There’s this moment every Orlando parent knows: the kids are vibrating with energy, the house is already a mess, and you realize the only sensible thing to do is open the front door and let them loose somewhere with grass. Or sand. Or those rubbery playground tiles that mysteriously never get hot enough to burn tiny feet. Orlando—thankfully—is loaded with those places. Some are obvious, some feel like little secrets hiding behind subdivisions and Publix plazas.

I didn’t plan to become someone with opinions about parks, by the way. It just happens after enough Saturdays spent chasing small humans around jungle gyms like a slightly winded security guard.

Anyway, here’s where the kids actually have fun (and where you won’t immediately regret parking the car).

The first one I always end up recommending is Lake Eola Park, even though it’s not a “kid park” in the traditional sense. No elaborate slides shaped like dragons or pirate ships. But the playground is solid, and there’s something magical—yes, I’m using that word—about the swan boats drifting by while your kid tries to negotiate how many times they’re allowed to go down the same slide. Plus, there’s shade. Better yet, there’s coffee nearby. A parent’s survival kit in walking distance is not something to dismiss.

But if you really want the full, kid-centric Orlando experience, Barnett Park is where the little ones absolutely lose their minds (in a good way). It’s huge. Like, “you should probably send your location to a friend just in case” big. There’s a splash pad, basketball courts, trails—enough space that siblings can have separate dramatic moments without involving each other. The playground is also sturdy in a way that suggests an engineer somewhere said, “Yes, this will survive a stampede.”

Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake is another underrated one. I’m biased because I like being near water, even if I’m only looking at it while someone begs me to push a swing “higher, higher, no not THAT high.” The park has this peaceful vibe that tricks you into thinking parenting is relaxing. There’s fishing, walking paths, open fields—basically a choose-your-own-adventure depending on how much energy your kids brought with them that day.

And then there’s Downey Park, which, for reasons I can’t fully articulate, feels like the community hangout spot for half of Orlando. The splash pad is a hit (especially around 4 p.m., when the sun decides to crank things up for no reason), and the playground has enough variety that even kids with strong “I’m bored” tendencies find something to do. Mine once spent 20 minutes absorbed in a single spinning seat, which gave me enough time to breathe, stretch my back, and contemplate my life choices.

If your kids are climbers—the kind who see a tree and immediately start plotting—Fort Gatlin Recreation Complex is your place. It’s a little more structured, a little cleaner around the edges, but the playground is fun and the pool area makes it one of those spots where you can easily spend half a day without noticing. It feels…contained, in a good way. Like the kids can roam, but not too far.

Oh, and a quick nod to Bill Frederick’s Farm within Turkey Lake, which has actual animals. Real, living, sniffing, occasionally noisy animals. The first time I went, a goat tried to eat the edge of my shirt, and my kid thought it was the funniest thing he’d ever witnessed. Worth it for the photo alone.

I could keep going—Orlando has a frankly unnecessary number of parks—but those are the ones I keep circling back to, the ones where the kids come home tired and the adults don’t feel like they’ve just completed a triathlon.

If you end up at one of these places on a Saturday morning and see a slightly over-caffeinated parent carrying a backpack full of Goldfish crackers… well, there’s a decent chance it might be me.