Tots to Teens: Wild about our native language with Lapa Beag

• Prices start from €15 and prints can be purchased from www.lapabeag.ie.

Hurloween at Croke Park

The GAA Museum at Croke Park invites families to celebrate Hurloween this year. This special tour will run from October 29 to 31. It’s aimed at children aged between five and 12 and rather than seasonal Halloween scares, it promises plenty of sporting fun.

The tour will take children on a deep dive into Irish sporting history, from the ancient past to the present day, with stories of modern heroes like Shane O’Donnell. It will take them behind the scenes into the players’ dressing rooms and onto the side of the pitch, where they will be told tales of great football, hurling, and camogie performances. It will also allow them to test their hurling and football skills in the interactive games zone.

It will also involve a Warriors and Hurlers workshop based on the ancient story of Setanta, who is said to have used his sliotar and camán to slay the hound of Chulainn, earning himself the new moniker Cú Chulainn in the process. At the end of the tour, each child will receive a book telling the story of Setanta and other Irish legends, which will make perfect reading material for the rest of the midterm holidays.

• Tickets for these Hurloween tours cost from €12.05 and must be booked in advance at crokepark.ie/halloween.

Bookworms for charity

MS Ireland has just launched its 37th MS Readathon, which will take place from November 1 to December 15 this year. It’s a great initiative for bookworms of all ages, as the more books they read while participating, the more money they make to support the 10,000 or so people who live with MS in Ireland.

To get involved, visit my readathon.ie. Here, children will find online fundraising pages, traditional sponsorship cards, and personalised QR codes, which they can print or share digitally. This makes it simple for sponsors to donate by scanning the code with their phone.

It doesn’t matter what children read as part of the MS Readathon — fiction, factual books, or comics.

The challenge will help improve their literacy skills, raise much-needed funds for a deserving charity, and maybe even develop a lasting love of reading.

Waggy tale 

The Lost Dogs is the ideal book for young readers about to embark on their MS Readathon adventure. It’s the latest publication from Ireland’s Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde, and it features Luna the labrador, Bella a cocker spaniel, and Eddie a terrier.

All three dogs are far from home and terrified of being caught and impounded by the cruel dog warden. They also want to save a group of dogs who are being kept captive by a criminal gang. So they decide to band together, and in the process, they learn the true meaning of home.

The Lost Dogs is widely available and retails at €10.

Primary Science Fair

Calling all young boffins. Applications are now open for the 2025 Primary Science Fair, part of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition that will take place in the RDS in Dublin from January 8 to January 11 next year.

Pupils from third to sixth class are encouraged to brainstorm and create exciting Stem projects to be in with a chance to represent their school at the fair. Projects can explore a wide range of scientific topics. Up to 30 pupils per class can collaborate on each project. The closing date for submissions is Friday, November 1. 

• For full details on how to enter, visit btyoungscientist.com.