Coillte Forests - With some planning and a picnic in the bag, it is surprising how far children will walk. Check out the Coillte link for the forest walks around Ireland, plus great recreational activities on all their sites too.

Take time during your hike to learn map reading

Discover what wildlife awaits you on your adventure day

For the longer breaks away - here are some super recommendations for camping and glamping in Ireland

Introduce the kids to fishing in a friendly and safe environment. Many Put & Take fishing lakes have equipment you can hire and a helping hand when needed. A great day out!

Bushcraft provides kids with the knowledge to build shelters, natural navigation, Leave No Trace Training, Camp Fire Cooking, Forest Archery and Tool Making and more. What's not to love! Check out the link to Irish Forest Schools Ireland where you can find a provider near you. Many early years forest schools run after school activities too, as well as camps and family days. You could also search on line for bushcraft/survival adventures and take care to use a qualified and vetted service.

Many seaside and forest based centres offer water based and land based activities that many older children will love.

Try out the Ireland's Fittest Family assault course for adrenalin and laughs galore!

Orienteering is an ideal way to explore the great outdoors and get in touch with nature, and we have 13 permanent courses around Ireland to keep you challenged

Boat trips are a wonderful way to relax and see Nature from a different view. Whether around islands, down the Shannon or on lakes, a boat trip makes my day every time :-)

Easkey beach in Co. Sligo is a mecca for surfers from around the world. But it's also like the Irish Jurassic park for ocean fossils. Your kids will be amazed to see the size of the creatures trapped within the rock layers. Just explore the exposed rock to the right of the pier to get started and see can you make a get away without a boot full of rock treasures thrown in by the kids!
Any trip to Enniscrone is well worth a further explore along the coast to Easkey. You can also try fossil hunting along any coast where the sea has exposed layers of rock or eroded banks along the coast. Be watchful for tides, currents and your safety in these areas.

You will first get a short safety briefing and paddling instructions and off we go to explore the Liffey.

Have fun exploring one of the wonderful Tree Trails in Dublin's parks. Make sure to print out the park booklet beforehand to max the fun factor for each child, bring crayons to take tree rubbings for the booklet too. Remember the traditional picnic too!

Ireland is a criss cross of tracks and trail waiting to be explored. Check out the link for Sports Ireland, which has an extensive list of many trails to be explored around Ireland. Another excellent resource for trails in Ireland is the All Trail website.

Explore the Celtic trails and heritage along the east coast of Ireland

Use this link to All Trails to find details of many Irish walking routes. Or try the Hiiker App- with details of 72 hikes around Ireland, it's a useful App for longer distance walking trails with older kids or friends.

Check out this excellent link to some gems around Ireland which manage to remain local secrets. Definitely one or two for the bucket list to be found here!

Geocaching is like orienteering with Tech. It's great fun, quirky and definitely worth trying with older kids and Teenagers.

Visit one of the inflatable water parks in Ireland to splash and laugh as a family. With life jackets for all, everyone can take park no matter what your swimming skills. Yes you may need to be hauled up onto the pontoons like a drenched baby whale- but that's all part of the frivolous fun.. or maybe that was just me :-)

Check out the many heritage parks in Ireland
at heritageireland.ie. For a fun family day out, visit The National Heritage Park in Wexford and see how our ancestors lived long ago. They also offer an extensive range of traditional craft courses which are well worth looking into. Check the link for details of this truly inspiring park.

This park is a go to location at any time of year and is packed full of activities to interest the entire family. It's definitely on my bucket list this summer.

From Tayto Park in Meath, Fort Lucan in Dublin to Westport House Pirate Adventure park in Co. Mayo, there is an adventure waiting for you in Ireland this summer. Check out this hitlist of top Irish Theme Parks to plan your next trip

Visit Tayto Park in Co. Meath to experience thrilling rides, fun activities, birds of prey, wildlife zoo and much more

This well known park promises a fun wildlife experience for all

On my most recent visit to our nation's Zoo, it was a delight to see animals up close and relaxed. A lot of work has been done to improve and expand many areas of the zoo for both the animals and visitors experience - both of which have been a huge success. A trip to the Zoo never fails to entertain. And now you can see cows being milked and experience our own native farm animals in a very accessible way too.

This is another one on my bucket list and it sounds like it's worth a visit for the location alone. Bears in Ireland.. I won't believe it until I see it!

For the smaller animals, and the exotic, this park has much to offer.

On a smaller scale but still lots to see, this park will add something to those easy going days

Check out this interactive map for more places to visit around the country

For all things reptile, this zoo is well worth a look

Perfect for roaming the wild open spaces, this park is where Nature roams free

Every county in Ireland has small, hidden gems, where families can enjoy spending time outdoors together. I make an effort to support the local businesses and smaller, family owned, attractions too when visiting different parts of Ireland. You will often find an enjoyable, relaxing and low key experience well worth a visit. Check out your local county council site or search online for attractions nearby when visiting a new area of Ireland. See are there smaller and less busy places to visit and enjoy too.

From abseiling, high rope courses and gorge walking to coasteering, there are many excellent outdoor adventure centers in Ireland offering all manner of thrill for the dare devils amongst your family. Check out the link for some of the best. Other include Delphi Adventure Centre in Co. Mayo, Smugglers Cove in Cork and Eclipse Ireland in Co. Kerry (which we visited last summer and really enjoyed!) If you get it into your mind to have an adventure, you are sure to find something online to suit your needs.

This is definitely way out of my comfort zone but I'm sure there will be many brave souls amongst the older members of your families that will relish this challenge. A once in a life time test for most people!

With farm tours, guided walks, food, "Agricamping", wellness and the beauty of the Burren - what's not to like.

Fun filled nature trail and park created as a safe haven for bees, pollinators and other wildlife. Lots to learn about the world of bees, taste honey and enjoy many family friendly activities along the way.

Airfield Farm in Dublin is a perfect day out with fun for kids and all the family, only a few minutes from Dundrum Town Centre.

Airfield farm is a working farm and is complete with an assortment of sheep, pigs, goats and chickens to name a few and their placid Jersey herd are some of the most beautiful animals you’ll ever see.

The farm at Airfield is a perfect working example of environmentally sustainable agriculture in Ireland. They encourage visitors to explore, experience farm life up close and even get hands-on, so check out the daily activities when planning your trip. www.airfield.ie

Get into the sea and fire all your senses. Check out https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/jun/08/10-best-sea-coastal-swimming-spots-ireland for great locations

There are so many fun adventure centres to get the family outdoors, active, and pushing their boundaries in a safe environment. Many are located in spacious, natural, locations which adds to the outdoors experience. Look online for places like Navan Adventure Centre in Co. Meath, Kippure Estate in Wicklow (adventurewicklow.com), Shielbaggan Outdoor Adventure Centre in Wexford (www.shielbagganoec.com), Court Lough in Dublin (courtlough.ie/adventures), Killary Adventure Centre in Mayo (killaryadventure.com) or Letterkenny Activity Centre (lkactivitycentre.com). There are many more all across the country also.