The beauty of Ireland and its rich folkloric history is well documented, but many people are unaware of the fun and adventure that is available for kids and entire families on vacation. Ireland has taken an impressive step to combine exciting outdoor sports and activities with educational content for kids of all ages, providing a fun time for all and plenty to think about afterward.

Castle Archdale Country Park

Castle Archdale Country Park is located ten miles north west of Enniskillen and stretches along Lower Lough Erne for about 230 acres. The park is part of the Castle Archdale Caravan Park and Camping Site, which hosts carnivals, festivals and activities for all ages. The Country Park contains monastery sites, a deer enclosure, ponds, a wildflower meadow, trails and butterfly gardens. Kids and adults enjoy bicycling, hiking, boating, and pony trekking. The park also contains a museum and visitor center with exhibits and information about the historic and ecological nature of the site. The park is open to the public everyday from 9 a.m. For more information call +44 28 68621588, or go to www.fundays.ie.

Kart City

Kart City is a sports activity facility established in 1993 in Dublin that offers fueled kart racing, urban paintball, a large hobby shop called BoyZ Toys for model cars and vehicle enthusiasts and a diner. Kart racing is available on their junior track for kids ages six and up and on their two pro tracks for people ages 16 and up. The facility has six race types to choose from: Arrive and Drive, Mini Grand Prix, Mini Enduro, Kids Party Special, Full Grand Prix and Endurance Race Meet. Upon signing up, drivers are fitted with gloves, helmet and a racing suit. The park is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 12 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. Go to www.kartcity.net for more information and pricing, or call 01 842 6322.

Dublin Zoo

The Dublin Zoo is an all-around adventure center for kids and families. The zoo has animals ranging from Asian elephants to zebras, fantastic grounds for kids to explore, an African swamp and educational programs for tourists and entire classrooms. Zookeepers give daily scheduled presentations on animals such as orangutans, lemurs, penguins, giraffes and reptiles and offer additional lectures and talks on Sumatran tigers, elephants and chimpanzees. The zoo hosts birthday parties and promotes its own Adopt An Animal program. The zoo is open to the public year round from 9:30 a.m. More information is available at www.dublinzoo.ie, or call 353 (0) 1 474 8900.