Molly Woodstock
Molly Woodstock has been writing and editing content for Travel Portland since 2014. Read More
Indoor Children’s Play Areas
These kid-friendly fun zones are terrific rainy day destinations.
Molly Woodstock
Molly Woodstock has been writing and editing content for Travel Portland since 2014. Read More
Don’t let a little rain spoil your family’s day! Little ones love letting their imaginations run wild at these Portland-area play spaces.
Indoor Children’s Play Areas
Play Palaces
A favorite with Portland parents, PlayDate PDX offers a massive, three-story indoor playground made for climbing, crawling, sliding and exploring. An expansive seating area allows families to refuel with pizza, panini and $1 snack packs before diving back in for another round of fun. Kids 6 and older can even enjoy a round of laser tag in the castle on Thursday and Saturday nights.
Kids can channel their inner kung fu masters at Monkey King Play House, a dynamic, multi-story destination in East Portland that combines space for martial arts lessons, private party rooms and celebrations of Chinese culture. A full café offers spring rolls, pork buns and other Asian-inspired bites.
Conveniently located next to the Oregon Convention Center, the Playground Gym features an indoor treehouse, climbing wall, gymnastics props and a cork dance floor. The learning-focused facility encourages creativity by designing a space that lets kids tinker with their surroundings — think mats, bars, balls and hoops galore.
The learning-focused facility encourages creativity by designing a space that lets kids tinker with their surroundings.
Jumps and Flips
A quick trip to Clackamas, only 20 minutes southeast of downtown Portland, rewards families with Oregon’s biggest indoor inflatable arena. JJ Jump encompasses 12,000 square feet (3,658 sq m) of bouncy tunnels, ladders, slides and more. Older kids especially appreciate the glow-in-the-dark cosmic jump sessions.
Aerial entertainment also abounds at Sky High Sports, a trampoline center complete with dodgeball, basketball hoops and a super-size foam pit. Sky High offers a separate court geared for jumpers 8 and under, as well as a multi-level “Adventureland” play area.
For even more springy fun, visit Northeast Portland’s Children’s Gym during daily open gym hours. Welcoming kids 14 and under, this gymnastics-oriented facility features an extensive range of equipment —beams, bars, rings, springboards and trampolines — all protected with cushy mats and thick flooring.
Shopping Centers
Portland’s many mall play spaces make it easy to take advantage of the city’s terrific tax-free shopping without leaving out the little ones. Ride the MAX Green Line to the Clackamas Town Center to find a whimsical, outdoor-themed play space outfitted with faux logs, tents and trees to scramble up, over or under. The play area at popular Washington Square is similarly decked out with an imagination-sparking array of plastic animals, rivers and bridges.
