Parents are expected to be asked to choose between playdates and pantos, to help reduce their child's close contacts.
It's part of measures to be considered at Cabinet this morning, amid a warning of very high Covid infection rates in 5 to 11-year-olds.
Children over nine may also be asked to wear masks in school, on public transport and in shops - though it won't be a legal requirement.
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Meanwhile a requirement for all passengers arriving into Ireland to have a negative PCR or medically supervised antigen test, will also be considered.
Our political correspondent Sean Defoe says parents will be encouraged to arrange just one extra activity a week for their children:
