Spending in cinemas across the country jumped almost 70% during the recent mid-term break, according to new spending data from Bank of Ireland.
Overall spending was up 10% when compared to the previous week.
With schools closed, many parents planned activities for their children, with spend in swimming pools up 30%, and museum spend up 27%.
When it comes to food, spending in sweet shops rose by 14%, while fast food outlets saw an increase of 7%.
Mayo residents recorded the highest mid-term spending increase out of the 26 counties, up 47%.
The data shows that spending in Westmeath during the mid-term break was completely flat when compared to the previous week, while increased spending in Carlow, Dublin and Kildare was modest compared to many other counties.
"The age-old question faced by parents trying to entertain their children never gets any easier to solve, but according to our latest Spending Pulse it looks like they gave it a good go recently," said Jilly Clarkin, Head of Customer Journeys & SME Markets at Bank of Ireland.
"People flocked to the cinema in their droves, but it wasn't just a popcorn fest for mid-term break as museums and theatres filled up too.
"A spending rise in shopping centres and fast-food outlets is to be expected, with teens themselves posting a total spending spike of 51% during their week off, but a 30% hike in swimming pool spend indicates that many children also kept active in their time away from the classroom," she added.
