ideas for weekend fun with the kids

MrBinbetweener

hey all.....

still trying to get to boards so bare with me.... just thought i would start a thread to see if I have missed out on anything. Iv a 5 yr old beautiful daughter whom i get most weekends and for me personally I try to make my quantity of time...be quality time and each week i try do fun things so we can look back with fond memories..... Im based in Dublin and this is what i would get up to when i have her.

go swimming . playground. do art stuff(draw paint, pottery)
park. go to zoo. go to farm. go to bray. go to dun laoghaire.


have I missed out on anything? does anyone have any good suggestions or websites to get ideas???? .... am on a small budget ...being recession and all so ideas would be good.

kwalshe

Sounds to me you have more or less covered all the good cheap ones anyway. In fairness , look at your list , all the things you have put in are more or less like a checklist of my childhood memories.
Other places would be

Viking Splash tours

http://ark.ie/

Malahide Castle has a huge playground

http://www.nationalaquaticcentre.ie/

http://www.lambertpuppettheatre.ie/

PammyD

Go onto www.familyfun.ie i found lots of stuff on there i didnt even know existed

xzanti

The Wax Museum..

Ardgillan Castle in Balbriggan is a lovely spot for a picnic and it's right beside the sea.. on a nice day it has a really gorgeous view.. and for a small fee you can do a tour of the castle itself which is now a museum set as a Victorian House..

The Dublin Mountains.. Larch Hill retreat center is free of charge and again a lovely spot for a picnic.. has a few obstacle courses and stuff.. the Scouts camp up there a lot.. The Hell Fire Club is up there too, bit of a hike though.

Play centers such as 'Go Kids Go' in Blanchardstown are always a winner with the kids.. although that's really not something you can do together as the parents have to sit in the coffee area.. Great for burning the energy out of them though guaranteed to sleep like little logs after it..

Can't think of any more right now but if I do I'll come back..

liliq

The DART is probably an adventure in itself
+1 on the Viking tour/ open top bus tour if you fancy splashing out a bit.
Anything crafty, like the art you're already doing, and scrapbook it.
Baking as well

December2012

Am I correct that she doesn't live with you full time?

Make sure that you do spend plenty of your time together, just being together, in your home where you live. I know its tempting to always be on the go with children, particularly when you don't see them very often. But what you have to remember is that you are continuing to lay the foundations for your future relationship. You are not just fun dad. You are Dad. You are Dad that checks homework, makes sure she eats her vegetables, bedtime, brushes teeth.

A routine is the best thing for children, particularly where there has already been a disruption, e.g. from separation or from not living together in a family unit.

Make sure she has plenty of time to be in your home, with you, doing nothing, just being at home, with Dad, the same way that she would be if you all lived together.

I'm only saying this as an addition, because it's something my family have experience in dealing with, and looking back on it, a bit more regular structure, and less fun/money/exciting times with Dad would have helped the relationship.

Make sure that the memories are with you, and not with the places you took her or the things that you did.