Cheap/free things to do with 13 year old in Dublin city centre

Janey_Mac

A couple of weeks ago I asked my friend's 13 year old son to come into town and meet me and we'd go to the cinema. He's had a hard enough time of it with bullying and stuff, and he'd said that he'd been spending his summer holidays doing nothing but playing Minecraft, so I figured it would get him out of the house and encouraging him to look up his own bus times, pick the film and showing time etc. would be good for him too, build up a bit of independence.

It went great, and I figure I'll hang out with him again once every few weeks if he's up for it. I was wondering is there anything else that might be fun to do that would be easier for his mother to budget for (as she's not working) so all he'd have to do would be pay for the bus fare and maybe a McDonald's or something.

I've thought of the Science Museum at Trinity. The exhibitions can be a bit hit and miss, though.

I think an afternoon painting models in Games Workshop if he has any unpainted would suit him too, but I don't know if he has any unpainted ones.

I don't know how into the various museums he'd be, but I can ask him. Everyone likes gold hoards and bog bodies, though, right?

Any other ideas for cheap places for a grown-up nerd to bring a teenaged nerd for a couple of hours on a Saturday?

ger vallely

It might not be on a Saturday or in the city centre BUT a trip to Dunsink Observatory would be a very nerdily fantastic thing to do.They have open nights on Wednesdays,think it's the 1st Wednesday of each winter month. It's near castleknock,easily gotten to and cheap on the bus. Just put it into google and the details will definitely be there.

What about something like "Geocaching," which is using a gps (like on most smartphones) to find things or places. Basically treasure hunting. Lots of sites and apps available eg http://www.geocaching.com/ http://www.geocachingireland.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1.
More fun than it sounds and lots of locations in and around Dublin.

Janey_Mac

Thanks guys!

Twee.

I was in the Science Gallery today and didn't love the exhibition. The kids were 15 and 13 and there was a lot to read on the walls and the whole thing was fairly complex, which tbh they weren't really interested in, even though the oldest would be very into technology and science. Maybe we should have booked into one of the workshops...

We popped into the Gallery of Photography too and they liked that. The current exhibition is fairly small and is photos of Dublin through the ages http://www.galleryofphotography.ie/

Collins Barracks is a winner if he'd be into history, some very interesting stuff there about various wars Ireland has been involved in, and there's an exhibition on about the Asgard there at the moment. Bonus Luas journey to get down there!

MadsL

Deleted User wrote: »

What about something like "Geocaching," which is using a gps (like on most smartphones) to find things or places. Basically treasure hunting. Lots of sites and apps available eg http://www.geocaching.com/ http://www.geocachingireland.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1.
More fun than it sounds and lots of locations in and around Dublin.

+1 on the geocaching - my 13 year daughter loved it. Great fun and we got about 6-7 done in one afternoon.
You can probably link geocaching and one of the following as a suprise if you are crafty...

The Dead Zoo is fun if he hasn't been (National History Museum)
The mummies in St Michan's http://blather.net/blather/2007/08/the_mummies_of_saint_michans.html
Chester Beatty Library can be good.