It’s no question that the East Orlando community has a variety of recreational activities for kids of all ages to take part in. Whether it’s riding bikes, playing on playgrounds or participating in sports programs, outdoor activity is essential for kids. With numerous parks and three YMCAs (Avalon Park, Blanchard Park and Lake Nona), afternoons will never be spent without anything fun to do.

Sara Au, a resident of Stoneybrook, is fond of the organized sports and neighborhood activities the community has to offer her two kids, Derek, 7, and Kacey, 5. “We really enjoy riding our bikes around the neighborhood, and that’s one of the greatest things about the East Orlando community,” she says.

Aside from riding bikes around the neighborhood, Au’s son also participates in soccer, flag football and other seasonal sports at the Avalon Park YMCA. He has one practice and one game each week.

“He has had wonderful coaches for the last three years of our participation, and he’s really blossomed into not only a good player, but somebody that really knows how to play on a team,” Au said.

Au has also noticed a correlation between Derek’s grades in school and the outdoor activity he gets. “I have seen a pleasant improvement in his schoolwork and his grades because of his participation in sports,” Au said. “He gets his energy out on the sports field or on the basketball court and he’s able to focus better in school. Having an outlet where he runs around for a few hours is really key.”

Although Au says she’s made a lot of new friends through the sports programs at the YMCA, she feels that running around the neighborhood is the best way for her children to meet other kids.

“Riding their bikes out in the neighborhood is the best, because it’s just free play,” she says. “They go from their bikes to their scooters to just running around to playing dodgeball in the cul-de-sac and they just keep going.”

Avalon Park resident, Jennifer Englert, also loves for her kids to get outdoor activity. She brings her daughter, Alex, 6, and her son, Colin, 2, to parks in the community several times a week. They frequently visit Moss Park, the parks in Avalon Park and Blanchard Park. “We play on the playground mostly, and just walk around the lakes,” she says.

For Englert, one advantage stands out from the rest. “One of the nice things about the parks is that there are always lots of kids, so it helps you get to know other parents in the community and the kids to know other kids, even if they’re a little younger or older, which I think is nice,” she says.

Article by Nicole Lauber