn culinary secrets at this well-established cookery school run by Bee Mannix-Walsh.

Sport

Pepsi Summer Soccer Schools Statewide, July 1st to August 25th (Tel: 1890-653653/1890 OLE OLE or book online at www.fai.ie

The soccer stars of the future are trained by qualified FAI coaches in venues throughout the State. Week-long soccer schools open to boys and girls aged seven to 15. Also special programme for goalkeepers. 200 schools nationwide.

Soccer and rugby courses

c/o David Deering, 45 Deerpark Road, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin. Tel: 01-2882111

Intensive soccer and rugby coaching for ages five to six. June, July to August 4th at Blackrock RFC, Stradbrook Road, Blackrock, Co Dublin; St Mary's RFC, Templeville Road, Templeogue, Dublin 6 and Wanderers FC, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

Parks Tennis

c/o Kay Lonegan, 142 Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3, July/August.

www.parkstennis.com Tel: 01-8338711. E-mail: parkstennis@eircom.net

Tennis lessons at courts in public parks, schools and community centres in 24 counties in the Republic and Northern Ireland. 160 venues nationwide. Boys and girls ages six to 17. Low cost subsidised programme for beginners and improvers.

Mick Smyth Tennis Camp

4 Mountown Park, Terenure, Dublin 12, July 3rd to August 18th 2.30 to 4.30pm. Tel: 01-4505341. E-mail: mesmyth@gmail.com

This well-established tennis camp with indoor facilities based at Terenure College, Dublin, is for social players, beginners and intermediate players aged six to 18. All qualified Tennis Ireland coaches.

Basketball Camps at the National Basketball Arena

Tel: 01- 4590211

Week long senior and junior camps July 3rd to 7th, 14th to 18th and August. Junior - July 24th to 28th

Multi-activity Sports Camp/Tennis Camps

Westwood Club, Leopardstown Racecourse, Foxrock, Dublin 18. Tel: 01-2191827. July 3rd/August 31st, 10am to 3pm daily.

The multi-activity camps include basketball, swimming, soccer and hip-hop dance for ages five to seven and eight to 12. Participants can take a one-week course or more, up to eight weeks.

GAA Vhi Cúl Camps

www.gaa.ie or contact your local county co-ordinator

Starting on July 3rd throughout the summer from Monday to Friday, 10am to 2.30pm, in all 32 counties. Attendance is open to primary school children aged seven to 13 years. Activities include skills coaching, games and competitions in both hurling, camogie and football. Every participant gets VHI Cúl Camps jersey, knicks, sports socks and knapsack. Some intercounty stars will be visiting.

Summer Scrummage Camps

www.irishrugby.ie Tel: 01-6084344.

58 nationwide rugby summer camps for boys and girls between the ages of seven and 13, sponsored by Ulster Bank in association with the IRFU. Five-day camps from 9.30am to 1.30pm each day, July 3rd to August 25th.

GOLFFUN Summer Camps

www.golffun.ie Tel: 086 8448683.

Golf for four to eight year-olds.

Airfield House Adventure Camp Dundrum, Dublin

Tel: 01- 2984301 or e-mail: paula@airfield.ie

Weekly throughout July. 10am to 2pm, five-11 years. Nature and farm trails, unihoc, volleyball, orienteering soccer, treasure hunt, assault courses, arts and crafts.

Languages

EIL Ireland

Tel: 1850 29 29 39. E-mail info@eilireland.org

Spend part of your summer living abroad and learning a language - France, Germany, Spain or even China, Russia or Japan. Live with a local family or in a residence. All schools certified. Leaving Certificate preparation courses in France.

Coláiste Uisce

Cuain Eil, Belmullet, Co Mayo. Tel: 097-82111

The only centre in Ireland mixing adventure sports with Gaeilge in the north Mayo Gaeltacht. Windsurfing, sailing, canoeing as Gaeilge. Scholarship scheme for locals offered this year. Two-week courses begin on Saturday, June 3rd lasting.

Gael Linn Summer Irish Schools

LoCall: 1890 675 675 or 01- 6751 200

Gaeltacht Summer Colleges

Located in the Cork, Mayo (pilot film module in Mayo course this summer June, July) and Donegal Gaeltachts in June, July and August for students aged 11 to 18 years.

Ogras

6 Sraid Fhearchair, Baile Atha Cliath 2. Tel: 01 475 1487

Irish Language Summer Camps for seven to 13 year olds in July and August. Venues in Cos Dublin, Donegal, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Waterford, Tipperary and Meath.

French Summer Week

Alliance Francaise Cork.

Tel: 021-431 06 77 or e-mail: alliancefrancaisecork@eircom.net

Learn French through games, fun and activities this summer. Suitable for six to 12 years and teenagers with little or no knowledge of French - for holiday fun or to banish nerves before starting it at school in September.

Sailing and Surfing

Irish Sailing Association certified courses

www.sailing.ie

Tel: 01-2800239

Young sailors and windsurfers can take lessons at one of the many sailing centres throughout the Republic.

Glenans Irish Sailing Club

Tel: 01-6611481

Runs courses for ages 14-17 in July at its centres in Co Mayo and Co Cork.

Oceanic Manoeuvres Surf Summer Camps

Red Cottage, Tramore, Co Waterford. Tel: 051-390944.

Choice of three daily and weekly camps available for various age groups. Beach Camp for seven to 12 years-olds and surf camps for nine to 14 year-olds. Youth Zone for 14 to 17 year-olds concentrates on progressing surfing techniques.

Art and Photography Workshops

The Ark of Noise

The Ark Cultural Centre for Children. www.ark.ie Tel: 01-6707788

For four to 14 year-olds. Exhibition and workshop series featuring electronic instruments, a junkyard symphony and sonic sculptures. Running Tuesday to Sunday from July 1st to August 12th.

Pine Forest Art Centre

Glencullen, Kilternan, Dublin 18. Tel: 01-2941220.

Courses commence on June 19th and continue through July and August. Two-week courses for ages five to 12 and 13 to 16. Also two-week or four-week portfolio preparation courses for ages 17 to 19 in August. Private buses from suburbs for summer courses.

Drama at Draíocht

Draíocht Arts Centre, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. Tel: 01-8852622

Multi-disciplinary workshop programme for children aged 10 to 15 including dance, drama and mask making from July 5th to July 14th.

Spreacha Festival (Fingal International Arts Festival for Children)

Tel: 01-8852622

From June 11th to 17th. Live theatre performances, puppetry, storytelling, visual art exhibitions for children aged three to 12.

Equestrian Camps

Hazelbrook Equestrian Centre

Clane, Co Kildare Tel: 087-8502261

Summer pony camps in July and August. Own your own pony for a week with lessons, lectures, gymkhana, treasure hunt, show, party and prizegiving 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Friday.

Riding schools

www.aire.ie Tel: 045-431584

For young people keen to learn or improve their equestrian skills, details of trekking, trail-riding centres and riding schools are available from the Association of Irish Riding Establishments.

Music and Dance

Children's Summer Series at the National Concert Hall

NCH, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01-4086789 www.nch.ie

Every weekend in August, the Children's Summer Series is for families and children aged six months to 12 years. Featuring various music, sean nós, Capoeira, African drum. Workshops in August for all ages.

Ballet Ireland Summer Schools Intensive week-long course for boys and girls, aged six and above. Dance, music, mime, painting and drama. Running through July and August at the following centres; The Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray (01- 8852622); The Civic Theatre, Tallaght (01-4627477); An Grianan, Letterkenny (01-912 0777); Burnavon Arts Centre, Cookstown ( 028-86769949); Glor Irish Music Centre, Ennis (065- 6845370; Moat Theatre, Naas (045-883030); Tipperary Excel, Tipperary (062-80520).

Summer programmes in dance, drama and music

National Performing Arts School, The Factory, 35a Barrow Street, Dublin 4. www.npas.ie Tel: 01-6684035

Summer programmes in dance, drama and music. Each course (for seven to 11 year-olds and 12 to 18 year-olds) runs from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. The street dance and funk workshop for ages 12 to 20 runs from 4 to 6pm Monday to Friday.

The summer issue of Primary Times, complete with a free guide to summer camps, is out on May 22nd. Regional versions of Primary Times are published in Cos Dublin, Meath, Wicklow, Kildare, Cork, Waterford, Mayo and Galway. www.primarytimesireland.com

For more ideas, check out The Rainy Day Guide to Ireland published by Gill & MacMillan.