SUMMER HOLIDAYS

With some Parents looking at the calender, counting the days until schools re-open again in September, for many it’s a case of glass half full. At the end of June as the teachers rushed out the door to take full advantage of their Summer Holidays break, the look of distraught was clear on parents faces as they struggled to find someway to swing into the routine of having the kids around them all summer.

Now that we’ve reached half way, parents have just found themselves in that routine, but have realised that the long list of distractions planned for as activities for kids this summer, have now all but run out!

Summer Holidays, used to be the time to open the doors and let the kids amuse themselves in the glorious weather, but alas, what glory – what weather?

It would be great to grab that picnic basket and head for the lakes, but with the unpredictable weather you really need to plan ahead and have the alternative indoor activity for kids. And you know once you make that promise to take the kids somewhere, they’ll hold you to it.

Kerry Summer

Those 8 weeks of Summer Holidays can try and test the most organised parent, many look at them as the most stressful 8 weeks of the year trying to keep the kids occupied while still fitting in all those jobs that just have to be done. Even for a Summer Holiday in Kerry!

Do you look at the Summer Holidays as break from the norm, or as a testing time on you patience?

BABIES NAMES

As we’re going through it ourselves at the moment (the whole pregnant and not agreeing on names) it got me thinking about selecting Babies Names, and the turmoil parents go through in trying to actually choose a name that will suit that child’s personality ever before they are born, never mind not knowing what sex the baby will be! Many foolishly hope that they can predetermine they’re child’s character by typecasting them with a suitable name – Believe you me, calling your child ‘faith’ won’t mean they’ll have any!

It made me think about famous people, and whether their names suit their characters, and especially children’s characters. I mean Donkey Kong isn’t a donkey, and Winnie the Pooh isn’t a…….well you know!

Babies Names are even tougher when you’ve gone with a theme

Take us for example, we went with the whole traditional Irish Babies Names. Once you go down the route of selecting babies names for the 1st, then the 2nd, and the 3rd and now (in our case) you’ve come to the 4th child, and all the names in that Irish theme we had agreed on have already been used up, either by ourselves or people we know well – then you’re snookered.

Choosing a Baby Name

The only bit of advice I can really give is that when selecting a name, don’t worry about what sort of child they’ll be when they get older. If you decide to call your child Isaac Newton, in some naive hope that they’ll be intelligent, then its just not going to work out that way. Just simply select a babies name that you both like, don’t worry about whether it may or may not suit your unborn. The one thing you can be certain about is that your baby will give a whole new meaning to the name, one that is distinctively their version.

When you’ve done the tough job of selecting the babies names come visit us and our great new Tots Room, or join in our Parent & Toddler Club!

Choices for Babies Names

GARNISH ISLAND

The weather was scorching, the water a clear greeny blue, and the boat trip out to the island was entertaining and fun – The kid’s loved watching the seals so close up. If you haven’t ever been to Garnish Island in Glengarriff, County Cork, then you’d better put it high on the agenda, a remarkable place, with droves of tourists who have discovered something that many of us natives have yet to find – a little bit of Italy in the heart of the emerald isle!

Gardens on Garnish

Garnish Island – Also known as Ilnacullin, built by the Bryce family in the early 1900′s this beautiful little island houses the most amazing italian architecture and japanese tropical plants you are ever likely to see anywhere. But I’m not too interested myself in the history, I’m more enthralled by what it offers as a fantastic family day out.

Garnish Island – A Family Trip

With plenty of large open spaces ideal for a family picnic, amazing (and I can’t over emphasize the word amazing enough) photographic gems to take those family snaps every holiday maker wants, and of course there’s the gorgeous buildings and almost jurasic style walkways through the forests and gardens. It’s a kid’s playground and a garden lover’s dream all rolled into one. There’s a lovely little cafe on the island, where you can watch the ferry dock.

Explore the Walled Garden

Garnish Island in West Cork is well worth a day trip, with regular boat trips, we used the Harbour Queen ferry, the guys at the ticket office and on the boat are a mind of information and tips to help families enjoy the trip, and as the Corkonians would say they’re a ‘gas bunch of lads’.

Toby World‘s tip for Garnish Island: Bring a picnic basket and head straight for the open green area on the far side of the Italian Temple  – the perfect spot for lazing out in the sun.

Picnic Area on Garnish

Play Centre

Play Centre: Typically its all about providing a safe Toddler and Children’s play space where Childrens parties, kids classes, kids sports, easter parties, halloween parties, christmas parties are held. Play centre’s offer a fantastic environment for children to learn through play in a mixed age environment that enrich children’s learning. Children learn through play and play centres typically cater from birth to the end of primary school age, with mixed ages sessions for families.

Most good play centres have family cafe’s that serve ice cream, sweets, coffee and food for parents, childrens food and some provide party cakes. Toby World in Tralee specialises in Family Holiday treats and Kids Parties – and offers a great all weather play centre.

Play Centre in Ireland are no exception

Often classed as Family Indoor Entertainment Centres in Ireland, all will contain soft play frame equipment and some contain Funfairs, Bowling, Laser Zones, Games, Arcades and video games

As the largest Play Centre in the Southwest of Ireland, Toby World in Kerry is an award winning play centre located 20 minutes from Killarney, Toby World in Tralee has 3 play frames, a dedicated play area for babies and creche aged kids a Dino-Dig Sandbox, Kids Gym for children’s fitness classes, a build-a-bear machine, Astro Turf Sports Pitch, a family restaurant, Arts & Crafts Classes for Children and a sensory play room for children with special needs.

Most Kids Play Centres will cater for children’s birthday parties, and are considered as a better alternative to bouncy castles and home parties for children. Toby World in Tralee offer the best value kids parties, supply ice-cream birthday cakes, provide party treats, party food and great games for children’s parties in our play centre. Call us on 0667192469 if you are looking for information on children’s parties in kerry

Play Centre in Killarney or Tralee

Located only 20 minutes from Killarney, Toby World in Tralee is one of the best family attractions in

Kerry Tralee or Killarney Play Centre

Family Activities in Kerry

This is our completely unbiased opinion (honestly, alright maybe a slight bit biased) on Family Activities in Kerry:

1. Toby World in Tralee – Indoor and Outdoor Activities for Children in Kerry
2. Blue Flag Beaches of Kerry – Anyone of them will do, all breathtaking
3. Killarney National Park & Lakes – Definitely a dry-day trip worth taking
4. Kennedy’s Pet Farm – The Kennedy’s are friendly hosts, and the kids will love it
5. The Aquadome – Tralee’s waterpark, a splashing good time
6. Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium – Our favourites are the penguins – a must see
7. Glentenassig Lakes – A hidden gem, just outside Tralee, perfect picnic destination
8. Crag Caves – Breathtaking underground caves, kids play centre & restaurant
9. Surfing in Kerry – We’ve choosen Jamie Knox, because we love the Maherees Beach
10. Star Outdoors Kenmare – Full on adventure for kids, time to get wet!

Family Activities in Kerry

Because we struggled to narrow it down to a Top Ten Family Activities in Kerry we decided to just list a number of others which were very close :

Tralee Cinema listings Killarney Movie Times Play At Height Dingle Killarney Sports & Leisure Centre Coolwood Wildlife Park Kissane’s Sheep Farm Mucross Farm & House Lorge Chocolate Factory Kerry Co. Museum Banna Leisure Complex INEC Children’s Shows Burke’s Beach Horse Treking Predator Paintballing Cappanlea Outdoor Adventure

For more on fun days and family fun or family activities in Kerry and family attractions visit Toby World’s links page

If you think there’s something under the following categories missing, contact us at toby@tobyworld.ie and we’ll add your activity in Kerry: Family activity, kids activities, ways to entertain kids, family entertainment, fun for kids, children’s activity, weekends in Kerry, things to do in Kerry with Children

Family Activities in Kerry

There was a time not long ago when all there was for me to do was lie down on the floor I counted light bulbs every day and really wished that I could play. I grazed my knees across the room and looked at walls for something new.

One day when I was feeling sad I wriggled towards the door It opened and inside I saw a room. A magic room with light for evermore I looked around as if in a dream, saw pictures on the wall with colours all around me on ceiling and floor.

A tube with balls and water bubbles up and down I looked at my reflection in mirrors all around. Quite a handsome chap I thought and took another look. A ball pool took my eye but I could not climb in. A hand came by and helped me and made me laugh out loud I touched a lot of different things that I had never seen while nursery rhymes were playing from a very strange machine I felt tired but happy with my lot and hope that I can come again and have another dream.

I don’t remember where I first read this short story, but it’s the reason for choosing the equipment we did in our Special Needs Sensory Room in Toby World.

Special Needs in Toby World

I recently visited a Caravan site in Kerry and it brought it all back to me

Do you remember the days, maybe it’s just me, but back in the olden days when I was growing up a camping trip involved piling everything into the back of the car, hoping the car would start, and hitting the road for some field with a toilet block which back then was called a campsite.

How it’s all changed, these new campsite have all the amenities – washrooms, game rooms, laundrettes, receptions, shops & bars, playgrounds etc – it’s become serious business! With many campsites now having on-site cafes – gone are the days of the cuppa tea and a ‘warm’ ham sandwich Mom made that morning, with the bread gone a bit hard around the edges and soggy in the middle – but guess what they were the most gorgeous thing you’d ever tasted! What is it about a picnic that makes a soggy sandwich taste like the most amazing thing ever, especially washing it down with a mug of ‘tae’ (tea to you and me) or do remember the small bottles of TK lemonade?

The new rage now with campsites is the whole ‘glamping’ (glam & camping mashed together) scenario – these fancy tents are possibly the final straw with me, I yearn for the day when half the fun of camping was that fear that the tent might just blow over in the wind, or that you’d find a leak and spend the night rolling around mummified in your sleeping bag.

If your plan is to go camping in Kerry or anywhere else this summer, why not let your kids experience the joy and freedom of having no creature comforts, stay off the beaten track and head for the wilds of some remote site and camp rough – now don’t tell the council, it’s most likely illegal…

If camping rough isn’t for you – I know the appeal of one of Kerry’s award winning campsites will probably win you over, I’m the same – Search here if your looking for a Caravan Site in Kerry on our own referral page.

CAMPING - It's No Joke!

For many young parents, the madness of school hasn’t yet happened for their kids, for more of us we’ve been spinning around on the school merry-go-round for a while now. School Uniforms, School Books, Back-to-school ‘Arts’ money (that’s a joke if I ever heard it), afterschool activities, parties, packing lunches, glorifies taxis for the kids… will it ever stop!

At least give us the summer off guys, give us parents the chance to bask in the ‘glorious’ Irish weather, and forget about school for five minutes.

Back To School Before Summer Starts!

If your plan is to Holiday in Kerry

Then a hotel in Killarney with a view of the lakes is a must! Have you been? Gorgeous! The lakes of Killarney on a misty day as the fog rolls down from the mountains – what a sight. Amazingly Kerry has a number of breathtaking sights – whether it be Conor Pass on the way to Dingle where you feel like your’e floating in the clouds overlooking Castlegregory and Brandon Point, of the lakes in Glentenassig outside of Tralee where you meander through the trees overlooking the lakes with Mount Brandon casting shadows over you.

But a holiday in Kerry must be planned, because at this stage there’s so much to see and do!

ACCOMMODATION IN KERRY: If your plans include a Holiday in Kerry this year, you are going to be spoilt for choice with where to stay, you have your choice of many fine hotels in Killarney, of choose from self-catering accommodation or hotels in Kerry’s capital town of Tralee with it’s all weather attractions on your doorstep. Or choose from one of the fine award winning campsites in north and west Kerry along the shores of Tralee and Brandon bay.

WHERE TO SEE & WHAT TO IN KERRY: This is a tough one, purely because there’s genuinely so much activities in Kerry for all age groups. So the easiest thing I can recommend in when you’re in Kerry on Holidays swing by the Tourist Office or even into us in Toby World in Tralee and our guys will help you plan your break in the area. But if I was to suggest one must do (aside from ourselves that is!) then you have to experience one of Kerry’s gorgeous Blue Flag Beaches, we have so many to choose from in North, East and West Kerry you will be spoilt for choice.

See you soon!

I just couldn’t stop laughing – The Apprentice on the UK’s BBC has thrown out some muppets in their time, I can’t think of the girls name right now, but how that one keeps escaping beggers believe. But she did try at the end of last night’s programme to justify her comment, by saying what she meant was do parents in France spend a lot of money on their kids, and to be fair to her, she has a point to make. But it’s a strange way of asking the question, and does it mean that you need to spend money to show your kids that you love them?

A recent survey (http://www.uow.edu.au/~sharonb/children.html) shows that of the ‘big’ nations out there the average ‘income’ businesses earn per child in France is much less than the norm (France $377/annum versus Germany their nearest neighbour at $569/annum), so maybe she’s not that daft after all.

To bring the topic home a bit, how much do you spend each week / month on your children? And once you’ve answered that question, ask yourself what would your kids do if you didn’t spend that much on them – The answer, is there’s very little they could do. Consider for a moment that the childhood poverty rates in Ireland (http://www.cpa.ie/povertyinireland/childpoverty.htm) puts over 1/4 of our children in poverty or at risk of poverty – and those statistics are now 2 years old, how much have things worsened since then!

All I can say is one thing, whether you have the money or not, spending it has nothing to do with loving them – there’s loads of other, far more important and memorable ways!