Mid-term's over and it's dark by five, so this week is mostly about the weekend and the odd evening out.

If you do one thing today, look at Let's Be Trainee Banshees on Saturday. It's free, but it was down to its last tickets when I checked.

I went back through every organiser's page this morning, Monday 2 November. A couple of things I'd lined up had sold out by then, so if you see something you want, book it early.

Sorted by area, three apiece. Start with your own end of the city.

Royal Irish Academy of Music · Sunday 8 November, 11am to 3pm

Free · for all the family · just drop in

Pick up the clues at the Family Hub reception, work through them together and bring them back for a prize.

See the treasure hunt page

Royal Irish Academy of Music · Saturday 7 November, 10.30am

Free · ages 5 to 8 · book one ticket per person, last tickets left

Author Sinéad O'Hart gets them drawing, meeting Irish magical creatures and practising their best banshee wail. You've been warned.

Grab banshee tickets

O'Reilly Theatre, 6 Great Denmark Street, Dublin 1 · Sunday 8 November, 4pm or 6pm, about 60 minutes

From €26 a ticket, so from €104 for four · ages 5 and up, under-16s with an adult · arrive 30 minutes early, no late entry

Sleeping Beauty danced in glow-in-the-dark costumes. An hour's a fair length for smaller kids.

Pick your ballet seats

Malahide Castle · every Sunday, 9.30am

Free · ages 4 to 14 · register once beforehand and bring the barcode

A 2k run around the castle grounds. Sort the barcode during the week and that's Sunday morning done.

Register for Malahide junior parkrun

Rediscovery Centre, The Boiler House, Ballymun · Saturday 7 November, 11am to 4pm

Free · family-friendly, kids with an adult · booking advised

Hands-on experiments and demonstrations at the Rediscovery Centre. Water is the theme this year.

See the science festival listing

Sean O'Casey Community Centre, Saint Mary's Road, Dublin 3 · Saturday 7 November, 3pm, 30 minutes

About €17 to about €19 a person · ages 7 and up · arrive 10 minutes early

All the kit's included and they don't need any experience. Thirty minutes won't take over your Saturday, and there's free parking nearby.

Book an archery session

Town Square, Dundrum · Thursday 5 November, 6pm

Free · turn up for 6pm

Nadine Coyle switches on the new lights, then stays to sing. The shops stay open late, and Mrs Claus is at the Live Advent Calendar on Level 1. It's early for Christmas, I know.

See the switch-on page

Dundrum Town Centre, Unit 3, Dundrum South · every day, 10am to 10pm

Prices are on their booking page, and both courses go for the price of one from 10am to 11am if you book online · all ages · pre-book for the weekend

Two indoor courses, so it's one for a wet day. The online early deal has to be booked 24 hours ahead.

See Rainforest's opening hours

Unit 3, Aldi Centre, Long Mile Road, Dublin 12 · every day, 10am to 6pm

Just under €10 a child for up to 2 hours, two adults free, extra adults €2 · toddlers to pre-teens

A big padded climbing frame, and somewhere for you to sit with a coffee while they tire themselves out.

Visit the Spraoi website

Outdoor arena, Dublin, contact 087 395 2548 for directions · every day, 10am to 3.30pm on winter hours

€15 a child, €20 an adult, so €70 for two adults and two kids · ages 6 and up · book to be sure of a game, 10 to 20 players a go

A smaller family will play alongside others. It's outdoors and goes ahead in most weather, so ring ahead if it's looking bad.

Book a laser tag game

Dublin Climbing Centre, Tallaght, Dublin 24 · one-hour sessions, book a slot online

€80 for four people, €60 for three · ages 6 and up

An instructor takes you around and all the gear is included. Kids climb alongside the parents, so you can't just watch from the bench.

Book a climbing taster

Ashtown Road, Dublin 15 · Phoenix Park treks daily, children's lessons by the term

Children's 8-week term €280, a 2-hour trek €130 · lessons from age 5 · call 086 175 7016 or email to book

This isn't a drop-in. Lessons run by the term, so it's one for the kid who won't stop talking about horses. The guided treks through the Phoenix Park are the ones to ask about for yourself, and they'd make a good Christmas present.

See Ashtown lessons and treks

Some time together other than the usual (if you’re lucky) restaurant.

Board & Brewed, 75 York Road, Dún Laoghaire · Thursday 5 November, 7.30pm, doors 6.30pm

€16 plus a booking fee · no refunds

The show gets made up on the spot from audience suggestions. Seats are first come, first served, so get there for the doors. It's part of the Dún Laoghaire Comedy Festival.

Get two improv tickets

Behind Clanna Gael GAA Club, Sean Moore Park, Sandymount · weekdays 5pm to 10pm, weekends 8am to 10pm

€18 a person for 55 minutes, so €36 for the two of you

A wood-fired sauna with cold plunge tubs, and you'll share it with up to eight others. Bring a towel and swimwear.

Book your sauna spot

RDS Simmonscourt · Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November, 9.30am to 6pm

Free · families welcome · register for a free ticket on nevo.ie

If you've been wondering about going electric, you can look around, drive one and talk to the experts, all in the one place. It's free, so there's no harm in bringing the kids.

Read about the EV show

Palmerstown Community School, Upper Kennelsfort Road, Dublin 20 · Thursdays 7pm to 9pm for 6 weeks, from 5 November to 10 December

€130, plus €12 if you want the workbook · enrol at adulted.ie

It covers adult and infant CPR, burns, bleeding and poisons, and it's mostly practical. It starts this Thursday. It's the kind of thing you hope you'll never need but have probably considered doing on more than one occasion.

Find the first aid course

Book her in, then take the little ones somewhere she isn't.

Stillgarden Distillery, Inchicore, sessions at 6pm · Wednesday to Saturday, 60 minutes

From €39 a person plus fees

Three cocktails included, and she'll learn to make two of them herself. They'll sort non-alcoholic options if she tells them when booking.

Book her a cocktail class

Mind The Step, 24 Strand Street Great, Dublin 1 · Sunday 8 November, 11am to 1pm

About €13 · all levels · bring your own mat

An hour of yoga, then coffee and a chat with the group. She can go on her own and not know a soul.

Book her yoga and coffee

The Helix · Thursday 5 November, 7.30pm

A mums' night out: comedy, songs and sketches on everything from menopause to mansplaining. She can bring her mates, her mam, or you, if you're feeling brave.

Get her Helix tickets

Saturday was the big night last week. Halloween, and trick-or-treating with my daughter.

She's three, and this year she took it all in. She went at her own pace, thoroughly enjoying herself, talking to all the adults at the doors and telling them she was dressed up as a bat. It was amazing seeing her in her element.

This Halloween was definitely the best yet. It was the sweet spot where her age and actually enjoying the occasion was perfect.

Not enough people talk about how in the early years these events can pass you by. We all know that these moments are special but when it's chaos you can blink and then it's the day gone.

I'm always trying to be conscious and soak it all in but honestly I'm better at that on some days than others.

And you know what... Seeing her like that has me really looking forward to Christmas. I know how much she's going to enjoy the day this year, and the whole idea of Santa. It's early to be talking about it, I know, but it's definitely on my mind.

Quick one before you go. Which Halloween thing did you actually go to? Hit reply and tell me, even one word. I read every reply.

If a dad you know would use this, forward it on. It takes ten seconds and it's how this thing grows.

newsletter.thedublindad.com is the sign-up.

Go on, get out of the house.

Cheers lads,

Alan,
The Dublin Dad