Free activities for kids this Summer at Dobbies’ Antrim and Lisburn stores

The first Dobbies’ Little Seedlings Club session of the summer takes place on Sunday 7 July and will spotlight minibeasts that live in the garden.

The Garden Creatures workshop at Dobbies’ Antrim and Lisburn stores will explore the world of snails, slugs, spiders, and beetles, helping children understand their microhabitats and fascinating defence mechanisms. The kids will also gain an understanding of what a pollinator is and how you can attract them to your garden with pollinator-friendly lavender, which they can plant and take home.

In addition to the regular monthly workshop, Dobbies’ Antrim and Lisburn stores is hosting aLittle Seedlings Holiday Clubon various dates across July to keep kids active and busy over the school holidays.

Children will learn about beautiful butterflies and get the chance to make their very own butterfly-inspired craft. Dobbies’ colleagues will begin the session by introducing the topic of butterflies, where they live, what they eat and what they need to survive, alongside the different species from around the world, uncovering the smallest and largest butterfly. Kids at the Antrim and Lisburn stores will learn about the insect’s lifecycle from caterpillar to butterfly and the importance of these magnificent creatures in the garden ecosystem.

Dobbies’ Little Seedlings Club is designed to educate and inspire the next generation of gardeners, getting children of all ages (4-10 years old) together in a group setting to learn something new.

Robbie Williams, general manager at Dobbies, is looking forward to welcoming children along to learn about the wonderful creatures that call our gardens home. He said: “Summer is a fantastic season for the gardening calendar and a great time to get children interested in the wildlife around them.

“We know just how stretched families can be over the summer holidays, trying to find new and affordable ways to keep the kids entertained. The free sessions in Antrim and Lisburn stores are designed to be inclusive, fun and educational, and we hope that families across the country can head along to their nearest store to get involved.”

The Northern Ireland stores will be offering the Little Seedlings Holiday Club from Monday 22 to Friday 26 July.

Dobbies is currently searching for its new Little Seedling Club Ambassadors, calling on budding young gardeners who are looking to inspire their peers to get into gardening to get in touch. Successful ambassadors will become the faces of Dobbies’ monthly workshops, write blogs for the website, and feature in news articles and photographs.

The application process is simple; interested applicants only need to visit www.dobbies.com and fill out a short form, applications close on Sunday 23 June.

For more information on Dobbies’ monthly workshop on Garden Creatures or Little Seedlings Holiday Club in the Antrim and Lisburn stores, visit www.dobbies.com/events.