Little ones love to splash in the public fountain at Peninsula Park in North Portland.

Credit: Aaron Lee

Family Friendly

With a huge array of family-friendly attractions and activities, Portland can become any kid's playground.

Little ones love to splash in the public fountain at Peninsula Park in North Portland.

Credit: Aaron Lee

Families will find lots to enjoy in Portland, from hands-on science at OMSI to baby elephants at the zoo, with plenty of parks and free attractions, too. Read on for some of our favorite family-friendly things to do, or check out our events calendar for upcoming kid-friendly events.

Kids get some hands-on learning at OMSI.

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)

With a planetarium, a giant-screen theater, a retired navy submarine, traveling exhibits and “After Dark” events, OMSI has lures for all ages.

$Families play and learn together at the Portland Children\'s Museum.$

Portland Children’s Museum

Dreaming of a family-friendly afternoon full of hands-on learning? Head to the Portland Children’s Museum, in attraction-packed Washington Park.

Oregon Zoo

The West's oldest zoo, located just minutes from downtown Portland in visitor-friendly Washington Park, is home to 2,200 animals.

Learn about all types of flora and fauna at the World Forestry Center.

World Forestry Center Discovery Museum

Tree- and forest-lovers of all ages can learn about sustainability and experience a Portland icon at the World Forestry Center Discovery Museum.

Oaks Amusement Park

In Southeast Portland’s Sellwood neighborhood, Oaks Amusement Park has been providing families with carnival thrills and family fun since 1905.

Portland International Raceway

Portland International Raceway hosts a spectrum of exciting events, including cycling, drag racing and motocross, auto shows and obstacle course events.

Little ones love to splash in the public fountain at Peninsula Park in North Portland.

Portland’s Public Fountains

Cool off with free fun at these kid-friendly fountains in Portland.

Kids can explore a real Naval submarine at OMSI.

When I Grow Up: Portland Attractions for Career-Oriented Kids

At these family-friendly Portland attractions, kids can walk in the shoes of the heroes they idolize: police officers, firefighters, astronauts, airplane pilots and sailors.

$Kids\' imaginations take flight at the Wings & Waves waterpark.$

Kid-Friendly Regional Attractions

Trips outside the city promise all-ages entertainment. Here are four must-see attractions within two hours of downtown Portland.

$Even Portland\'s beer scene is family-friendly.$

Kid-Friendly Breweries in Portland

In a city with more breweries than anywhere else in the world, parents don't have to choose between their children and enjoying a good pint of beer.

Kids can make their own pancakes at Slappy Cakes.

Kid-Friendly Dining

These family-friendly Portland restaurants combine healthy children’s menus, play areas and fun.

A fresh waffle cone from Ruby Jewel Scoops

Ice Cream in Portland

Savor creativity by the scoop at Portland's best ice cream shops.

Hiking with Kids

Allow the little ones to explore the outdoors on these kid-friendly nature walks in Portland.

Head outside

Quarterworld

Opened in 2016, Quarterworld is the largest arcade bar in Portland. Split into adult- and kid-friendly sides, the old theater houses 34 machines and 64 arcade games, along with flavorful eats like bao buns, pizza and banh mi sandwiches.
Ground Kontrol

In addition to a full complement of vintage video games and pinball machines, this two-floor adult arcade features a beer and wine bar, live music and DJs on weekends and a steady stream of joystick-related events.
Avalon Theatre & Wunderland

At this family-owned business, two small screens show second-run movies, while the on-site video arcade offers hours of entertainment for mere nickels.
Guardian Games

This massive game store offers all kinds of games and game-related events, plus space to play. Adults will appreciate the availability of beer on tap.
Cloud Cap Games

Cloud Cap Games has classic board games, card games and puzzles, plus work by local artists. They also host regular game gatherings and special events, and provide some games for rent to play at home.

The Zoo Train at the Oregon Zoo is the most fun way to travel between exhibits with kids.

Family Fun for All Ages

Whether your children are just learning to crawl or have mastered their iPhones, Portland’s abundant kid-friendly activities keep the good times rolling.

When I Grow Up: Portland Attractions for Career-Oriented Kids

At these family-friendly Portland attractions, kids can walk in the shoes of the heroes they idolize: police officers, firefighters, astronauts, airplane pilots and sailors.

$Parents can nosh on wings and other snacks as kids explore PlayDate PDX\'s three-story castle.$

Indoor Children’s Play Areas

Banish your children’s boredom at Portland’s parent-approved play zones, including castles, bounce houses, obstacle courses and malls.

Table tennis devotees flock to ping pong social club, Pips & Bounce.

Indoor Activities for Children

When Portland's weather prevents kids from running around outside, families can choose from dozens of awesome indoor activities.

$Roald Dahl\'s The BFG at Northwest Children\'s Theater$

Children’s Theater

Portland's children's theater companies introduce kids to live theater and teaches them people in costumes are fun, not scary.

Celebrate the holiday season with ice skating at the Oregon Garden.

Ice Skating in and Around Portland

Here are your best bets for ice skating in Portland and the region, from year-round indoor rinks to winter-only outdoor options.

North Clackamas Aquatics Center features a wave pool, three slides and more.

Amusement & Water Parks

Portland and the surrounding region offer a variety of amusements and entertainments for the young and young at heart.

Family Friendly

With a huge array of family-friendly attractions and activities, Portland can become any kid's playground.

Editor's Pick

Nov. 22, 2020–Jan. 10, 2021

ZooLights

Oregon Zoo Pricing Varies

This year, experience ZooLights from the comfort of your car! It wouldn’t be the holidays in Portlan…

Editor's Pick

For Kids

Canceled

Nov. 27–Dec. 6, 2020

America's Largest Christmas Bazaar

Portland Expo Center

EVENT CANCELED. Please visit the event website for current information. The Christmas Bazaar has 100…

Canceled

For Kids, Shopping

Canceled

Nov. 27–Dec. 30, 2020

Christmas Festival of Lights

The Grotto adults: $11; kids: $6

EVENT CANCELED. Please visit the event website for current information. Presenting the sights, sound…

Canceled

For Kids

Editor's Pick

Nov. 27, 2020–Jan. 2, 2021

Winter Wonderland

Portland International Raceway $20 and up

Recognized throughout the Pacific Northwest as the “Largest Holiday Light Show West of the Mississ…

Editor's Pick

For Kids

Vintage toys spill from every available surface at Billy Galaxy.

Portland Toy Stores

Whether you’re a parent looking for an educational game or a collector on the hunt for a vintage action figure, Portland’s toy stores deliver.

A family browses school supplies at Scrap.

Portland’s Best Back-To-School Shopping

This fall, ditch the chain stores and get your kids ready to learn in style by shopping at these distinctly Portland spots.

$This Portland landmark is the world\'s largest new and used bookstore.$

Powell’s City of Books

Covering an entire city block, Powell's is a landmark, a great bookstore and a microcosm of the city itself.

Seasonal Family Fun

Portland is welcoming and lively year-round, and every season offers its own allures and things to do. (And, yes, a couple of seasons offer a little bit of rain, too.)

The Corn Maize at The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island

The Corn Maize on Sauvie Island

The Corn Maize, located on Sauvie Island north of Portland, offers visitors five acres of physical and mental challenges in a corn field.

$Visitors to Oregon\'s Fruit Loop can pick apples straight from the branch.$

Apple Picking Near Portland

Freshly-picked Pacific Northwest apples are a local favorite, and many Portland-area orchards allow visitors to pluck the fruit right off the branch.

$Pick your very own perfect pumpkin on Portland\'s Sauvie Island.$

Pumpkin Patches in and Near Portland

The Portland area has many farms with U-pick pumpkin patches and fun family activities like hayrides, corn mazes, petting zoos and festive autumn food and drink.

West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta

This annual race series consists of paddlers piloting a gaggle of gigantic gourds through a water course.

A mandrill celebrates Howloween at the Oregon Zoo.

Halloween Events in and Around Portland

From corn mazes to dance performances, half-marathons to haunted houses, Portland provides the perfect Halloween plans for any scare-seeking witch or warlock.

$Jack-o\'-lanterns illuminate the lawn of Plaza Park in St. Helens.$

The Spirit of Halloweentown

The historic town of St. Helens, located 45 minutes from Portland, celebrates Halloween all month long with haunted tours, costume contests and more.

Portland’s Best Spots for Fall Color

Autumnal beauty abounds in Portland, and there are plenty of prime places to revel in leaf-crunching relaxation.

Thousands of swifts soar across the sky at Chapman Elementary School.

Chapman Swift Watch

Every September, spectators gather to see the world’s largest roost of Vaux’s swifts swarm and spiral into the chimney of a Northwest Portland school.

The Portland Spirit floats by Tilikum Crossing during the Winter Light Festival.

Portland Winter Light Festival

Brighten your February with glowing sculptures and thousands of twinkling lights at the annual Winter Lights Festival.

Family Friendly

With a huge array of family-friendly attractions and activities, Portland can become any kid's playground.

The Christmas Festival of Lights at the Grotto.

Holiday Light Displays in Portland

Portland is full of bright ways to embrace the shorter days of winter; here are some of the stars in the city’s constellation of holiday light displays.

Ice Skating in and Around Portland

Here are your best bets for ice skating in Portland and the region, from year-round indoor rinks to winter-only outdoor options.

Celebrate Chinese New Year with colorful cultural activities at Lan Su Chinese Gardens.

Lunar New Year Celebrations in Portland

Portland hosts its own Japanese Mochitsuki Festival, Vietnamese Tet Festival and multiple Chinese New Year events.

Family Friendly

With a huge array of family-friendly attractions and activities, Portland can become any kid's playground.

The annual Holiday Tree at Pioneer Courthouse Square is a festive annual Portland tradition.

Portland Holiday Events

Like an Advent calendar loaded with sugary treats, the days leading up to Christmas in Portland hold an abundance of sweet memories.

$Families can enjoy a fun-filled spring day at the Portland Children\'s Museum.$

Spend Spring Break in Portland

Plan an epic spring break in Portland with our list of activities for families, friends, couples and solo travelers.

The Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade is a beloved June tradition in Portland.

Portland Rose Festival

Portland Rose Festival features multiple parades, waterfront carnival rides, concerts, dragon boat races, fireworks and plenty of roses.

Brunch at Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm is just one of many local Mother’s Day celebrations.

Mother’s Day Events in Portland

Myriad Mother's Day events in Portland make it easy (and fun!) to celebrate moms, grandmas and all of the other important women in your life.

Kids flock to festive Easter egg hunts throughout Portland every spring.

Easter Events in Portland

Spring is the harbinger of Easter festivities in Portland. Check out our favorite kid-friendly Easter egg hunts, annual picnics and candy-centric events.

UFO Festival in McMinnville

Every May, thousands of visitors flock to the city’s famous UFO Festival, featuring four days of parades, costume contests, expert speakers

Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

Colorful fields reminiscent of Holland burst with acres of tulips in full bloom at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn.

$Earth Day Portland features live music, food, kids\' activities and 100 local businesses.$

Where to Celebrate Earth Day in Portland

Show your love for Mother Earth by participating in one of these Earth Day events in Portland.

Spring brings beautiful cherry blossoms to downtown Waterfront Park.

Best Spots for Spring Flowers

Find your favorite blooms, from roses to rhododendrons and tulips to trilliums, with our guide to spring flowers in Portland.

$The city comes to life with dozens of free, family-friendly things to do all summer long thanks to Portland Parks and Recreation\'s Summer Free for All program.$

Summer Free for All

Portland Parks & Recreation offers over 400 free events including free movie screenings, concerts and rock climbing.

Portland Street Fairs

Come summer, many of Portland’s neighborhoods put on local parties with live music, food and fun.

Dametris Harrison floats alongside swimmers near Waterfront Park.

The Big Float

Every summer since 2011, thousands of people swim and float in the Willamette River for the annual Big Float event.

Passerby enjoy an impromptu Piano Push Play concert on the East Burnside instrument.

Piano Push Play Brings Music to the People

Piano Push Play invites local artists to transform old, donated pianos into whimsical works of art which are distributed across the city.

Oregon Zoo Summer Concerts

Musicians and fans alike flock to concerts at the Oregon Zoo each summer to enjoy live music, sunshine and friends.

Michael Franti & Spearhead at Edgefield in 2013.

Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn

With acts that have ranged from Al Green to ZZ Top, McMenamins Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn are an annual rite of summer and the hottest ticket in town.

Sauvie Island

Families can find an entire day’s worth of adventures on this island just northwest of Portland.

The Portland Timbers celebrate a goal on their home field.

Portland Soccer: Timbers and Thorns

With a fervent following, every Portland Timbers and Thorns match has a festive atmosphere that's enjoyable whether you're a soccer fan or not.

Spend a hot summer afternoon in the cool, clear waters of Punchbowl Falls.

Swimming Holes Near Portland

Stay cool all summer long at these serene swimming spots, surrounded by the stunning natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest — and all less than an hour away from Portland.

Meet mascot Dillon the Pickle at a Portland Pickles baseball game.

Baseball in Portland

The Portland Pickles and Hillsboro Hops are two local baseball teams pitching summery good times.

$Downtown Portland\'s annual fireworks show takes place in the Willamette River, just south of the Hawthorne Bridge.$

Fourth of July Events

There’s nothing more American than fun, family and, of course, fireworks. Pack all of that into one weekend with these July 4 events.

The Waterfront Blues Festival draws crowds every Fourth of July weekend.

Portland’s Waterfront Blues Festival

Every Fourth of July weekend, the Waterfront Blues Festival takes over downtown Portland’s Waterfront Park.