Healthy Fun Activities in West Orange
The kids and I are working on being healthier this year. After spending so much time indoors the last couple of years, eating snacks and becoming couch potatoes, we (well really me) wanted to start incorporating healthier habits into our routine. Living in West Orange has made our foray into living a healthier lifestyle, while not necessarily simple, much easier.
This post is in partnership with Healthy West Orange.
Healthy Fun Activities to do in West Orange
An organization that has lots of information on great places to go in West Orange to get moving as a family, as well as healthy recipes that you can make, that the kids will still love, is Healthy West Orange. They are on a mission to inspire West Orange to be the healthiest community in the nation.
For the first two weeks of September, Healthy West Orange is hosting a Healthy Selfie Contest encouraging residents of West Orange to go out and try different healthy activities in the area and snap a selfie. They would love to see photos of you and your family out and about doing something healthy. The winner of the contest will receive a one-year family membership to the YMCA. Please note you must live in West Orange to win.
Don’t know what healthy activities to do? We have a few suggestions for you below!
Winter Garden Farmers Market
During the cooler months, the Winter Garden Farmers Market is my favorite place to be. I love to grab fresh fruits and veggies, and other homemade items such as baked beans, pot pies, salsas, etc. that are made with fresher items and less preservatives. We also love to grab an acai bowl as a breakfast treat and sit outside enjoying our breakfast. During the warmer months, I still visit the market, but I just grab my fruits and veggies and go; no strolling the market for me in the heat.
West Orange Trail
If you love walking, biking or even skating or skateboarding then you can get outdoors on the West Orange Trail. You can do the entire trail or just a portion of the trail. The trail is over 22 miles long, so you could definitely do different pieces of the trail over multiple weekends. The trail runs from Killarney Station in Oakland to Welch Road in Apopka. If you don’t have a bike of your own, but want to bike the trail, there are bike rentals available at the Killarney Station and at the Winter Garden Station.
Tibet-Butler Nature Preserve
Tibet-Butler is a great place to take the kids on a walk through nature. The preserve has 3.6 miles of trails with much of it easy enough for little legs. On the walk kids will see a variety of trees, scrub bushes, a variety of trees, moss, a small pond with ferns and much more. There is definitely enough to see to keep them interested. The preserve is also home to different birds including ospreys and owls. The kids will love listening to the hoot of an owl or to bird calls. A fun idea might be to make a scavenger hunt list of things you will see at the preserve and have kids look for them along the way.
Winter Garden Splash Pad
On a hot day, nothing beats the splash pad. It is a fun way for kids to get some exercise and cool off at the same time. We love the Winter Garden splash pad. It is great place to go for an outing or for a quick drop in when we are visiting downtown Winter Garden. No, the kids don’t always have bathing suits, but they run through anyway; they dry off quickly when it’s hot outside. The splash pad is completely free to use, so you can just drop in for a few minutes or for a longer period. It is nearby the Farmers Market, so you can do both activities together.
