Language Explorers Early Years

Language Explorers is Mother Tongues’ programme, designed for children aged 3 to 6 and their families.

View upcoming workshops

Language Explorers Early Years

Language Explorers is Mother Tongues’ programme, designed for children aged 3 to 6 and their families.

View upcoming workshops

Facilitated by our specially trained multilingual artists, the Language Explorers workshops create a welcoming space for families from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Each session invites children and their adults to connect with their language(s) through storytelling, play, visual arts, music and movement.

Our artists create a space full of imagination and creativity, in which speaking and listening to languages is fun and something to be proud of. 
Families take part in high-quality artistic activities while sharing and exploring the diversity of languages in the room, inspiring multilingual families and those curious about other languages and cultures. 
Workshops are delivered in English, and families are warmly encouraged to bring any and all languages they speak.  Whether your child is fluent, just starting to learn, non-speaking, or communicates in a different way, this space is for you.

Upcoming family workshops

South Dublin

These workshops are funded by the Arts Council, South Dublin County Council Arts Office and in partnerhsip with Rua Red
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Roscommon

We are proud to partner with Roscommon Arts Centre. Over the past two years, their support has been instrumental in helping us bring our workshops to families in Roscommon
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Blanchardstown

Language Explorers returns to Blanchardstown, hosted by our fantastic partners at the Draíocht.
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Paola Invernizzi leading a session of Language Explorers

Dundalk

We are delighted to bring Language Explorers in Co. Louth for the first time!
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Galway

Language Explorers returns to County Galway, this time in the lovely Tuam Family Resource Centre.
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Why Language Explorers?

Spark creativity through play

With our arts-based approach to language development, each session is packed with stories, songs, movement and hands-on fun!

Celebrate every language

Children are encouraged to use all their languages proudly and joyfully.

Keep your home language alive

We inspire children to stay connected to their mother tongue in fun and meaningful ways.

Support for parents too

Gain confidence using your native language at home and in everyday life.

Build friendships & community

Connect with other multilingual families through shared experiences.

Feel seen and celebrated

Every child’s culture, voice and identity matter here.

A shared family experience

Language Explorers is a shared moment for the whole family to explore language and creativity together. Meet and connect with other like-minded families and share your language journey!
Each session is led by an artist trained in the Language Explorers methodology. Whether they’re visual artists, musicians, actors, or dancers, our artist facilitators are passionate about nurturing every child’s voice, imagination and identity

Read our impact stories

Everyone is welcome here

Language Explorers is for every child, every family, every story, whether your child speaks ten languages, one, or none.

We warmly welcome neurodiverse children, and we work to make our workshops accessible and enjoyable for all. 
When booking, we invite you to let us know how we can make the space more comfortable, whether your child is sensitive to noise, uses alternative forms of communication, or needs physical access support.

You don’t need to speak a specific language, just bring the one that matters to you.

What people say

Parent

Joining Mother Tongue art lessons has been one of the most enriching experiences for me and my two kids. Every Saturday became a cherished ritual. What made it truly special was how we bonded through the process. Watching my kids express themselves freely, experiment with colours and grow in confidence has been heartwarming. The atmosphere was welcoming, the instruction and the lessons felt tailored to every level. Highly recommended for families who want to create more than just artwork—they’ll create togetherness.

Parent

All the workshop are very inclusive. All my kiddos love going to the workshop and they all very excited about it! They seems more interested in different languages and they explore different languages during the workshop too! 😉 highly recommend
Barbara

Parent

During our time attending the Language Explorers workshops, I noticed a big change in Giulia’s relationship with and use of Spanish, impacting also on her interest in Italian and Galician. I think in general she might be discovering her personal identity and it is wonderful to watch

Parent

it was amazing to show my little one that other people have their own languages, just like us. He's almost 3 now, so he doesn't yet find speaking Turkish different. However, I've heard that at ages 5-6, children might become shy about speaking in front of English speakers. This approach might help in such situations. For now, he and I enjoyed playing a game together. I see that I m not alone as a parent who has bilingual child , Thank you so much
Chen

Volunteer

Volunteering at a series of Language Explorers sessions in an inner city Family Resources Centre was as educational for me as it was for the families who participated. I loved watching children becoming increasingly comfortable with each other, with the set up, the routine that Kata established gently but expertly. Communing in multilingualism is what gives young children the best foundations to feel at ease with their identity, and belong within the wider community. I loved how we were all different, all welcome, and all open to me linguistic experiences.

Parent

"We would like to congratulate the entire organizing team for such a wonderful event that provided a truly enriching experience for both parents and children. The idea of bringing together art, history, culture, and languages was not only creative but deeply meaningful. Congratulations on the thoughtfulness, organization, and purpose behind the event. We left feeling inspired—and eager to return!"
Sofia

Parent

We absolutely love these workshops! Not just for the fun of doing crafts but also for the opportunity it affords our children to be surrounded by other children from different backgrounds and to hear them speak their own languages, while at the same time participating in the same activity. We cannot wait to go to the next workshop!
Svetlana

Parent

My son Denis and I had an incredible time being part of the workshops with Fernanda. She is one in a million! She provides a space where everyone feels creative, confident and very comfortable. Her puppet theatre performances leave no child indifferent. My son has a fear of a 'blank paper' so Fernanda tried a few approaches to help him enter a creative mode. With success! She is a beautiful person and highly professional.
Mark Ball

Artist

Facilitating creative multilingual workshops through Mother Tongues Language Explorers has amazingly changed my practice forever. Multilingual workshops open up lots of conversations and are endlessly creative.
Michael

Volunteer

Volunteering at the Language Explorers workshops has been an enriching experience! Meeting new faces, recognising the returning families week after week, and seeing the positive effects that arts have on both the children and their parents. I have seen first-hand how Mother Tongues’ workshops are safe spaces for families that have moved to Ireland from other countries, and as a volunteer, I too have experienced these safe spaces but in my own unique way! I truly enjoyed working with the artits, engaging with the families, and praising both the children and the parents for their spectacular works of art!

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