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7th August 2018
06:35pm BST
There's only a handful of weekends left before it's back-to-school time, but that's plenty of time to make some more summer memories the kids will never forget.
This weekend sees a brand new children-focused festival celebrating play, fun and imagination take over Dublin, encouraging parents and kids alike to step away from the screens for some good, clean fun.
Playstival with The Happy Pear takes place over two days (Saturday August 11 and Sunday August 12) at Ireland’s largest urban farm Airfield Estate in Dundrum, Dublin 14.
The focus of Playstival is to ‘go back to basics’ and experience a more innocent approach to games and play. It will feature a range of hands-on, fun imaginative games and themed ‘play universes’, with no fancy technology or screens to be found!
Playstival showcases eight themed ‘play universes’ for children to immerse themselves in, use their imaginations to create ideas, roles and characters, and most importantly have lots of fun. The ‘play universes’ comprise of beautifully made, tactile wooden games, which have been designed by Festijeux, the world renowned French games company passionate about positive play and the power of the imagination. Festijeux’s wooden games have featured at many popular family events across Europe.
The creatively themed play universes include a construction site for kids, an architect's area focused on team-skills, a pedal-powered train service, a kid-sized food market, a games filled animal farm, toddler-rific children’s island, a magical wonderland tea party for all the family to discover, and even a visit to the wild wild west.
In addition to the play universes, families can enjoy free activities at Playstival such as lego brick building with The Brickx Club, laughter yoga with Louise, storytelling, papercrafts from Paper Pet Shop, drama classes from Miss Ali’s Stage School, science shows from Junior Einsteins and mindfulness with Sprout Kids.
Additionally, delicious and nourishing Happy Pear food will be on offer throughout the weekend – from healthy wraps and salads, to hot dishes, as well as Happy Pear smoothies, hand-roasted coffees, and a selection of healthier cakes and treats.
Festival goers will also have the wonderful opportunity to enjoy all of what Airfield Estate has to offer including egg collection, Jersey herd milking and tasting, calf feeding, heritage house tours, play areas, vintage cars, animal feeding and much more.
Visitors can also enjoy the Estate’s renowned food offerings across the two-day event including a BBQ grill, deliciously creamy ice cream, home baked treats and sandwiches, and barista coffees and teas. Brunch will be served at Airfield’s Farm to Fork restaurant ‘Overends Kitchen’ all day, and The Stables Cafe will have a range of ‘grab and go’ picnic style food options that visitors can enjoy across the 38-acre estate.
Playstival with The Happy Pear will also have a dedicated ASD (Autism) friendly area onsite for any families with ASD children attending the festival. This area will be quiet and reserved for this sole purpose.
Self-confessed devotees of outdoor play and current No. 1 bestselling authors, The Happy Pear’s Dave and Steve Flynn believe that spending time with their children, being in nature, and moving is fundamental to their happiness:
“In our experience connecting with other people, movement, and healthy food are key to our happiness. Today loneliness is on the rise even though we’re all more connected through technology, so being outdoors doing fun activities, and demonstrating the importance of togetherness to our kids is really important to us. We hope all the families who come to Playstival will experience that and will have a great fun day out, packed with lots of activities designed to stimulate young imaginations.”
READ MORE: The 10 Best Weekend Activities For Kids In Dublin
