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

Credit: Stuart Mullenberg

Family Fun for All Ages

In Portland, it's easy to entertain toddlers, teens and everyone in between.

Updated Sept. 30, 2021 2 min read

Lora Shinn

Whether your children are just learning to crawl or have long since mastered their iPhones, Portland’s abundant kid-friendly activities keep the good times rolling. Here’s a rundown of play-perfect suggestions for kids of all ages.

Young ’Uns (ages 0-5)

On hot days head for splash-worthy Jamison Square in the Pearl District. Like a geyser, the fountain’s waterfalls stop, drain and cascade again. To chill out even more, order some homemade scoops at nearby Cool Moon Ice Cream.

Big Kids (6-10)

If Bill Nye “the Science Guy” were to design the world’s most fun-packed laboratory, odds are he’d look to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) for inspiration. Inside, brainpower boosts — and belly laughs — come courtesy of hundreds of interactive displays. Ride in a motion simulator, sit back for an IMAX film, then board a full-size submarine — the USS Blueback — docked outside in the Willamette River.

Budding biologists flock to the World Forestry Center and the adjacent Oregon Zoo, where 64 park-like acres boast natural enclosures that evoke everything from African savannahs to tropical rainforests. Kids can hop aboard the newly renovated and solar-powered Zoo Train, a steam locomotive that dates back to the 1950s.

The Portland Art Museum offers family-focused tours every Sunday (psst: kids under 17 get in free). Cap the day at McMenamins Kennedy School, where class consists of watching movies on a big screen and snacking on slices of pizza. Plus, mom and dad can sip on a wide selection of locally handcrafted ales.

So Not-a-Kid-Anymore (11 and up)

Got a trend-savvy tween or two? Portland Saturday Market is the go-to spot for creative crafts, handmade art and jewelry, and other one-of-a-kind finds. Book lovers could devote an entire week to exploring the block-size Powell’s City of Books, which augments its 1 million new and used books with offbeat local souvenirs and gifts.

Adventurous families can take to the air via Oregon Helicopters helicopter tours, or zoom up the Willamette River on a Willamette Jetboat tour. Families can also rent their own private electric boat with Portland Electric Boat Company (no experience necessary!). A visit to Kerr Bikes sends you on a beautiful cruise along riverfront bike paths with a four-seat “surrey” bike rental.

And old-fashioned thrills abound at Oaks Amusement Park, which boasts retro roller coasters, a Ferris wheel and even a roller-skating rink. Parents can foster some competitive spirit, too: Challenge the kiddos to a putting match at downtown’s Glowing Greens, where ultraviolet black lights amp up a 3-D, pirate-themed indoor miniature golf course, or round out the day with a battle of wits at Mississippi Pizza, which hosts a kid-friendly spelling bee the first Saturday of the month from September through May. Who said parents can’t spell fun?