Cruinniú Na nÓg, A Day of Free Creativity For Children and Young People Returns to 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!”. Attendees can look forward to seeing children and young people engage in music, dance, STEM activities, poetry, visual arts, as well as participate in creative workshops throughout the county.

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. Cruinniú na nÓg is a flagship initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme’s Creative Youth Plan to nurture expressive potential of children and young people.

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. More than 50 events, performances, and workshops will take place in twenty-three locations across the county, including:

• Create School, ScreenHub: "Make a Movie on Your Mobile" workshops in Rathnew - the perfect introduction to filmmaking for young creatives.
• Mr. Sands Youth Theatre: An open day drama session at Wolfe Tone Community Centre, Bray, where children can get the flavour of theatre and drama, play games, interact with theatre members and experience the excitement of youth theatre first hand.
• Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely: Two special workshops will be held here; Ciorcal Ceoil is a bilingual family session filled with songs, stories, rírá agus ruaille buaille! Along with an art tetra pak printmaking workshop with Aileen Crossley.
• Arklow Music and Arts, Arklow Library: These workshops will promote various aspects of the arts for young people, including song, music, stained glass, dance and drama.
• Bray Library: Young readers will be entertained with interactive session in Irish about Gruaig Áine le Sadhbh Devlin and later taught how to make giant bubbles in the library garden with The Bubble Guy!
• Enniskerry Library: Alpaca Crafts session with Alpaca Joe. Joe will deliver an interactive, educational talk outdoors. Inside the library there will be Alpaca related crafts for the participants.
• The Whale Theatre: This workshop will facilitate “Our Place - Children's Haiku”, where children will experiment with Haiku, a vivid form of poetry that originated in Japan.
• Russborough House: Hosting “Printing in Nature” workshops, children will explore the landscape, forage for natural materials, and use their found objects to create unique, nature-inspired prints.
• Tearmann Community Gardens, Baltinglass: Hosting “Threads of the Tuatha: A Botanical Yarn Trail” - an inspiring, hands-on exploration of textile art, local heritage, and Irish mythology with a guided tour followed by a weaving workshop.

Commenting on the plans for Cruinniú na nÓg, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council Cllr. Melanie Corrigan said, “I’m delighted to see the wide variety of creative activities available for children and young people to take part in at this year’s festival. The programme is set to spark imagination and curiosity, and I hope that as many as possible will come along to enjoy the free events and activities.”

Emer O'Gorman, Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council, stated, “I am pleased that the Wicklow County Creative Ireland Team, in collaboration with the Library Service, local partners, and stakeholders, is presenting such a vibrant program throughout the county. Cruinniú na nÓg is a wonderful day, and the packed schedule provides access to creative activities in a fun, inclusive, and accessible manner.”

17-year-old all-Ireland and European Dance Champion Freya Roche from Rathnew will represent Wicklow as one of the Ambassadors for Cruinniú 2026. Speaking on Cruinniú na nÓg she said, “My dream is to open my own dance studio one day. I started dancing at age 4 as my mom thought it would give me confidence as I was quite shy. When I dance, I feel most like myself. It gives me a sense of freedom and becomes a language that allows me to express emotions and ideas. I think the best thing about Cruinniú na nÓg is that it gives young people across Ireland the chance to experience creativity in an accessible and inclusive way. I would encourage all young people to dance and explore themselves through movement!”

15-year-old musician from Greystones Fionn Crean Mac Oireachtaigh will share the Wicklow’s Ambassador’s honours with Freya. Fionn plays Uilleann pipes, flute and guitar. He said, “My favourite creative activity is my Uilleann Pipes, and I started these at age 12. I‘ve always got so much fun and just pure enjoyment when I play the pipes. But lately, as I got older and when my dad passed away, I get this sense of connection to him and peace when I play. There are times when the music reminds me of how much I’d love to be playing music with him like we used but it mostly brings me a sense of being close to him. I also tell friends how much music has opened my life to new friends who will be friends for life with common interests. Creativity is what you make it!”

Please note that some events require advance booking, while others are drop-in activities. To see the full programme and details about events, including booking information, please visit: https://cruinniu.gov.ie/events/location/wicklow/