Portland w/ Kids

While the children’s museum is a bit old, there’s plenty of fun, indoor play for kids. We loved the garage (ages 5 and over) where older kids can drill, glue, draw and build their own creations. The water works is a great attraction for all ages (bring a change of clothes). Toddlers will love the Dig Pit. The Dig Pit is filled with rubber “gravel,” plus plenty of buckets, shovels, dump trucks and a conveyor belt.

This fantastic public wading pool is fed by a waterfall that can be climbed even by early walkers. We’ve spent hours here, romping in the water and having the kind of loud, giggly fun that brings back fond memories of my own summer vacations as a child.

The science museum includes a planetarium, omnimax, a submarine tour, laser shows, and lots of hands-on exhibits. Even early walkers can enjoy the main museum (with some help from mom and dad), and older kids will get a lot out of the hands-on-exhibits and the opportunity to do experiments in a real chemistry lab.

This huge zoo has a variety of different natural habitats for its animals to live in. Highlights include the Great Northwest Exhibit which features native animals and Packy the baby Asian elephant. There are also three trains (including a steam train!) to carry you around the zoo.

Powell’s has been one of my favorite Portland destinations since long before I had children. The huge bookstore has a diverse collection of new, used, and out of print books. The children’s section is no exception, and this is a wonderful place to pick up unusual books on a topic your chid is particularly interested in. Small tables in the children’s section provide a spot to read when your child needs a little break from sightseeing and the staff is welcoming and helpful if you are looking for something unusual.

Mt Hood is a ski area for all levels of ski skills or snow boarding. It is easily accessible from Portland and surrounding Oregon, Washington areas. It is open for many months of the winter and spring ski season. Our family budgets our ski weekends for ultimate pleasure and exercise at this most beautiful, friendly ski mountain.

Busses, MAX (the lightrail system) and the Portland streetcar make up Portland’s excellent public transit system. It’s easy to get to most popular destinations from downtown, and it will save you from packing everyone in and out of the car, navigating, and finding parking at each site.

We took our thirteen-month-old to the Audubon Society Wildlife Care Center not too long ago, and she loved it! Not only can you meet their educational birds, including Julio the Great Horned Owl, but there are walking trails in the surrounding sanctuary that are perfect for taking little ones on a “hike.” I have a friend who is coming to visit from Arkansas, and I plan to take her and her little ones there. There is truly something for all ages, including mom and dad. It’s right in town, but feels like you’re getting away since it’s right up against Forest Park.

Kids and parents can go and meet the animals who are recuperating and/or permanent residents in the care center, and then go on a beautiful, very kid-friendly walk/hike on the adjoining trails. It’s right in town and a fantastic outing for residents and visitors alike.

We spent a recent sunny afternoon at the garden. The staff has prepared a nice scavenger hunt to help families enjoy the garden. There is also a nice self-guided tour with staff wandering around answering questions as needed. I find this much nicer than a guided tour when traveling with small children.

Great walking / biking / stroller-ing along the river in downtown Portland. Path makes a big loop between the Hawthorne and Steel bridges. Water views, no traffic and a great leisurely way to see the city. There are sculptures and even a floating section of the walkway on the east side of the river. The west side is all along Waterfront Park. Plus, you can walk to OMSI on the Esplanade!

No trip to Portland is complete without riding the street car to Finnegans! This is a fabulous toy store — definitely not the R Us variety. There’s a train table (of course) along with various wind up toys to browse through.  Yes it’s technically a store, but my 3 yr old is happy to spend his time browsing and looking at all the great things they have.

A beautiful and very fun fountain across the street from the Keller Auditorium. It was designed after the northwest’s waterfalls. Kids can play in the little pools, climb on the huge concrete stairs as water cascades down them, swim under the waterfalls, and jump from stone to stone above the water. If you’re taking a younger kid, you will have to monitor them constantly as there are lots of climbing areas and they could get hurt.

Not only does the NW Children’s Theater have great original play productions, they also have classes and summer camps for children. They have put on great plays like “Go Dog Go!” Their productions and classes are a great positive outlet for children in the metro Portland area.

There is a new fountain/water area, two playgrounds and fields for the kids and a huge, beautiful rose garden with a fountain in the center for the adults to explore. Lots of trees and picnic tables. The community center at the park has an outdoor heated pool for use.

PSU has a phenomenal farmer’s market…the BIGGEST, FRESHEST and most INTERESTING for our kids! (Keep in mind there are 6 other farmer’s markets too in Portland…)

Portlanders love our parks! Three that are very kid friendly are Mt. Tabor (trails for bikes and a big play area, plus how many other parks are on top of volcanoes?), Laurelhurst (separate playground and pond areas, with lots of room to run around), and Grant Park (in the summer check out the Beverly Cleary fountain with sculptures of Ramona et al that kids can touch, play with, etc). Lots of city parks have wading pools open in the summer. Perfect for a little break with hot and tired little travelers.

Our kids loved the variety of items being sold: hip children’s clothing in fabulous materials, beautiful stained glass for indoor/outdoor use, stylish teacup and saucer bird feeders, etc.

For older toddlers and kids of all ages the Bishop’s Close is a memorable place to visit. The north end of the garden has more manicured paths, but the south end has a path that goes along the river (in fact, watch kiddos because of a drop-off which is protected by low-boulders), where you can find a goldfish pond stocked with newts! It’s a beautiful, unique place in SW Portland.