Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in portland, OR

Four great places to buy books for kids in Portland

July 14, 2009

1) The downtown Powell's is like a block-wide book lovers' wonderland! Not just books for adults, the Rose room is stuffed full of board books for babies, picture books, animal books, books on tape and cd, chapter books, vintage books, activity books, and cozy low-lying tables to curl up and sample the wares (just remember to place the books you browse on the reshelving cart to help the employees keep the kid's area organized!) Powell's has new books, very reasonable sale books, and a huge selection of used titles. They have topical displays that rotate (school and kindergarten books in the fall, books about presidents and voting at election times), as well as hip employee picks. Powell's also has a good sized selection of toys, puzzles, piggybanks, lunchboxes, and out of the ordinary gifts for wee people. Support local independent booksellers and pick out a book or two on a rainy day, how about a cookbook or an origami book?
Powell's 1005 W Burnside, Portland, OR


2) Looking for retro fun children's books to satisfy your love of all things vintage? Reading Frenzy is an independent shop in business since 1994 that offers not only comics/graphic novels, artwork and hip treasures, they also have a large selection of books for kids. Pick up a Charley Harper ABC book, a Nikki McClure baby journal, or a sweet Golden Book about baby animals. Stock changes often, many hard to find vintage titles. Peek upstairs and visit the IPRC (Independent Publishing Resource Center) to inquire about letterpress or book binding classes and make a one of a kind book of your own for your little one!
Reading Frenzy 921 SW Oak St., Portland

3) The new kid on the block is Green Bean Books, in Northeast Portland. This cheerfully decorated bookshop offers both new and used titles, as well as a selection of unique toys and games. One mama says, "There is a handmade finger puppet vending machine, secret-disguise dispenser in the mystery section, secret book room with inexpensive staple-bound paperbacks, and a big deck out back with a hidden fairy-like reading spot." Come see for yourself at their Grand Opening Extravaganza on July 30th from 5:30-8:00pm and enjoy books, balloons, and snow cones!
Green Bean Books 1600 NE Alberta St., Portland

4) If you're wandering around Hawthorne and are looking for a special place to duck in and lose yourself in magical toys and books, head to Kids at Heart. They offer non-violent toys (many are fair-trade) but a little known treasure is their back book room. Choose from high quality DK sticker books, well-loved classics, or modern titles chock full of sock monkeys and mermaids. The staff is super kid-friendly and here's a little tip: They offer gift wrapping services, so if you're on your way to a party and looking to pick up a quality gift in a hurry, Kids at Heart is your one stop shopping destination!
Kids at Heart 3445 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland

 

What local bookstores inspire you and your kids?

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Konichiwa Japan!

June 29, 2009

Having just survived a nine day trip with my daughter, all the travel I'm down for in the next few weeks involves our imagination and the internet! Just a two hour time difference continues to wreck havoc in our household even four days after our return, as my daughter continues to spring awake before six am and I'm still battling the piles of dirty laundry from our suitcases.

 My daughter shares my passion for collecting all things Hello Kitty and lately, we've been talking about making our dream of traveling to Japan come true. I've told my daughter we'll make there before she graduates high school; she's convinced she'll be packing her bags by the end of the month with all the nickels she's saved up (!) I've been planning a virtual trip, want to come along with us?

 --Check out the Little Travelers Japan DVD from your local library. This sweet movie follows the journey of two home-schooled children and their mother as they travel to various countries and immerse themselves in culture and joys of life. Join Chantel and Nakia as they explore daily life, cherry blossoms, and new foods in Japan! My daughter loves this series of films and is anxiously awaiting a new chapter of their travels. Very simple and captivating vignettes will keep even very young children interested.

 --Dream big, plan your trip and destinations online! Print out maps, chart your course, and let your children imagine all the places they will go. Send away for maps or scour thrift stores for old copies of National Geographic to find maps to pin up on the wall and use some yarn to detail your "journey". What animals live where you are going? What do people eat there? Make clothing or instruments that reflect the culture of the country you are investigating.

--Art can help take you there! We are going to make paper cranes, paint cherry blossoms, and create Hello Kitty themed paper dolls. My daughter and I are obsessed with pop culture and have fun collecting miniature sushi and other teeny tiny foods from Re-ment. Your investigations can be as simple as checking out a cd of traditional music from the library and dancing around the livingroom or as complex as recreating Roman architecture out of Model Magic! Have fun with it!

 --Sample foods you and your child may have never tried before. For Japan, we are making a trip to FuBonn for a sampler of Pocky, biscuits, noodles, and mochi. (You can also sneak in some interesting and unusual fruits and vegetables too!)

 --Learn to count to ten, or twenty in a foreign language! Check out  “Count Your Way Through Japan” or “I Live in Tokyo” for inspiration.

--Research the currency of the country you have chosen.
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Illustrator: Three books by Pamela Paparone

June 23, 2009

Children's books, and especially their illustrators, have special place in my heart. Back as far as five years old, I wanted to be a children's librarian so that I could surround myself with words, pictures, and crinkly plastic covers. The librarian dream hasn't become a reality as of yet, but I make a point to keep up with current children's releases (thank youMultnomah County library and Powell's) and I also have a wicked vintage book collection.

One of the most beloved illustrators in my collection is Pamela Paparone. I discovered her sweet, retro work by chance in the library and my daughter and I constantly bring her books out to pour over the cheerful artwork. (We even incorporated kitties from "I Like Cats" as part of the decorations for my daughter's sixth birthday party.) Here are several books featuring her artwork that your child is sure to adore too:

Raindrop, Plop!--I wish I could jump inside this book and splash around with the main character! I loved to read this book on a rainy day with my daughter (now she reads it to me) and then make cocoa together. This book uses rhyme and counting to tell the story of a little girl who is wishing for the sun to return and her many animal companions. If you can find the book/tape set used, it would be a cozy activity for a rainy day in the Northwest.

The Little School Bus--If I come across this book while cleaning in my daughter's room, I always have to stop and sit down to read it. The pictures are so silly and cheerful. It's one of those books that I truly enjoy reading (much like the Skippy Jon Jones series of picture books). The words have a rolling rhythm that lend themselves to repeated reading, and each scene has lots of hidden details. Look for all the working animals and their everyday lives! "A quick, quick chick, a fox with socks...." The colors in this book make me think of cupcakes, and old Fisher-Price Little People toys. It's a true delight for parent and preschooler!


How a Baby Grows--I used to read this board book to my daughter every night (nestled in the rocking chair) as part of our night time routine from the time she was just a month or two old. She was captivated by the simple, calming pictures, and the repetitive words. It's short and has simple illustrations of every day objects that your baby can recognize. A perfect book for snuggly time with a parent or caregiver after a bath!

 

 

Who are some of your favorite illustrators? 

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What's Happening in PDX 6/20-6/21

June 18, 2009

Summer is upon us! If you're not too busy picking strawberries or lazing about in your backyard enjoying the break from school, Portland is packed full of fun family activities this weekend. The Sunday Parkways event returns and looks to be an amazing community building celebration. Look for two subsequent Sunday Parkways events in Northeast/Southeast Portland later this summer!

 

 

 

Saturday, June 20th

 

Mad Science: Spin, Pop, Boom!  2-3 p.m.
"How do you know that a chemical reaction has occurred? Start with a change of color in our chemically challenging “magic” trick. Move on to an assortment of experiments featuring both chemical and physical changes. Watch in awe as the Mad Scientist creates numerous versions of erupting science! Everything is guaranteed to be amazing!" Free tickets for seating will be available 30 minutes prior to the program.
Gregory Heights Library   7921 N.E. Sandy Blvd. Portland     503-988-5386

Felty Finger Puppets     3-5 p.m.
Use felt, fabric, wool yarn, buttons and other embellishments to create your own charming finger puppets. Artist Shanon Scholian will show you how in this two hour workshop.
Belmont Library   1038 S.E. 39th Ave. Portland       503-988-5382

Balloon Fairy Workshop     3-4 p.m.
Construct your own fabulous balloon hat creation!
Rockwood Library 17917 S.E. Stark St. Portland  503-988-5396

Family Nature Walk-Sauvie Island 9:00am-1:00pm
This is an easy 2.9 mile loop with little or no elevation gain. This peaceful hike runs through white oak woodlands, grassy meadows and the shores of Sturgeon Lake. Blue herons and other abundant bird life will be seen along the peninsula. This is a good hike to bring your binoculars. Approximate walking time 1-1.5 hours. There are no bathrooms at this trailhead. This outing is open to the public.

Contact leader for announcement of location and directions.

For more information, contact Jean Rystrom at (503) 282-2905 or rydick@toast.net.

 

Berry Jam-11:00am-4:00pm

Head to Kruger's this Father's Day weekend to celebrate Papa and Oregon Strawberries! There will be hayrides, music from Trashcan Joe and New Iberians, Jam-making Demonstrations, Farm Animals, and fun. Face Painting, U-Pick berries, Strawberry Shortcake, Food (Fresh Roasted Corn!) & Drink available for fee. 

Kruger's 17100 NW Sauvie Island Road, Portland 503-621-3489

 

Meet Biscuit the Dog! 11:00am

Bring your camera and tell all your friends! Come meet a familiar pooch from some of your child's favorite stories.  We'll also read Biscuit stories and have fun with Biscuit activities, too. Join us!

Barnes & Noble-Clackamas Center 12000 SE 82nd Avenue, Portland 503-786-3464

 

Ladybug Nature Walk 10:00am

Bring a snack and enjoy a guided hike! Learn about our local parks and the wild critters that live there!

Walks take place regardless of rain/shine. $3/child, adults free.

Laurelhurst Park- SE 39th Ave & Stark

 

Sunday, June 21st

 

Sunday Parkways  9:00am-4:00pm

A 2-way route of city streets open to walk, bike, roll, run, jump & skip - without having to watch out for cars! The 7.5-mile North Portland Sunday Parkways route will have two loops.  A 3.2-mile loop through Kenton and Arbor Lodge neighborhoods. And a 4.5-mile loop connecting Arbor Lodge and Piedmont neighborhoods via the Bryant Pedestrian Bridge and North Ainsworth.  The scenic Willamette Bluff will once again be enjoyed. Featured parks/activity areas: Arbor Lodge, Kenton, and Peninsula Parks.

 

Peninsula Park

 

Activity Vendors/Sponsors

On Point Community Credit Union
FootTraffic
Hoopshine hula hooping
Clif Bar
Prananda yoga
Alberta Coop Grocery
Teatro Graxa Stilt Walkers
Pedal Bike Tours
Metropolis Cycles
North Portland Connections
Port of Portland N. Runway Extension Project
ZipCar
Sixth Street Gallery/Mosaic Arts Alliance
Portland Parks

Parks City Nature
REI/ Parks
Free Ready Rider Workshop from BTA/Bridge Pedal/Safer Routes to Schools
The Portland Pounders Wheelchair Rugby Team
Suzanne Lady DC
Piedmont Neighborhood Association

 

Food Vendors

The Limp Noodle
Urban Opportunities Voodoo Donuts
Headwaters Café
NW Hot Dogs
Village Crepery
Zuppa
Al Forno Ferruzza
Fuego

Entertainment

Shannon Tower Band
Stumptown Jug Thumpers
The Sprockettes
Portland Recorder Orchestra

 

Arbor Lodge Park

 

Activity Vendors/Sponsors

Circus Cascadia
Serious Juggling
Clif Bar
Clif Kids
Milagros Boutique
Kaiser Permanente
North Portland Connections
The Jumping Jackie O's
METRO & Trimet
Bike Farm
Portland Bike Tours
Daybreak Cohousing
Senior bike Program
Stay Pet Hotel
Lions Club
Rose City Roamers
Portland Parks
Pesticide Free Parks
Luna Yoga
No Po Mobile Shop
Ride Connection
Bike Empowered

 

Food Vendors

Super Dog
Katmandu Café
Beaterville Café
Family Tree Nut Company
Spunky Monkey Coffee
Sipping Dreams
Dixon's Rib Pit

Entertainment

Carroll Raaum Swing Orchestra
The Atonements
Carolina Pump Station
Vintage Fashion Show presented by AlexSandra's Vintage Emporium
Nuborn Tribe

 

Kenton Park

 

Activity Vendors/Sponsors

N. Portland Tool Library
Port of Portland
Kenton Family Wellness Center
PUMP/Gateway Green
Yakima Products Inc.
Columbia River Crossing
Community Cycling Center
Your Sustainable City
Ma-Josh-O the Magician & Brian Proctor Magic
Willamette Pedestrain Coalition
ReDirect Sustainable Business Guide
Portland Parks
U Car Share
Portland Wheelman
Portland Village School
North Portland Connections
LIFE Fellowship Church w/ Koldkist water
Kenton Neighborhood Association

 

Food Vendors

Café de la Soul
Northstar Coffee House
Soup Cycle
Project Hope
Village Crepery
Elephants Delicatessen
Fuego
Dovetail Bakery

 

Entertainment
Providence Hospital Orchestra
Tater & Craig
Donna & the Side Effects
The Michael Pan Band

 

 

Berry Jam-11:00am-4:00pm

Head to Kruger's this Father's Day weekend to celebrate Papa and Oregon Strawberries! There will be hayrides, music from Trashcan Joe and New Iberians, Jam-making Demonstrations, Farm Animals, and fun. Face Painting, U-Pick berries, Strawberry Shortcake, Food (Fresh Roasted Corn!) & Drink available for fee.
17100 NW Sauvie Island Road, Portland 503-621-3489

Day Out With Thomas  (Trains run every hour from 9:00am-6pm)
Peep peep! You too can go for a ride on Thomas the Tank, meet Sir Topham Hatt, and participate in a plethora of train themed activities in Hood River on the Mt. Hood Railroad. Advanced tickets recommended, check website for details and pricing.
110 Railroad Ave., Hood River, OR 800-872-4661

Celebrate Father's Day at the Children's Museum  9:00am-5:00pm

Spend the day with us celebrating the father figures in your life.

Nature hikes at 11am & 1pm, Create tree wood cookies 10-12, $1, Wood works from Noon-2pm. Under age 1, free. Ages 1-54 are $8
Children's Museum   4015 SW Canyon Rd. Portland 503-223-6500

 

Oregon Historical Society: Family Day Celebrating - The Amazing World of Claymation. noon-5:00pm

Meet award winning film maker, Will Vinton and learn more about Claymation at 1pm.  Family activities, include the opportunity to help make a pixelation, or better known as a stop-motion film and creating clay figures offered from, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Free admission for all. 

Oregon Historical Society 1200 SW Park Avenue, Portland 503-238-7433

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Free Summer Fun!

June 01, 2009

There are seven days of kindergarten left and counting for my daughter! She's already staying up later (it's hard to fall asleep until the sun goes down and the house cools off) and I'm already wondering exactly how I am going to fill our summer days with the delicate formula of fun activities and lounging around. I am dreading hearing the cry of "I am so bored, there's nothing to do.........." so I am arming myself with a binder of free or cheap Portland summer activities to keep us just busy enough, but still allow for the flexibility of doing...nothing (hunting for flying beetles or sending dolls on extremely exotic vacations to the wading pool in the backyard sound good to me). Our family has down-sized to one car and we're going to be striving for a lot of activities close to home or that are Tri-Met accessible. In Portland, that is easy to do.

Here are five activities to keep your kiddos occupied during the next three months--have fun!

1) Free bowling! Did you know that your children can bowl two free games every day this summer? Two local bowling alleys are offering an amazing program to keep kids cool and active:AMF 20th Century Lanes on SE 92nd Ave (3550 SE 92nd Ave), and AMF Pro 300 Lanes, also in Southeast (3031 SE Powell Blvd) Head to Kids Bowl Free and sign the kids in your life up for a special pass that is good for two free games daily all summer long (excludes shoe rental). Parents/relatives can also purchase a special pass for $23.95, which is good for up to four adults to enjoy bowling all summer as well. (two games daily). I am looking forward to having a cool place to hang out and hide from the sun. (an quick picnic or popsicle break afterward at Powell Park might be nice)

2) The Summer Reading Program through Multnomah County Library is a great way to keep your children interested in books and helps them build/maintain their literacy skills. Beginning June 12, kids and teens can visit anyMultnomah County library to sign up for the Summer Reading game. Participation is free! The program runs June 12, 2009 through August 31, 2009 and your child can earn fun prizes (ice cream, swim passes, books, the prizes change throughout the summer). There is even a reading program for adults! Collect stamps as you read and enter to win a family trip to Disneyland!!

3) For older siblings, Barnes and Noble also offers a similar reading program for children in first grade and up. Read any eight books and choose a free book (from list of specified titles). Combine a trip to redeem your Summer Reading Journal with one of B & N's entertaining in-store events and make an afternoon of it! Check out a list of upcoming events here!

4) Portland Parks offers a huge variety of free activities for youth during the summertime. Wading pools and fountains open, many locations offer free arts/crafts as well as a free lunch, and there will be free movies/concerts in many local parks. Visit their website for details regarding swim lessons, classes, and camps at very affordable prices. We are so lucky to have these resources in our neighborhoods for safe and free/low-cost fun!

5) Free gardening classes are available for children (ages six through twelve) through Portland Parks this summer.

Woodlawn Community Garden

7200 NE 11, next to Woodlawn School

 

June 17-August 29
Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30 AM, ages 6-9
Thursdays, 10:00 AM-12 noon, ages 9-12
Fridays, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM, ages 6-12

 

For more info, call 503-823-1617 or email childgard@ci.portland.or.us

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Growing Up PDX style

May 05, 2009

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Family Friendly Things To Do in Portland: weekend of 4/18-19

April 16, 2009

 

The sun will be shining this weekend, so it's time to throw off all your layers and get your family outside to soak up the spring loveliness!

Saturday, April 18th
Head to the Oregon zoo for ELEPHANTASTIC 2009! Packy is turning 47 and you can help him celebrate! Event from 10am-4pm, cake for everyone at noon (Packy's cake at 2 p.m.) Elephant themed games and learning opportunities abound! Free with zoo admission ( $9.75 adults, $6.75 ages 3 to 11, free 2 and under). $2 to park.

How about a Nature Walk at Tryon Creek? This week's themed walk is "Coaling Tryon Creek." Join a park ranger for a guided nature hike to explore the forest and stream ecosystems and natural history at Tryon Creek State Natural Area.  Parents must accompany kids on all hikes. 10:00-11:30am. Free, all ages.

If you can't bring yourself to venture outside and are looking for some indoor fun, check out the 5th annual Roots & Wings event! This is a free community-building event that celebrates family. Activities for children and information for parents and caregivers. 10am-2pm, inside Lloyd Center Mall (between NE Halsey & NE Multnomah and NE 9th & NE 16th). Event organized by Multnomah County Commission on Children, Families and Community.

While you are at the Lloyd Center Mall, wander over to the Barnes & Noble to meet up with Curious George! He will be making an appearance in the Children's Area at 1:00 p.m. See what sort of trouble this mischievous character gets into! In Lloyd Center Mall on the corner of NE 12th Avenue and Halsey.

Sunday, April 19th

The Portland Art Museum offers free activities for families every Sunday in April. Family tour at 12:30 p.m., interact with the APEX: Chris Jordan exhibit from 1-3 p.m., and listen to stories from 2:30-3:00 p.m. $10 for adults, children 17 and under are free.

 

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