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, wraps and kid-friendly finger foods before diving back in for another round of fun.
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. Arrive hungry, because their café offers spring rolls, dumplings, chow mein, fried rice, pork buns and other Asian-inspired bites, along with classic kid-friendly bites like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chicken nuggets and hot dogs.
Conveniently located next to the Oregon Convention Center, the Playground Gym features a 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.
Jumps and Flips
A quick trip to Clackamas (a town 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.
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 and “Adventureland” play area geared for jumpers 8 and under.
For even more springy fun, visit Northeast Portland’s Children’s Gym during their open gym hours. Welcoming guests 13 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.
