Where to drop the kids

SUMMERTIME - and the livin' ain't so easy, with work to do, children to amuse, weeks of school holidays stretching ahead.

SUMMERTIME - and the livin' ain't so easy, with work to do, children to amuse, weeks of school holidays stretching ahead.

If you work full time outside the home and have pre-school children, your routine probably carries on much as normal. But what if you work from home and suddenly find the working hours from 9 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. invaded by school age children who want to be amused? Or work full time in the home and find you need at least a little time to yourself?

The explosion of summer camps, projects, and summer courses of all sorts in the past decade is witness to parents' need for help in occupying the children for the summer.

What if you want somewhere to leave the children for just a day, or a half day, either occasionally, or perhaps once or twice a week over several weeks? Somewhere safe, supervised, affordable and interesting for the kids, that will provide you with a breather?

READ MORE

A trawl of public and private activities for children this summer suggests that this is a niche waiting to be filled. For most summer camps and summer projects will not register children for less than a week's session. And a host of activities organised by bodies such as public libraries and arts organisations tend to last only around one to one and a half hours at a time. Even supervised commercial play centres will usually only provide up to two hours' play at a time. Many nurseries and creches will take school age children in summertime, but none on a "drop in" basis.

The following is a list of activities for children that might amuse them and buy you a little time out.

DUBLIN

. SPORTS/SUMMER CAM /PLAY CENTRES/ARTS ACTIVITIES

Loughlinstown Leisure Centre Summer Camp `96, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin will register children by the day for camp. Activities include tennis, football, basketball, monster board games, arts and crafts.

Age five to 14, Price £6, Time 10 a.m. to 3 pm. Dates runs until August 23rd. Tel. 01 2823344.

It also has soccer and tennis camps for two hours in the afternoon for £4 per day.

Glenalbyn Summer Fun and Activity Sports Camp 1996, Glenalbyn House, Stillorgan, Co Dublin Will register by the day for camp with programme that includes gym, games, orienteering, discos.

Age five to 12, Price £10. Time 10 a.m. to 3.45 p.m. Dates runs until to August 9th. Tel. 01 2880857.

Dublin Parks Tennis League Tuition on how to play tennis given free by experienced coaches in sessions that last about one and a half hours two days a week, in about 60 locations in Dublin (and all around the country see below).

Age seven to 17. Price once off registration fee of £3 to £6. Use of racquets balls, and courts free. Dates From July 1st for five weeks but highly flexible children can register at any time for long or short period. Tel Kay Lonergan for information, 01 8338711.

BamBams, 61 Lower Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan, Co Dublin Children's supervised adventure centre but parents advised only to leave if child is happy with the arrangement. Generally only advisable if a child is seven/eight years old up parents should inform supervisors where they will be.

Age Without parents, seven plus. Price £3.20 for one and a half hours play, £2.50, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Time 10.30 a.m. to 7 pm. Dates All year round. Tel 01 2884529.

The Ark, Children's Cultural Centre, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Architecture, a 90 minute programme for children exploring aspects of architecture which is part of Temple Bar's Power of an Idea architectural exhibition. Must book.

Age nine to 14. Price £3. Time. Twice a day, at 11.30 am. and 2.30 p.m., at 2.30 pm. only on Saturdays and Sundays. Dates runs until August 9th. Tel. 01 6707788.

National Gallery of Ireland, Merrion Square west, Dublin 2. Children's, Summer Club and Euro Art for Teenagers, until July 25th. Children learn about art and artists, and how to create art themselves.

Age Three different groups, age four to eight, nine to 13, and 14 and up. Price £2, £3, or £4 for a daily ticket, depending on which class you're in. Time 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. for children up to 13, 11 am. to 12.30 pm. for 14 plus. Dates runs to July 25th. Tel: 01 6615133, ask for Education Department. Places are limited, so booking advised.

Children's Music Workshops, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2: Two days of "summertime musical fun" at the end of August, with workshops on music, dancing, and composing.

Age six to 12. Price £8. Time 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.for six to nine year olds, 2.30 p.m. to 5.45 p.m.for nine to 12 year olds. Dates August 28th and 29th. Tel 01 6711533. Places limited, so you must book.

. LIBRARIES

Libraries in all the Dublin local authority areas organise activities for children during the summer, including everything from story telling, to quizes, to arts and crafts, as well as author readings and puppet shows. Librarians stress that these are not babysitting services but events often last for an hour to an hour and a hall, and sometimes longer, and depending on your child's age (and with children seven plus, temperament) it can be quite safe to leave them there for a session. Most are free. It would be impossible to list all the events, but below is a sample from the four local authority areas. Contact your nearest libraries to see if they have something on offer.

Dublin Corporation Public Libraries Dolphin's Barn Library (Tel 01 4540681) has a "Children of the World" theme for activities which started on July 15th, including an Olympic Quiz and Design Your Own Fancy Dress. Central Library, ILAC Centre (Tel: 01 8734333) has a "Summer Time Treats" programme which includes Ted Courtney's Summer Sounds at 11 a.m. on July 22nd, an environmental workshop for eight to 11 year olds at 3 p.m. the same day, and storytelling by author Pauline Devine at 3 p.m. on July 24th.

South Dublin public libraries. Events in four libraries include a practical demonstration on Looking After Ponies at 2.30 p.m. on July 22nd in Ballyroan Library, Rathfamham, Tel: 01 4941900.

Fingal County libraries. Events in six libraries include story telling for under eights in the morning and poetry for under 10s in the afternoon at Balbriggan Library on August 12th. Tel: 01 8411128. And until July 26th there is a range of events in Finglas Library including draughts tournaments, making your own TV show, and a Snakes & Ladders knockout to mark the Finglas Community Festival.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown libraries. Activities will include story time, painting, inter library quiz, and puppet shows.

Irish Museum of Modern Arts Holiday Workshops for family groups with children aged four to 12. Ring Aoife Ruane, IMMA, Royal Hospital Kilmainham Dublin 8 tel 01 6718666 to see if places are available. Involves parents in work shops with their children.

GALWAY

Story Hour, City Library, St Augustine Street, Galway.

Age three to seven. Price Free. Time 11.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Date Each Friday from now to July 30th.

Baboro Children's Festival, part of the Galway Arts Festival until July 27th, a series of plays and activities, mostly aimed at the five to group. They range from the drama Singing in the Rainforest to Sea! Wood! Trees! in which children learn the techniques of environmental sculpture. For more information, contact Galway Arts Festival, 6 Upper Dominick Street, Galway, tel. 091 583800.

CORK

Cork city libraries Activities range storytelling to summer fun club in five county libraries.

LIMERICK

Arts & Crafts Workshop, City Library, The Granary, Michael St. for seven to 12 year olds. Tel. 061 314668.

ELSEWHERE

Tennis Ireland: As in Dublin, tuition on how to play tennis given freely by coaches, for once off registration fee of £3 to £6. Racquets, balls, supplied. Children sign up for two one and half hour sessions a week, which run for five weeks to the end of July but you can register at any point. Centres where tennis is taught are Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Carrick on Suir, Kildare, Wicklow, Derry.

For details of a court near you, phone Kay Lonergan, 01 8338711.

USEFUL CONTACTS

Nursery Association: Organisers say many nurseries/creches organise summer camps for children up to age 12, and can be flexible about arrangements although few will mind a child on a drop in basis. Tel: 01 8722053 for names of nurseries in your own area the association has members nationwide.

Catholic Youth Council get its booklet Summer Ideas 96, a comprehensive guide to classes/courses/outings/activities of all sorts for children and teenagers. It is worth contacting camps in your area to see if they are flexible enough to take a child for a day or so. Tel: 01 872055 to get a copy.

Barnardos National Children's Resource Centtre, Christchurch Square, Dublin 8, tel 01 3035: for its guide to ideas for family outings over the holidays.

Frances O'Rourke

Frances O'Rourke

Frances O'Rourke, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes about homes and property