City of Oakland California

OPR Plays with a Purpose

There is a purpose for our play- play is more than physical activity and bouncing balls. 

There is a reason for out play and there are outcomes to be      had as well. 

Our babies learn when they play, our children are healthier        when they play.  

Our youth are engaged when they play, our families are unified when they play. 

Our communities thrive when we play with a purpose. 

We aim to: Expose, Enlighten, Empower, and Encourage Educational Excellence Through Recreational Experiences. 

We offer critical quality of life programming in areas of enrichment, cultural arts, prevention and intervention, sports and physical activities, health and wellness, youth violence abatement, and leisure activities for adults, youth, and children. Programs and Camps at recreation centers, pools and parks are part of the efforts to promote health, stem obesity, and encourage civic participation, personal development, and empowerment. We preserve the best of Oakland and connect communities.

Click on an image to download the NEW Oakland Parks and Recreation Program Brochure in English, Spanish or Cantonese. 

Click here to view draft report.

Join the Office of Parks & Recreation for our annual "Great American Backyard Campout" at Joaquin Miller Park.  Experience Fun, family activities in the great outdoors!

• 3 yrs and under: FREE
• $4 per person 10 yrs and under
• $10 per person 11 yrs and older 
• $50 Organizational up to 10 participants

Fee includes dinner, camp snacks and continental breakfast.  Families will be responsible for bringing their own camp equipment.  No radios, TV's, computers, pets or kerosene lamps will be permitted.

Organizational applicants must call Dante Watson or Stephanie Benavidez.
For more information contact Donte Watson at 510-867-4142.
For special needs diets, contact Stephane Benavidez at 510-867-0669 or 510-238-3739.

 Register online  - Activity # 92336.101

Please join the Office of Parks & Recreation for our annual Play Day on the Plaza.  We will have games, jumpers, face painting, rock climbing, double-dutch, sports zone, entertainment and much more!

Please check the Redwood Heights web page, or feel free to call the center, 482-7827, to confirm if the movie is going to happen or not.  Movies will be cancelled if the weather looks like rain or high winds.  We will keep the Redwood Heights website up to date as best we can.

Watch video of the Great Egg Hunt 2013.

Video compliments of Andy http://www.andytofilms.com/

The City of Oakland, Office of Parks & Recreation's Director Audree Jones-Taylor was featured in September 2012 issue of Parks and Recreation magazine’s where she discussed “The New Demographics”. Ms. Jones-Taylor is pictured above at the East Oakland Sports Center pool.

Parks and recreation agencies around the country are finding success by catering programs to the needs of the changing demographics within their diverse communities.

When Audree Jones-Taylor arrived at the Oakland Office of Parks and Recreation as director in 2004, she was ecstatic about the natural resources the California city provided for recreational activities. There was just one problem: The inner-city kids weren’t signing up for its great programs, such as sailing, swimming, and hiking. The solution involved recognition of the particular challenges posed by Oakland’s remarkably diverse population, with a demographic breakdown that includes 27 percent African- American, 26 percent White, 25 percent Hispanic, and 17 percent Asian.

Read full article.

An Oasis is thriving right in the middle of downtown Oakland - an inside look at The Gardens at Lake Merritt.