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family · Wednesday 1 July 2026 · Various 
Get Active ABC Shake Up Summer - Kids Activity Programme 2026
At Various parks and leisure centres across the borough · Armagh, Portadown, Lurgan, Craigavon, Co. Armagh
At Various parks and leisure centres across the borough · Armagh, Portadown, Lurgan, Craigavon, Co. Armagh
Every summer, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council runs one of the most wide-ranging children’s activity programmes in the north of Ireland. The Get Active ABC Shake Up Summer programme covers July and August 2026 and is aimed at children who want to get outdoors, try something new, and fill the school holidays with activities that feel like an adventure. With sessions at parks, lakes, forests and leisure centres across the borough, the variety is genuine - from watersports on Craigavon Lakes to pond dipping in Victorian parkland.
The programme mixes physical activity with outdoor nature exploration. Multi-sports camps give children a taste of several activities in a single session. Watersports at South Lake Leisure Centre in Craigavon include paddleboarding, kayaking, and the aqua inflatable - sessions that tend to book up fast.
Nature-focused sessions run under a Young Conservationists banner: pond dipping, bug hunts, nature walks, and arts and crafts at Portadown People’s Park and Lurgan Park. Forest school taster sessions run at Scarva Park, tree study sessions at Tannaghmore Gardens in Lurgan, and traditional playground games at Palace Demesne in Armagh city. Most individual sessions cost £2 per child, with proceeds going to local charities; some are free. Online booking is required and spaces fill quickly, particularly for watersports.
Venues are spread across the borough, so the right route depends on the session. Armagh city is on the A3 and A28, roughly 40 minutes south-west of Belfast by car. Lurgan and Portadown are both on the Belfast to Dublin rail line with regular services from Belfast Grand Central. Craigavon is close to the M1. For Scarva Park and Tannaghmore Gardens a car is the most practical option. Most parks have free car parking on site.
Armagh city has two cathedrals on facing hills, the Armagh Robinson Library, and the Armagh Planetarium and Observatory worth a look if you are in the area. There is more to see in Armagh and across Co. Armagh.
Heading to Various parks and leisure centres across the borough in Armagh? Armagh has plenty more to see. Read the Armagh area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.