Many of Ireland’s top attractions, and plenty of local ones, offer the option to buy an annual family pass or membership that would make the perfect gift. For most, as long you visit a handful of times in the year, it is better value than paying each time you visit.

So this year, rather than buying single gifts for family or friends, you could consider gifting an annual family pass to somewhere they love. They will get a full 12 months of enjoyment from your gift and get to visit some amazing places.

So whether they prefer action, adventure, nature or history, there are lots of options available. Take a look at some of our favourite annual family pass options below.

When you become a member of the Irish Heritage Trust you will enjoy:

• Unlimited entry to Irish Heritage Trust properties at Fota House Arboretum & Gardens (Cork), The National Famine Museum | Strokestown Park (Roscommon) and Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum & Gardens (Wexford).
• Garden, museum, and tour access across the properties.
• Discounted and free events across Irish Heritage Trust houses, gardens, and museums.

Cost: €150 for 2 Adults plus dependent children living at the same address

Compared to a normal family ticket? A day visit to Johnstown Castle Gardens for 2 Adults & 4 children costs €38.

Where to buy: Buy online on www.irishheritagetrust.ie

Season Ticket holders enjoy access to the Irish National Stud and Gardens all year round.

They also hold exclusive member-only events where you can meet the first of the foals before anyone else, enjoy exclusive member-only children’s events throughout the year and get news and updates on your favourite foals.

Cost: €150 for two adults and up to four children

Compared to a normal family ticket? A family ticket for 2 adults + 2 children (aged 5-16) costs €42.00

Where to buy: You can buy the family season pass on their website.

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Annual passes for the Treetop Walk & Viewing Tower at Beyond the Trees Avondale include unlimited visits throughout the year. The famous Slide is subject to both weather and capacity, and doesn’t operate during wet weather. It costs €2 per go on the Viewing Tower slide, payable at the slide on the day. U6’s slide for free, however they must be accompanied on the slide by a paying adult.

Cost: €105 for 2 Adults + up to 3 kids (aged 4-17) of €75 for 1 adult + up to 3 kids

Compared to a normal family ticket? A family ticket for 2 adults & up to 3 kids (under 18) costs €40 or €25 for 1 adult + up to 3 kids.

Where to buy: On their website www.beyondthetreesavondale.com or at the ticket office.

An annual pass to Birr Castle Demesne gives you:

• Unlimited access to the Gardens, Science Galleries and Treehouse Playground Area, within the public opening hours.
• 10 kilometres of walking trails to enjoy.
• Free membership for children age 3 years and under with any family membership.
• Regular email newsletter keeping you up to-date with news and events.
• 10% discount in the Gift Shop.
• Dogs allowed. (Subject to T&C outlined under “For our dog owners”).
• 4 Complimentary guest passes with each individual 12-month membership taken out.

Cost: €82.00 for a 12-Month Adult Membership (18-64 years), €69.50 for a 12-Month Additional Adult Membership (18-64 years) and €22 for a 12-Month Child Membership (4-17 years)

Compared to a normal family ticket? A family ticket for 2 adults + 2 children costs €30.

Where to buy: On their website www.birrcastle.com or at the ticket office.

At the moment Lough Key doesn’t offer an annual membership or season ticket but we wanted to include their car parking pass which can be purchased from the Visitor Centre for only €35, and is valid for one year from day of purchase. There are no limitations on this pass, it can be used as often as you like, so works out at fantastic value if you plan to visit regularly for picnics and activities.

You also get free parking at Lough Key when you spend €20 or more on admissions to their attractions or in the restaurant, and they do also offer combination day passes for activities to save you money.

Brigit’s Garden have an annual family pass which gives:

• Unlimited entry to Brigit’s Garden for 12 months when normal charges apply (Special Events excluded)
• 5% discount in the Garden Café and Gift Shop
• 10% discount on tickets for special events
• 20% discount for guests you bring to the gardens
• 10% discount on Summer Camps for children covered by family membership
• Monthly newsletters and updates by email

Cost: A 12 month membership for 2 adults and 2 kids costs €110, while a membership for 1 adult and 2 kids costs €70.

Compared to a normal family ticket? A ticket for a family of 5 (2 Adults, 3 Children) costs €26 from October to March and €33 from April to September.

Where to buy: To get your annual membership go online to their website www.brigitsgarden.ie

Seasonal Membership at Clara Lara Funpark covers admission and activities (height restrictions apply). An adult must be the main holder of the ticket.

Cost: Membership costs €75 per person (adult or child), so for 2 adults and 2 children €300

Compared to a normal family ticket? A day pass for an adult costs €25 while for a child it costs €30, so 2 adults and 2 children would cost €110.

Where to buy: you can buy online on their website www.claralara.ie.

Seasonal Membership at Westport House gives you:

• Unlimited use of the amusements and rides in the Pirate Adventure Park during normal opening hours.
• 25% off additional tickets for friends and family to Westport House & Pirate Adventure Park
• 10% off birthday parties in the Pirates Den indoor soft play
• Discounts on Special Events like Halloween or Winter Wonderland

Additional charges apply for adventure activities, special events such as the Halloween Fest and Winter Wonderland, carnival games, some additional attractions and rides. Membership cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers or for special events in Westport House. e.g. Santa, Events, Halloween, School Tours etc.

Cost: They have various family memberships, for a family of 4 membership is currently €240

Compared to a normal family ticket? 1 Day Pirate Pass for 2 Adults & up to 2 Children costs €70.

Where to buy: you can buy online on their website www.westporthouse.ie or at Westport House itself.

The Heritage Card provides for free admission to 45 state-managed OPW Heritage Sites located throughout the country (with the exception of Muckross Traditional Farms, Killarney) for one year from the date of first use.

NB: at certain locations, parking facilities and ancillary services are provided by other bodies or agencies, in which case there may be a charge for the use of such services, those are not covered by the Heritage Card.

Cost: A family card is €90 (Max. 2 adults & 5 eligible children aged from 12 to 18 years). Kids under 12 go free.

Compared to a normal family ticket? Prices for family tickets vary depending on site but cost on average €20-25 euros for 2 adults and 2 children (12-17yrs).

Where to buy: You can purchase an OPW Heritage Card at one of their OPW sites, some have credit card facilities. Alternatively, buy online at www.heritageireland.ie

Wells House offers an annual pass that is valid for one year, 7 days a week, offers one car entry, entry to the grounds including the Lady Frances Fairy & Gruffalo Walk, gardens, adventure playground, onsite cafe, animal farm, and non-ticketed events for the year.

Cost: Annual Family Membership for 2 adults and up to 3 children costs €99.00 + €1.50 booking fee

Compared to a normal family ticket? Family ticket for 2 Adults, up to 3 Children costs €24.00

Where to buy: buy your annual pass on their website www.wellshouse.ie or at reception

Emerald Park (formally Tayto Park) annual membership offers:

• Unlimited access to all regular attractions
• Discounts on food and beverages
• Discounted rates on special events

Cost: Annual Membership is based on a per person rate so for 4 people eg. 2 adults and 2 children costs €420.00

Compared to a normal family ticket? Family ticket with all access for 4 people costs €140 online in advance or €188 at the gate

Where to buy: buy your annual pass on their website www.emeraldpark.ie

Turoe Pet Farm offers a variety of membership options available to suit all family sizes. Members will get access to:

• The Pet Farm
• Jungle Town
• Inflatable City
• Outdoor play area
• Astro turf pitch
• Fairy nature walk

Cost: Annual Family Membership for 2 adults and up to 2 children costs €200

Compared to a normal family ticket? Family ticket for 2 Adults, up to 2 Children costs €45.00

Where to buy: buy your annual pass on their website www.turoepetfarm.ie

Airfield Annual Pass Holders enjoy:

• Unlimited visits
• Free entry to Airfield’s seasonal trails
• Discounts on selected classes & workshops
• 10% off food in Overends Kitchen

Cost: e.g. 4 Person Pass is €170

Compared to a normal family ticket? Day ticket for 2 adults + 2 children costs €34.

Where to buy: An Annual Pass can be purchased over the phone or at the Airfield Estate ticket desk.

A 12 month family membership offers plenty, including:

• Day visit admission to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park
• 10% Discount on admission to other Shannon Heritage Attractions
• 10% Discount in the Bunratty Retail Store
• 10% Discount in all food outlets including Mr O’Regan’s Café
• Free Parking
• Priority booking options for all events – additional fees apply for Easter Halloween and Christmas.
• 10% discount on Shannon Heritage Evening Entertainment Shows

Cost: €150 for 1 adult and up to 4 children or 2 adults + 2 children (children u16)

Compared to a normal family ticket? A family pass for 2 adults and 2 children costs €36

Where to buy? Buy it online on the website www.bunrattycastle.ie

A 12 month Killruddery House Membership gives you:

• Unlimited admission to the Gardens (during open season) including picnic & play areas, designated farm roads, team room
• Discounted rate for house tours
• Free admission or subsidised tickets to many events.
• Special discounts to partner activities at Killruddery including workshops, outdoor sports events, tree adventure park and Squirrel’s Scramble.

Cost: There are three tiers of membership.

• Gold Finch Killruddery Membership €100 – Five guests allowed along with the member
• Silver Fir Killruddery Membership €80 – Three guests allowed along with the member
• Copper Beech Killruddery Membership €60 – One guest allowed along with the member
  This is the total number of either adults or children who can visit Killruddery without further entrance fee, the member must be one of the guests present.

Compared to a normal family ticket? A Garden + House Tour entry ticket for 2 Adults + 2 Children costs €43.

Where to buy: You can purchase a membership on their website www.killruddery.com or at the Garden Entrance.

A Dublin Zoo Annual Family Pass offers lots of value, including:

• Free admission to the Zoo for 12 months (plus at least one adult / two children)
• You will also get free admission to Fota Wildlife Park in Cork for 12 months
• Free admission to four UK zoos during the 12 months – Edinburgh Zoo, Colchester Zoo, Twycross Zoo and Paignton Zoo
• A free subscription to quarterly magazine Zoo Matters
• Discounts on selected events, summer camps and educational programmes

Cost: €210 for Pass holder + 2 Adults + 2 Children or Pass holder + 1 Adult + 4 Children or Pass holder + 6 Children

Compared to a normal family ticket? A day ticket for 2 Adults + 2 Children costs €54 to €61.

Where to buy: Buy online on www.dublinzoo.ie or at the ticket office at the Zoo.

Members of Fota Wildlife Park get unlimited visits to the Park, as well as:

• Fota Wildlife Park Newsletters
• 10% off all Children’s Activity Camps
• Free admission to Dublin Zoo
• One visit per year to Edinburgh Zoo, Highlands Wildlife Park & Belfast Zoo (card & receipt must be produced)
• Admission concession to Paignton Zoo, Newquay Zoo, and Living Coasts (card & receipt must be produced)

Cost: €210 per year for their Conservation Pass which allows entry for Member + 2 adults + 2 kids (3-16yrs, under 3s are free) OR Member + 1 adult + 4 kids OR Member + 6 kids. They also have a Park Pass valid for Member + 2 children for €150.

Compared to a normal family ticket? A family ticket for 2 adults + 2 children costs €54.60 online or €58.00 at the gate.

Where to buy: On their website www.fotawildlife.ie or at the ticket office.

Powerscourt Estate members enjoy unlimited entry to Powerscourt Gardens, Waterfall and River Walk with playground during normal opening hours, as well as 10% discount in Powerscourt Garden Pavilion when you present your annual membership card.

Cost: Family membership pass for the year at Powerscourt costs €175 for 2 adults and up to 4 children

Compared to a normal family ticket? A family ticket for 2 adults + 3 kids to visit both the Gardens and Waterfall would cost €38.

Where to buy: You can buy it online on their website at www.powerscourt.com.

You can buy a season family pass* for Nore Valley Pet Farm allowing unlimited entry to the farm all season long (March – October). This is excellent value for money as a season pass only costs the equivalent of three normal entries to the farm.

*Season passes are for farm entry only, extra activities on site like tractor and trailer rides, go-karts, 3D maze, and crazy golf are not included. For seasonal events, check with the Farm if any extra fees apply.

Sample cost: 2 adults + 2 kids costs €111.00

Compared to a normal family ticket? A family ticket for 2 adults + 2 kids to visit for the day will cost €37.00

Where to buy: on their website www.norevalleypark.com

Odeon, Omniplex and IMC cinemas all offer membership which is usually taken on a monthly basis. Other local cinemas have their own membership deals.

• Odeon offer myLimitless monthly memebership (minimum 3 months) for €14.99 per month and entitles the member to one ticket to every movie, discounts off food & drink, exclusive invites to screenings before films go on general release. 18+ only
• Omniplex offer a  myOmnipass monthly membership (minimum 3 months) for €14.99 per month and entitles the member to one ticket to every movie including MAXX, Recline & D’LUXX options, exclusive members only screenings and more.
• IMC offers IMC Infinity for €17.99 monthly and entitles the holder to one ticket to every movie, exclusive members only screenings and one ticket daily.

Compared to a normal ticket? An adult ticket for 1 movie costs a similar price to the monthly membership fee so if you see 2 movies or more a month, you are saving money.

Where to buy: online for each cinema

Make some rainbow fruit kebabs or put lots of sliced fruit out on a big plate to share.

Safety tip: grapes can be a choking hazard for children, so make sure to cut grapes in half lengthways.

Simple, bite-size sandwiches or wraps are sure to be popular. Ham, cheese, jam, chicken are simple filling ideas, not forgetting some bagel quarters with cream cheese.

Want more sandwich ideas? Check out our round-up of 65+ sandwich fillings suitable for all, including vegan.

Take two bars of chocolate (both milk, or one milk and one white) and melt them in 30-second bursts in the microwave, stirring in between.

Let the kids dip their strawberries into the melted chocolate (or if you prefer less mess, dip each strawberry and allow chocolate to dry.

“These go down a treat and I like the fact that they are getting something healthy and treat-y at the same time.”

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Make a hedgehog for the kids. Take half an orange and using cocktail sticks with cubes of cheese and fruit, push the sticks into the orange to make your hedgehog.

“The kids love it and it’s healthy!”

Kids love to dip so the simplest thing is hummus with carrot sticks.

Or give them a couple of different dips to try with breadsticks, pepper slices, even apple slices can be dipped.

Here’s two great recipes for Rice Krispie buns and Rice Krispie Chewies which are quick and easy to make.

“Always a winner at any age.”

We have found that a big bowl of popcorn is constantly a hit at kids parties. We always make our own as we prefer it to microwave popcorn, and it’s really simple.

1. Coat a pot with a thin layer of oil then add the popping corn and put the lid on.
2. Put the pot over a medium heat on the cooker and when you start to hear the popping just give the pot a shake every few seconds to make sure the corn isn’t burning.
3. Once you hear no more pops, it’s safe to take the lid off.  Empty the popped corn into a bowl and add a blob of butter to the warm pot and melt it and pour over the popped corn.

These are so simple to make. Just put a scoop of ice cream in a glass and pour in a fizzy drink on top. Great combinations include vanilla + coke or vanilla + American Cream Soda.

Smoothies and milkshakes are also another popular choice with kids, so why not try making strawberry and banana milkshakes.

Whip up a set of mini pancakes and set out some sliced bananas or strawberries, Nutella, whipped cream, mini marshmallows, or sugar & lemon juice. Here’s how to make some fun pancake shapes for kids.

Another great kids party food option is Digestive biscuits with Philadelphia and strawberry on top.

“Kids loved them when we had them at our recent home party.”

“This was a total hit! All you have to do is make some fruit kebabs i.e. strawberries and grapes and then let them dip into the fountain. My daughter’s friends from school were asking before her birthday ‘was the chocolate fountain going to be there’ as they remembered it from last year!”

Homemade chicken goujons or chicken skewers with dips to pour over the chicken or to dip into. You could try a honey-mustard dip, garlic mayo, satay sauce, sweet and sour, or sweet chilli for older kids.

Most kids love sausages, even the fussier kids, so a good option for party food are either cocktail-sized sausages or mini sausage rolls (you can buy the larger ones and slice them into 3 before serving).

Or why not make your own – here are some super easy recipes for Homemade Sausages and Sausage Rolls.

Why not make some homemade pizzas? Kids love choosing their own toppings for and it helps cater for different tastes and even accommodate the fussy eater. Alternatively here’s a recipe for Neapolitan pizza.

“Make small pizza bases, then put out toppings in bowls (cheese, tomato sauce, ham, sweet corn, etc) and let the kids make their own.”

“Try puff pastry pizzas – literally get the ready-rolled puff pastry, fold back a little bit on each corner; put tomato puree or tomato sauce over it; add mozzarella cheese and use your imagination!”

An alternative to making pizza dough would be to use wraps or English muffins as the base.

These are very easy to make in advance and have ready to grill, here’s Clodagh McKenna’s mini burger recipe.

“Mini burgers go down a treat and if you keep them small, they are less likely to leave them uneaten”

“For my daughter’s first birthday I didn’t have time to decorate the fairy cakes so I made icing in three different colours, put jelly tots, smarties, hundreds and thousands, etc out on a table in bowls and everyone decorated their own…adults and kids LOVED this!”

Our lemon buns would be a tasty bake for this!

Take some oranges, cut them in half and scoop out the orange being careful not to tear the orange skin. Then make up some jelly and pour into the ‘boats’. Leave to set in the fridge before serving.

“I used red jelly and green so they could choose (or fight) over what coloured boat they wanted!”

Melt some chocolate, then dip the top of a marshmallow in and top it with a colourful Smartie. Repeat with your remaining marshmallows, allow to set and serve.

“So quick and easy to make, and the kids love them.”

Not all desserts mean lots of calories!  Check out some of our healthy ideas for rainbow desserts without the guilt factor and a fun way to get extra fruit into reluctant kids.

These little fruit tacos from Sugar Dish Me are cinnamon sugar tortillas stuffed with honey cinnamon cream cheese and all your favourite fruit. They are easy to prepare and work well as party food or a fun after school snack.

Vitamin-packed fruit skewers are a simple, colourful and fun way to get kids to eat fruit, and they’ll love helping to make them too. Clean Food Crush uses raspberries, strawberries, melon, mango, pineapple, kiwi, grapes and blueberries for these.

You could try serving new fruits, alongside familiar fruits to introduce new flavours and textures in a fun way.

These whole fruit and veggie rainbow popsicles from Yummy Mummy Kitchen are as delicious and nourishing as they are pretty. They have no artificial food dyes or added sweeteners, and those distinct rainbow layers are made with blended whole fruit and veggies.

This healthy rainbow chia pudding from Girl Phat is perfect for breakfast, snacks or dessert – and packed with fruit and delicious goodness!

Okay, so this isn’t a quick fix smoothie to make on a busy morning, but it would make an epic Vitamin C boost on the weekends or special occasions.

We love the suggestion from The First Year Blog to make this rainbow smoothie an unforgettable treat – stick a gold chocolate coin in the bottom of the glass before adding the smoothie. That way when someone is finished drinking it, they find gold at the end of the rainbow!

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Transform a traditional vanilla pudding into a showstopping rainbow dessert, like this one from Makezine, your whole family will love.

Top with cream and sprinkles or just leave the beautiful layers to speak for themselves!

This no-bake rainbow cheesecake tart from PS I Made This is perfect for showcasing all your favourite fruits. Swap the Graham Cracker crust for crushed digestive biscuits or chocolate chip cookies if you prefer.

Pancakes are a popular choice for breakfast, but these rainbow pancakes from I Am Baker can be transformed into a dessert with the addition of some sweet toppings. Perhaps even a scoop of ice cream?!

If you plan on trying all the colours of the rainbow, make these pancakes in small bite-size amounts so that you can indulge!

Do you prefer a thinner pancake? Try these rainbow crepes from The Proper Blog and serve with some of the accompanying key lime whipped cream, fruit in a variety of rainbow colours, or whatever takes your fancy!

Perhaps not the breakfast of champions, but definitely a fun treat for special occasions. You can learn how to make your own jam-filled treats with this recipe for rainbow pop tarts courtesy of Tastemade.

tbd

There are lots of tasty ideas like this no-churn rainbow ice cream over at Creamish for making really quick ice creams – no ice cream machine required, and it can be done in a matter of minutes.

It’s lots more fun to make your own and comes without all the added extras found in shop-bought ice creams.

These soft-baked rainbow cookies from Sally’s Baking Addiction are deliciously chewy and very more-ish! Great for a party (or a Monday…), they are sure to be very popular.

Use candy melts to create rainbow popcorn, like this version from The Decorated Cookie. While this would definitely brighten up a family movie night, it also makes a fantastic addition to a party food menu.

These sparkly fruity rainbow gummies from Our Best Bites can be coloured and flavoured as much as you like, and the recipe will show you just how to get started.

Crazy For Crust shows you just how to make these slice-and-bake rainbow cookies using a classic sugar cookie recipe. Add some little cookie dot clouds for extra cute factor!

Made in minutes, this rainbow candy bark from My Name is Snickerdoodle is a really fun idea for treats or parties.

Use whatever sprinkles, sweets and candy you can find to make this bark as colourful as possible!

Layer up different colours to create a jello rainbow of wobble – Made By a Princess shows you how to perfect the layering.

You could make individual servings, or create one big glass bowl of wondrous wobble for the kids to enjoy.

Another great jello idea is to give these rainbow jello orange wedges from Tablespoon a try. How fun would these be for a kids party?!

If you love a waffle, just think how much more exciting a rainbow one will be like this one from Tablespoon! And just look at those whipped cream clouds…

Candy melts in a range of colours can transform anything into a rainbow treat! Just look at these chocolate-covered strawberries from Dash of Sanity that are sure to be gobbled up in no time!

Cakes are the ultimate way to create a rainbow dessert the whole family will be wowed by.

Keep it quick and simple, and decorate your favourite cake with some Smarties or M&Ms in a rainbow pattern like this one from Taste.

This rainbow Swiss roll is a show-stopping twist on the classic and would be perfect for a party.

While this recipe from Tablespoon uses a box cake, any Swiss roll recipe, coloured and cooked the same, would work just as well.

Take it to the next level with a multicoloured rainbow layer cake. Imagine slicing into this and seeing the reactions when a rainbow appears! Cupcake Jemma shows you just how to create your own with this step-by-step video.

Amp up the rainbow colours! This stunning cake from Land O Lakes features rainbow layers and is adorned with beautiful rainbow buttercream roses for a really eye-catching finish.

These playful rainbow cupcakes from Dessert Now, Dinner Later are making us drool! The bright colours, in perfect layers, peaked cupcakes, and whipped cream cheese frosting – so much goodness going on in one cupcake!

Give any cupcake (homemade or shop-bought) a rainbow makeover with this really effective rainbow buttercream. Panko Bunny shows you how to create the effect with a how-to video.

Create your own rainbow with cupcakes, thanks to this clever and deceptively simple idea we found on Pinterest!

Sleepover fun is the kind of childhood memory your kids will treasure – but in the moment it can be a bit daunting for parents. How will I entertain them? Will they be bored? What will I do if (when!) they don’t sleep? Why did I think this was a good idea…?!

Take it from me – they probably won’t sleep, there’ll be lots of giggling, they’ll be hunting for snacks and treats all night, and you’ll regret agreeing to host the sleepover at least a dozen times through the night. BUT your kiddo will be thrilled and the kids will go home happy and tired.

The key to a great sleepover is to have a few things planned (movies, party games, activities, etc) as a back up. The kids may be happy to just hang out and entertain themselves, but having some activities up your sleeve just in case is a good idea. These sleepover games are great fun, suitable for a range of ages, and really don’t require any preparation.

Sardines is the reverse of hide and seek. One person hides while the other players count to 100, then everyone searches for the hidden person.

Whenever a person finds the hidden person, they quietly join them in their hiding spot until everyone is squeezed into the hiding place.

Last player to find the hiding place becomes “It” for the next game.

Turn off all the lights. One person is “It” and counts to 100 while the rest of the players hide. The person who is “It” has to find them without turning on any lights, and the last person found becomes “It” for the next game.

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We all remember the classic Twister game, played on a large plastic mat with rows of red, yellow, blue and green circles.

A spinner attached to a square board determines where each player has to put their hand or foot – but due to the scarcity of coloured circles, players will often be required to put themselves in unlikely or precarious (and hilarious!) positions, eventually causing someone to fall. A person is eliminated when they fall or when their elbow or knee touches the mat.

There is no limit to how many can play at once, but more than four is a tight fit.

Prepare Post It notes with names of famous people on them. E.g. pop stars, celebrities, movie stars, famous people from history.

Everyone gets a Post It note on their forehead (without seeing who they are) and each person has to figure out which famous person they are asking only questions that have a Yes or No answer. Continue until everyone has guessed who they are.

MASH stands for “Mansion, Apartment, Shack and House” and is a predict your future game. What house are you going to have, who are you going to marry, what type of car will you drive and so on.

If you’re not sure how to play, here are the rules of MASH and A Girl and a Glue Gun has free downloadable MASH sheets.

Take a beach ball and use a permanent marker to write a list of questions/talking points onto the ball.

For example,

• If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
• Describe yourself in 3 words
• Chocolate or vanilla?
• Spiders or snakes?

The ball is then passed around and when the person catches it they must answer or act out what is written below their right thumb.

Pass out glow sticks, and then each person takes it in turn to go outside and hide 5 glow sticks that the rest of the players have to find.

You can buy packs of Glow Sticks in different colours on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com – NB if you buy through our links we get a small commission.

Go selfie mad with a photo booth and lots of fun accessories.

Make some glow in the dark bubbles and head out door for bubble fun. You’ll need:

• some glow in the dark or fluorescent paint (available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com)
• dish soap
• water
• bowls for mixing

For a quick and cheap idea to entertain the kids, what about a Mission Impossible-style spy mission?

Create a paper maze along your hallway using a roll of crepe paper and fasten it with tape criss-crossing across the hallway or room.

The aim is for the kids to go through the maze one at a time and get to the other end without breaking the paper.

Don’t forget, you want it to be difficult enough, but still doable so that it is fun.

How about a game of Spoons? This fast-paced, fast-moving card game is good for 4-10 players. You just need a couple of decks of cards and some spoons. Read the Rules for Spoons.

Another great game is 21 (also known as Pontoon or Blackjack) which works well for 5-8 players:

• The aim for each player is to get their hand as close as possible to 21, but not going over 21. The best hand is a Pontoon, which is 21 points in two cards – this can only consist of an ace plus a picture card or ten. Hands with more than 21 points are bust and are worthless.
• The dealer deals two cards to each player. The players examine their cards and decide if they are going to Stick or Twist. ‘Stick’ means no more cards; ‘Twist’ means getting another card. The dealer addresses the players in turn, who either Stick or Twist. If they are bust they declare ‘I’m Bust’ and put their cards down.
• When all players have been accommodated, the dealer’s hand is turned over. The dealer is free to add cards face up to it, stopping when satisfied or is bust. If the dealer and a player have equal valued hands, then the dealer wins.

My children love to make these oreo truffles as a special treat for friends or if we are having a celebration.

You can be creative with the decoration and with only a few ingredients and no cooking required, they are simple to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 2 packets of Oreo biscuits (154g each)
• 150g Cream Cheese
• Teaspoon of Vanilla Essence
• 200g dark/white/milk chocolate for coating
• Optional – gold glitter spray or edible glitter

Method:

1. Empty Oreo biscuits into a zip-loc bag and bash with a rolling pin or meat hammer until they are large crumbs. You could also pulse them in the food processor.
2. In a large bowl, mix the crushed Oreo biscuits with the cream cheese and a teaspoon of vanilla extract until combined.
3. Roll into balls and chill in the fridge or freezer for at least an hour.
4. Once chilled, melt your chocolate of choice.
5. Use a skewer or fork to dip each truffle into the chocolate and place on greaseproof paper to set.
6. Store in the fridge and just before you serve, spray or coat with edible glitter if using.
7. Enjoy!

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