Sports Saturdays at six Aurora schools

Fox Valley Park District is partnering with six schools in Aurora and North Aurora to offer its Sports Saturdays program beginning Jan. 13.

Free to resident families with children in grades one through five, the program provides a supervised environment for children to interact and participate in activities that include sports, crafts and general fitness.

"Sports Saturdays are an opportunity for kids to get out of the house and do what they love most - play!" said recreation supervisor Rafael Martinez, who oversees the program. "They'll get a chance to take part in a whole bunch of different sports, and it also gives parents a couple hours of free time while their kids are enjoying themselves in a safe and supervised setting."

Sports Saturdays are run concurrently at six elementary schools: McCleery, Hall and Schneider in West Aurora District 129; and Gates, Hermes and O'Donnell in East Aurora District 131. Resident children can register on-site and participate in the activities at any school, and even visit a different school each week.

The morning sessions from 9 a.m. to noon at each site are reserved for younger children (grades one and two) with afternoon hours from noon to 3 p.m. for those in grades three to five.

"It's similar to open gym, but park district instructors are on hand to teach and assist," said Martinez, who grew up participating in Sports Saturdays. "It's a great opportunity for kids to get away from their electronic devices and just enjoy the pure fun of active play."

Sports include baseball, basketball, floor hockey, soccer and other high-energy activities. The program runs for eight consecutive Saturdays through March 3.