Turning To A Life Of Rhyme

Get on your feet and jump around…

t’s the annual Creative Ireland day of free arts for kids that miraculously managed to make headlines around the world in 2024.

Thanks to the bouncing, boisterous young whipper-rappers of Rhyme Island, and their self-anointed banger, The Spark, a track that had Billie Eilish and Amy Poehler bouncing like loons last week.

A youth initiative in the Knocknaheeny suburb of Cork and headed up by director Alex (aka GMCBeats) and The Kabin Studio, the world has finally found a worthy successor to St Laurence’s 2020 wibby, wobbly wonder Moncaí Damhsa.

Currently playing on a phone near you, The Spark first appeared in a rather more laidback form in 2023, as Rhyme Island helped launch 2023’s Cruinniú na nÓg, but a remix for 2024 turned viral.

And given that it’s a blast of youthful energy, attitude and mischief, rightly so.

It is indeed, as young Sophie says, a feckin’ banger. And you can get on your feet and jump around by playing it below. And congrats to our own Coolnagreina kids for getting into the spirit of it all too.

With 2026 ambassadors Freya and Fionn leading the charge, here’s the official word on this year’s big free arts day for kids in Wicklow…

Cruinniú na nÓg, the National Day of Creativity for children and young people, returns to County Wicklow on Saturday, 6th June 2026.

The theme for this year is Unleash Your Creative Spark! – a nod to you know who.

Ireland is the first, and only, country in the world to have a national day of free creativity for children and young people under 18.

This year’s programme features a diverse and extensive line-up of events, activities and workshops designed to inspire and delight. All events and activities are free, though some may require pre-booking.

Close to home, there’s…

10.30am-12pm Family Poetry Workshop at The Whale Parents and children aged 6+ 90 mins 
A fun child-led poetry workshop about your special place. Through pictures and the written word, each child will explore places that have particular significance for their family. We will be sharing stories and delving into our imaginations to bring those places to life on the page. Feel free to bring photos as prompts. A parent should accompany participants for this workshop.
All materials provided. Facilitated by community poet Colm Brennan. Booking here.

12.15pm-1.45pm Children’s Haiku Workshop at The Whale Ages 8yrs–12yrs 90 mins 
In a fun and creative atmosphere, children will experiment with Haiku, a vivid form of poetry that originated in Japan and is now enjoyed all over the world. Participants will explore the theme of Our Place and capture the personality of our locality through poetry in the company of community poet Colm Brennan. Materials provided.

2pm-3.30pm Art Poetry Workshop at The Whale Ages 13yrs-15yrs 90 mins 
Suited to anyone who is curious about writing or art or both. Together we will find inspiration in masterpieces of landscape art showing local areas as you’ve never seen them before. You will use your imagination to build pictures of what the areas once looked like and respond to the art through the writing of your own poem. Pen and notebooks required. Facilitated by community poet Colm Brennan.

There are three goodies at Greystones Library too, starting at 10am with Helena Byrne telling Fairytales and Ghost Stories. At 11.45am there’s a Kite Making Workshop where, yep, you’ll learn how to build your own kite! Finally, at 3pm local artist Nicola Sedgwick will be hosting a drawing workshop, This Beautiful World giving children a chance to paint their very own personal A3 poster.

Not too far away from home, Bray Library is busy, with Gruaig Áine le Sadhbh Devlin from 10am to 11am, with the popular book being read in Irish, a Pop-Up Comic Club with TinyGreens from 11.30am to 1.30pm, and a Giant Bubbles Workshop from 2pm to 4pm, whilst at Wicklow Library, there’s a Cartoon Animals Drawing Workshop from 12pm to 1pm, that Kite Workshop takes flight from 1.45pm to 2.45pm and there’s a Minecraft New Tricks Workshop from 3pm to 4.30pm.  There are 2-hour Make A Movie On Your Mobile workshops at Clermont House, for kids 9yrs to 12yrs at 10am and teens at 1pm.

Rathdrum Library has a Family Magic & Comedy Show from 10.30am to 11.30am,  Enniskerry Library has The Aplaca Crafts Workshop from 10am to 12pm, Killruddery has their 1-hour Construct Fun workshops for kids 5yrs to 12yrs at 10am, 11am, 12pm and 2pm, whilst the Mermaid has a Raise Your Spear workshop from 12pm to 2pm and Mark Making With Bray Lakers from 1pm to 3pm.

More than 50 events, performances, and workshops will take place in twenty-three locations across the county, some of them actually pretty good.

Please note that some events require advance booking, while others are drop-in activities.

Taking place on Saturday, June 6th, to check out the full programme and range of events together with booking information, please click here.