Pack up the kids and spend a family-centered day in Northern Kane County. Amusement parks, aquatic centers, a farm zoo, and more invite exploration by children and adults, alike.

The Dundee Township Park District offers numerous recreational opportunities. The district boasts 44 parks containing a total of more than 600 acres and operates two 18-hole golf courses, a Senior Center, a petting zoo, and a recreation and fitness center. Its parks contain three swimming pools (one indoor); tennis courts; baseball, softball, football, and soccer fields; volleyball courts; and playgrounds.

The park district plans and conducts a year-round program of sports, recreation, fitness, and activities for residents of all ages. The program includes everything from swimming and golf lessons to gymnastics and dance, from summer camps and early childhood programs to special activities and events for senior citizens.

There's no better place to while away the dog days of summer than at the park district's Dolphin Cove Family Aquatic Center, located at the junction of Routes 25 and 68 in Carpentersville. A heated zero-depth pool, small and large water slides, sunning hill, picnic areas, sand volleyball courts, and a diving well combine for an all-day aqua excursion, offering a variety of water-play options suited to everyone from toddler to retiree.

Treat the kids to a day on the farm with a trip to Randall Oaks Park and Petting Zoo on Randall Road, just north of Route 72. Barn and barnyard are cheerfully clamorous places, with geese honking, cows mooing, and sheep bleating. Kids enjoy looking at or petting everything from turtles to horses. A nearby picnic area provides a spot for kids to lunch, rest, and run around.

For carnival-like rides and water park action, head over to Santa's Village Theme Park and Racing Rapids Action Park on Route 25, just south of Route 72. At Santa's Village, rides from roller coasters to carousels keep kids happily entertained. Next door at Racing Rapids, a series of slides, coursing waterways, and little-kid spray stations keep families happily splashing the day away.

Other popular summer attractions for family fun in the area include miniature golf at Lighthouse Point in the Milk Pail Village, trout fishing at Lake Julian in nearby Cary, and trail rides available through local horse stables and riding farms.

When the weather's inclement, let your kids loose at the play area at Spring Hill Mall, sponsored by Provena Saint Joseph Hospital, take them to a movie, or spend an afternoon wandering the aisles of a local library. The Dundee Township Public Library, in East Dundee, stocks its shelves with more than 100,000 books, periodicals, and audio and video cassettes and schedules a variety of educational programs designed for both children and adults.

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