Summer camps 2024: A guide to the best and most popular non-sports camps

For a variety of reasons, summer camps are not suitable for everyone, but every single year the demand from parents and children increases. For many children, week-long camps are an integral part of the long summer.

We have divided the in-person camps into two. If you are looking for sports-related camps, click here.

Below is our guide to summer camps that do not (generally) involve lots of outdoor physical activity. There is everything listed here from coding to cooking, archaeology to acting.

AIMS Youth Workshop

A weeklong residential workshop, the AIMS (Association of Irish Musical Societies) youth workshop introduces teenagers to various aspects of performing musical theatre. Young people will take part in improvisation, dance, singing (solo and choral) and acting. Past workshops have featured extracts from shows such as West Side Story, Grease, Clown, 42nd Street and, last year, Les Misérables. Always quickly booked out.

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• Location: Ursuline Convent, Thurles, Co Tipperary.
• Dates and times: Sunday, June 30th to Friday, July 5th.
• Ages: 15-18 years.
• Cost: €320.
• Website: aims.ie

Alliance Française

The award-winning summer camps provide a unique and immersive environment for children to learn and have fun in the French language and culture. In addition to other camp activities (through French, of course) there are workshops at The French Library, walking tours of nearby museums and parks, quizzes, etc.

• Location: 1 Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
• Date and times: June, July and August.
• Ages: 3-5 years / 6-9 / 10-12 / 13-17.
• Cost: From €200.
• Website: alliance-francaise.ie/schoolholiday

Anyone4Science

New for 2024 is the Junior Teen camp, which is for children who have just completed sixth class and are too old for the primary kids camp, but not yet had any school laboratory experience. Anyone4Science is for those who love experiments and activities – from bubbles to geology. The teen camps are packed with fun experiments and activities about genetics, electronics, marine biology and other interesting topics.

• Location: TU Dublin Grangegorman.
• Dates and times: mid-June to the end of July, there are morning (10am-12.30pm) and afternoon camps (1.30pm-4pm). Full-day camps (10am-4pm) are also available.
• Ages: 7-13 years. They also have some teen camps suitable for secondary school students who have completed first, second, third or transition year.
• Cost: From €125 for a morning or afternoon camp for a week.
• Website: anyone4science.com

Artzone

For the creative person in your house, these camps are run by qualified art teachers. The children learn new skills and techniques and above all have fun. Artzone will cover a range of art projects including painting, drawing, materials manipulation and clay construction, with lots of personal design and creative input. For older students, there’s also comic illustration, drawing, painting and sculpture.

• Locations: Artzone Studios, Rathfarnham, Dublin; Taney, Dundrum; St Andrew’s, Malahide; Scoil Mhuire GNS, Lucan; St Paul’s, Glenageary; and Online.
• Dates and times: July and August, 10am-1pm, and 2pm-5pm (Rathfarnham only).
• Ages: 5-16 years.
• Cost: €150.
• Website: artzone.ie

Betty Ann Norton Theatre School

Ireland’s longest-running theatre school will hold creative drama camps for children featuring a range of activities such as poetry, puppetry, mime, storytelling, acting and stage craft. For teenagers, choose from specialised courses in acting for stage or film-making, culminating in a full stage production or a short film.

• Locations: Dún Laoghaire and Rathmines in Dublin.
• Dates and times: July and August, five-day camps running from 9am-1pm/3pm daily.
• Ages: Primary children 4-12 years (9am-1pm); Secondary teenagers 12+ (9am-3pm).
• Cost: €200/€300
• Website: bettyann-nortontheatreschool.com

Bricks4Kidz

Always good for children to have a positive STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education experience and this camp acomplishes this in a fun and innovative way. Bricks4Kidz is an international children’s franchise that provides play-based educational programmes, with STEM being at the heart of the camps.

• Locations: There are camps in locations around the island, including Belfast, Carlow, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Meath, Roscommon, Waterford, Westmeath and Wicklow.
• Dates and times: Five-day camps in June, July and August.
• Ages: 3-16 years (age range varies in some camps).
• Cost: From €70.
• Website: bricks4kidz.ie

Campa Samhraidh

The Coláiste Ghlór na Mara summer camp is back for its third year. The camp is run by fully-qualified teachers and is a great way for students to learn or improve their Irish through fun science, art, home economics and sports sessions.

• Location: Naul Road, Clogheder, Balbriggan, Co Dublin.
• Dates and times: July 15th-19th.
• Ages: Suitable for students coming from both English and Irish-speaking schools that are going into 6th class in primary school and students going into 1st, 2nd or 3rd year in September 2024.
• Cost: €145.
• Email: campa@cgnm.ie

Connemara Maths Academy

The CMA academy promises that students will enjoy everything from producing their own newscasts in green screen production to robots using iPads, to building and designing water rockets. These camps are a mix of Steam (science, technology, engineering, arts and maths) and outdoor, adventure activities.

• Locations: Cistercian College, Roscrea, Co Tipperary and Carlingford Lough, Co Louth.
• Dates and times: Five camps, between June 23rd and July 27th.
• Ages: 7-17 years.
• Cost: From €300 (Day/Residential options).
• Website: connemaramathsacademy.com

Dancesteps

This summer camp covers ballet, jazz, yoga, hip hop and contemporary. The camp promises to be sociable, fun, good exercise and full of imagination and different modes of expression.

• Location: War Memorial Hall, Terenure, Co Dublin.
• Dates and times: July 22nd-26th, 10am-2pm.
• Ages: 6-13 years.
• Cost: €120.
• Website: dancestepsdublin.com (email ellendowneydance@gmail.com)

DDen

DDen is offering five different camps this summer – Social Media Literacy; Machine Learning and AI; Leadership and Team Building; Data Analytics and Visualisation; and Human-Centered Design Thinking. Each digital skills camp week comprises 40 hours of skills training and fun activities (Machine Learning and AI is 80 hours over two weeks). They will also take home a digital portfolio of their work.

• Location: Carlow College, St Patrick’s.
• Dates and times: Running in July, 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.
• Ages: Three age brackets – 10-12, 13-15 and 16-19 years.
• Cost: From €170.
• Website: dden.ie

Designer Minds

Two unique summer camps to choose from. One is a Steam (science, technology, engineering, arts and maths) camp, with the other being an art camp. Or you could try both. For children in first to sixth class, the camps offer a variety of activities, such as coding, robotics, engineering, electronics, science experiments, art and design projects. Each camp is designed to ignite curiosity and creativity.

• Locations: 90 Locations nationwide.
• Dates and times: Five-day camps in July and August.
• Ages: 6.5-12 years.
• Cost: €160.
• Website: designerminds.ie

Discovery Playtime

Enjoy lots of activities including art, messy play, dancing, singing, storytime, treasure hunts and much more.

• Locations: Naas and Celbridge, Co Kildare.
• Dates and times: July and August, 9.30am to 1.30pm.
• Ages: Children from ECCE to Senior Infants.
• Cost: €135.
• Website: discoveryplaytimeadventures.ie

Diva

The Dún Laoghaire Institute of Visual Arts (DIVA) is an exciting new art centre and offers art summer camps that cover a wide range of different artistic activities. Children and teenagers will learn new skills in the renovated studios and workrooms, a fun and creative environment where class sizes are small (maximum 10 children per class) but the fun is mighty. Young artists can get to try out different activities such as clay modelling, plaster casting, watercolour and acrylic painting, ink marbling, pencil techniques, collage making, character design and fun artistic games.

• Location: 24 Mellifont Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
• Dates and times: Camps run weekly throughout July and August.
• Ages: 7-18 years.
• Cost: €150.
• Website: divadunlaoghaire.com

Euro Languages College

Euro Languages College offers residential immersive language courses in boarding schools throughout Ireland. Secondary school students receive a balance of language learning and fun-filled indoor and outdoor activities, such as unihoc, basketball, tennis and swimming (in certain locations). Students adapt to speaking French, German and Spanish on a daily basis.

• Locations: St Flannan’s College, Ennis; Villiers School, Limerick; Bandon Grammar School, Cork; and Cistercian College, Roscrea.
• Dates and times: June, July and August, 14-17 days.
• Ages: 13-19 years.
• Cost: €1,215 to €1,490
• Website: elc.ie

Independent Theatre Workshop

Founded in 1993, The Independent Theatre Workshop has a bumper line-up of performing arts camps happening this summer for children and teens. For the younger children, there’s a week learning bluey songs, dancing to Paw Patrol, acting like jungle animals or singing like a princess. There’s also Camp Broadway (there’s a Taylor Swift Summer Camp!). For the teenagers, there are musical theatre courses.

• Locations: ITW Studios in Clonskeagh and Drumcondra; and Beechwood Centre, Ranelagh.
• Dates and times: June, July and August. Times vary depending on the courses.
• Ages: 3-7 years, 7-10, 11-13, and 12-18.
• Cost: From €140.
• Website: itwstudios.ie

Inspireland

Inspireland Art and Animation Camps bring together talented artists to create a safe space for young creatives to be themselves, express themselves and find their tribe. Nobody is left out. These camps are as much about building confidence as they are about creating art. While telling them how brilliant they are, students will learn the basics of animation, comic art, claymation, video game concept art, craft bookmaking, mask making, character design, model making, illustration, watercolours, print, graphic art and mixed media.

• Locations: Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin; TUS, Limerick; Rua Red, Tallaght; and Clasác, Clontarf. (more venues to be added in Cork and around the country).
• Dates and times: Five-day camps in July and early August.
• Ages: 8-18 years.
• Cost: €160.
• Website: inspireland.ie

Instituto Cervantes

The official worldwide organisation responsible for the promotion of Spanish language and culture, Instituto Cervantes, is running Spanish summer camps for children and teenagers. The programme caters for students with previous knowledge of Spanish and is designed to boost practical language usage. Consisting of engaging activities that aim to improve reading, listening, written, and speaking skills – it has a special focus on interactive oral exercises. Children will gain confidence in Spanish before returning to school with an improved set of skills.

• Location: Instituto Cervantes Dublin, Lincoln House, 6-16 Lincoln Place, Dublin 2.
• Dates and times: Children: Monday to Friday, 10am-2pm, weeks of July 8th, 15th and 29th. Teenagers: Monday to Friday, 10am-1pm, weeks of June 17th, July 1st and 22nd.
• Ages: 7-17 years.
• Cost: €199-€255.
• Website: dublin.cervantes.es

Lingotot

Lingotot opens children up to the opportunities and joy the world of languages brings. Specialists in creating a productive and motivating learning environment, the activities at the language camps include active learning with games, stories, arts and crafts, songs and dance, as well as outdoor team challenges and forest school activities.

• Language: Spanish
• Locations: South Dublin, Navan and Drogheda.
• Dates and times: July 1st-5th in Dublin (Cherrywood ETNS); July 8th-12th in Navan (Cannistown NS), 22nd -26th July in Drogheda (Le Cheile ETNS).
• Ages: 6-12 years.
• Cost: €100-€125
• Website: lingotot.com/ie

Next Stage

The Next Stage Theatre School are back this summer with their renowned performing arts camps. Singing, dance, drama and fun, culminating in a show for parents on the last day. The focus is on making friends, having fun and building confidence while learning about performance.

• Locations: Naas and Castledermot, Co Kildare; Dunboyne, Co Meath; and Balally and Rathfarnham, Co Dublin.
• Dates and times: July 1st to August 16th, 10am-2.30pm.
• Ages: 4-13 years.
• Cost: €85.
• Website: nextstage.ie

Phoenix Stage School

The stage school provides education, entertainment and recreation for students in a nurturing environment through dance and musical theatre. They are running three summer camps, two in Leisureland, Salthill and one in Scoil Mhuire, Moycullen.

• Locations: Salthill and Moycullen, Co Galway.
• Dates and times: July 15th-19th, 22nd-26th and August 12th-16. 10am-2pm.
• Ages: 5-12 years.
• Cost: €105.
• Website: phoenixstageschool.com

Playact

Perhaps your child is looking for ways to connect with new people, develop new skills and learn more about drama, the arts and music? “A rendezvous of imagination, where drama, dress-up, role-play, music, art and character building are the order of the day.”

• Locations: Several Dublin venues – Dún Laoghaire, Inchicore, Donore Avenue, Stillorgan, Terenure and Sandymount.
• Dates and times: Three- and five-day camps throughout July and August, 9.30am-1.30pm. There is also an afternoon camp running from 2.30-5.30pm at selected venues.
• Ages: 4-12 years.
• Cost: From €99 to €155.
• Website: playact.ie

Réalta Drama

Réalta will be running a workshop that is focused on voice projection, stage skills and character development. This will be a morning of enhancing drama skills and creativity, with spaces limited to just 12 students.

• Location: Castlebar Social Services Building, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
• Dates and times: June 29th, 10am-12.30pm
• Ages: 9-12 years.
• Cost: €30.
• Website: realtadrama.com

School of Irish Archaeology

A unique type of summer camp. The School of Irish Archaeology camps provide a new and fascinating alternative to sports-themed camps and other school-break activities for children. If your child is a curious explorer with a thirst for knowledge, who likes to get their hands dirty while learning about the past, this might be the one for them. Full of fun ancient craft and technology workshops, along with the very popular Big Dig Viking house excavation activity.

• Locations: Harold’s Cross NS (D6W); Rosemont School, Sandyford; Dalkey GAA Club; Whitehall (Clonturk Community College); Malahide Community School; Newbridge (Gaelscoil Chilldara); Cork City (North Monastery Primary School).
• Dates and times: Five days, 10am-3pm, throughout the summer.
• Ages: 7-12 years.
• Cost: €160.
• Website: sia.ie

Searsol

If your child loves computers, perhaps this is the camp for them. The course covers a range of topics, including touch typing, word processing, presentation slides, image editing, creating cards, avatars, comic books, collages and online drawing. Children are divided into two age groups. The computer camp is suitable for all children who want to learn more about computers.

• Locations: Dundrum, Malahide and Lucan, Co Dublin.
• Dates and times: Five days, 9.30am-12.30pm (Level 1) and 1.30pm- 4.30pm (Level 2).
• Ages: Ages: 8-12 years (Level 1) and 13-18 (Level 2).
• Cost: €100.
• Website: searsolcomputercamps.com

Siobhán Jordan Art

Immerse yourself in nature and creativity in these gorgeous outdoor art camps designed for children and young people. The art camp is a full immersion in the joy of creativity, a four-day camp where children explore nature, get messy, make friends, play, make art and smile a lot. Using materials “from the Earth which go back to the Earth”, children get to forage for materials and truly embrace the outdoors and nature.

• Location: South Co Carlow.
• Dates and times: Teen Camps: June 18th - 22nd. Children’s Camps: July 2nd - 5th, July 9th -12th, July 16th-19th, July 23rd-26th.
• Ages: 6-18 years.
• Cost: from €130.
• Website: siobhanjordan.com

Songwriting

Join songwriters Darragh Cullen and Sinéad McConville to write, record and perform your own song in a week. This exciting camp is perfect for all music-loving teens. Darragh and Sinead have over a decade’s experience in teaching music in all genres. Arclight Drama also have an annual Shakespeare Camp, but this is already fully booked for this summer.

• Location: Arclight Drama Studio, Cornelscourt Village, Dublin.
• Dates & Times: July 8th-12th and July 29th-August 2nd
• Ages: 12-17 years.
• Cost: €120.
• Booking: Email darraghcullen31@hotmail.com or arclightdrama@gmail.com

Starcamp

Now in its 17th year, almost 30,000 children will attend the performance and multi-activity camp across the 26 counties. Dance, drama, music, magic, comedy, news and weather reporting, art, games – all wrapped together with the core ethos of building self-esteem and confidence.

• Locations: There are 250 venues nationwide.
• Dates and times: Five-day camps in July and August.
• Ages: 4-12 years.
• Cost: €105.
• Website: starcamp.ie

Summer Youth Project

In honour of it being an Olympic year, this week-long summer art project will look at the mythology, sport, images and design around this most beloved of events. Calling it “Citius, Altius, Fortius”, the young people on the project will create artworks and performance taking on the original Greek and newer more contemporary stories from Olympics past as the basis for their work.

• Location: Source Arts Centre, Thurles, Co Tipperary.
• Dates and times: Monday to Friday, July 8th-12th, 10am-3pm.
• Ages: 14-18 years.
• Cost: €100.
• Website: thesourceartscentre.ie

Techkidz

You can boost your child’s creativity at this technology camp. Kids dive into coding, robotics, animation, web design, game design, graphics and more. A place to make friends and learn with every click and code.

• Locations: Clare, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.
• Dates and times: July to August, five-day camps. Morning camps (9.30am-12.30pm), Afternoon camps (2.30pm-5.30pm).
• Ages: 7-14 years.
• Cost: From €120.
• Website: techkidz.ie

The Little School Nature Camps

A camp where you can give your child the gift of nature. Explore, learn and have fun outdoors with Nature Summer Camps based in the heart of Airfield Estate Farm and Gardens. Activities include nature scavenger trails, bug hunts, pond dipping, grow-it-yourself food experiences and nature crafts.

• Location: Airfield Estate, Dundrum, Dublin 14.
• Dates and times: Five-day camps – Monday, July 1st - Friday, August 2nd – 9am-2pm.
• Ages: 5-11 years.
• Cost: €160.
• Website: thelittleschool.ie

Tutti Music

Discover the magic of music at Tutti Music Ireland’s summer orchestral course. Experience ensemble playing, exhilarating performances, percussion workshops, conducting sessions and more with professional musicians Peter Ryan, Martin Johnson, Carla Vedres and Ailbhe McDonagh in a fun, engaging and inclusive environment.

• Location: Rathmines, Dublin 6.
• Dates and times: August 12th-16th.
• Ages: 11-17 years.
• Cost: €350.
• Website: tuttimusicireland.com

WhizzKids

Operating since 2003, WhizzKids Summer camps have introduced many children to the world of web design, game development, 3D modelling, app development and a host of other digital skills. It’s not all coding, they mix in sports and high-tech challenges into an “edu-taining” day.

• Locations: Clare, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Limerick, Tipperary and Westmeath.
• Dates and times: Five-day camps throughout July and August, 9.30am-3pm (half-day camp, 9.30am-1pm).
• Ages: 8-15 years.
• Cost: €180 (half-day camp, €130).
• Website: whizzkids.ie

Read: A guide to the best and most popular sports camps