New culture trail details 30 fun places in Cork for children to explore

Museums, galleries, and attractions in Cork City have come together to create a Playful Culture Trail, featuring 30 fun and playful places where children can explore the city’s culture, heritage and green spaces through play.

Each attraction on the trail will have a unique activity pack for children on arrival with numerous challenges to complete from scavenger hunts, to sketching tasks, crosswords and investigation work.

The full trail is highlighted on a colourful and child-friendly map that can be picked up along with a unique tote bag, colouring pencils, a Pure Cork pencil, and a bookmark, from attractions and hotels in the city.

Commenting on the reasons behind the initiative, one of the key organisers Dr Danielle O’Donovan, Programme Manager at Nano Nagle Place, said that Cork City wants to lead the way in encouraging playful engagement in venues that may have traditionally been perceived as quiet spaces. 

“Lots of us want to bring kids to museums, galleries and attractions, but often there isn’t anything designed for them to do. This summer in Cork we have turned that problem into a creative opportunity by designing playful and engaging activity packs for kids so that families feel welcome in our cultural spaces. We are delighted to launch this innovative Playful Culture Trail, which will make kids VIPs at cultural venues throughout Cork City. It has been a real passion project for everyone involved and all the project partners have been hugely enthusiastic in devising activities for kids of various ages and interests” 

Also commenting, Denise Cahill, coordinator of the Playful Cork City Project and Cork Healthy Cities, said “Providing opportunities for fun and giving children permission to play is more important than ever right now, after a year of lockdown. We’re working on making Cork City a playful city, and this exciting new initiative that introduces play to culture not only promotes wellbeing, activity and learning, but it inspires families to engage with the wonderful cultural attractions, heritage spaces, museums, galleries and green spaces that they have yet to discover in Cork.” 

The Playful Culture Trail 

• Scoot down the marina 
• Explore with Coke Zero bikes 
• Go otter spotting along the Lee 
• Have a picnic at Bell’s Field 
• Find Bláithín the lizard 
• Make a daisy chain at Nano Nagle Place
• Find out your ‘bog’ age at The Butter Museum 
• Get locked up at Cork City Goal 
• See underground at Triskel Christchurch 
• Get in the stocks at Elizabeth Fort 
• Find the medieval bowling ball at Cork Public Museum 
• Fire your imagination at the city library 
• Play chase or fly a kite in the Lee fields 
• Skim a stone across the Lee 
• Float a paper boat on the Lough 
• Stargaze at Blackrock Castle Observatory
• Find the centre of the labyrinth at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral 
• Discover the playground at Old Cork Waterworks 
• Pose like a sculpture at the Crawford Art Gallery 
• Find the right time on one of the 4 clock faces of Shandon 
• Play Pooh sticks at the Glen River park 
• Make a wish on the witches wishing steps at Blarney castle 
• Run over the shaky bridge 
• Balance on a silver ball at Fitzgerald’s Park 
• Find the little boys on the rubble of St. Peter’s 
• Find the shiny tree in Fitzgerald’s Park 
• Do the UCC art trail at the Glucksman
• Find the Cork town walls at Bishop Lucey Park 
• Hunt for medals at the military museum, Collins Barracks 
• Treat yourself to sweets in Lenihan’s, Shandon

Some venues are free and others offer family rates. For more see purecork.ie/playtrail. 

Follow @corkcitycouncilofficial on social media for updates on the Cork Cultural Play Trail and Cork as a Playful City. 

This project was developed in collaboration with all of the participating museums, galleries and attractions in Cork, in partnership with Playful Paradigm, Cork City Council, Cork Local Sports Partnership, Pure Cork, and Bus Eireann.