PDX Parent | Fun, family-friendly activities in Portland, OR

Tiffany and Meg here 👋✨ Living the literal dream in Portland, Oregon, making memories with our kids and sharing the fun with you. Around here, we post things to do with kids of all ages — whether you’re in the little-kid era like Tiffany, the teen era like Meg, or you just want to know Portland better. 🛝🎨🍦 Follow along for weekly ideas for weekend fun, new restaurants, playgrounds, hikes, local businesses to love, and a whole lot more. Basically, if we tried it and had a good time, you’ll probably see it here. PDX Parent has been around for decades — starting as a paper calendar flyer around 2000 — and now we connect with local families through our print magazine, newsletter, website, social media, and our popular online Kids Calendar. 📆 Whether you’ve been with us forever or you’re a new parent just finding us, we’re so happy you’re here. ✨

Get there early, this one is going to be popular, and the parking lot will fill up. 🥾 📍 Mitchell Point Tunnel #portland #portlandoregon #columbiarivergorge #columbiarivergorgeous #pnw #pnwhiking #hike #uniquehikes

Monkey or Forest Giant??? Fight it out in the comments.

Raymond Park’s brand new inclusive playground is officially OPEN! Visiting new playgrounds is a fun — and free! — tradition for my toddler and I, and this park got quite the glow up. 🛝 All-new state-of-the-art play structures
🦽 Smooth rubber surfacing for easy access for all abilities 
🎶 Sensory stations to engage every kind of learner and explorer 
💬 Communication board so every child can be seen and heard 👶 Dedicated littles area for when the big kids take over (you know how it goes) 🚽 Portland Loo on-site — this was an absolute lifesaver for me since my toddler is currently potty training 
💦 Splash pad opens next month (new drainage improvements = no more soggy closures!) We love Portland’s playgrounds, especially those that are accessible for all kiddos. Shoutout to the Portland Parks Foundation and it’s Everybody Plays project, plus the 38 donors who made it a reality for the 1,600+ Powellhurst-Gilbert families. ❤️ 📍 Raymond Park, 118th Ave & SE Raymond St. 
🚙 Street parking

Mark your calendars! 🎉 The 2026 PDX Parent Family Festival presented by @gspdx is coming to @topazfarm on Saturday, June 27 — and admission is FREE! Join us on Sauvie Island for a morning of family fun, live performances, farm activities, face painting, local family-friendly vendors, giveaways and more. Families can fill out a bingo card by visiting vendor tables, then return it for a chance to win prizes from local favorites like @nwchildrenstheater , @wonderwoodsprings Mini Golf, @oaksamusementpark , @theportlandaquarium , YMCA, @goldfishswim_vancouver and more. Plus, the Topaz Farm market and grill will be open, so come hungry. 🌽 📍 Topaz Farm on Sauvie Island 🕘 Saturday, June 27, 9 am-1 pm 🎟️ Free admission, rain or shine 👉 Full details at the link in bio ✨ Huge thanks to the sponsors making this free community event possible! ✨ 🌟 Presenting Sponsor: @gspdx 🎤 Stage Sponsors: @agiasophiaacademy and @atlasimmersionacademy 🌿 Community Sponsors: World of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, @ymcacw , @lansuchinesegarden , @playandponderpdx and Evergreen Virtual Academy 🎪 Package Sponsors: @almamidwifery , @abrilliantnanny , @ripcityremix , @swallowtailschool and @sylvan.portland

Falls Creek Falls in Washington was the loveliest birthday surprise hike, not too hard, and it’s only about 90 minutes from Portland. 🌲✨ 🥪🍪We picked up sandwiches from @pasturepdx and my husband made Justine Doiron’s incredible Gomashio Cookes @justine_snacks We did it as an out-and-back to the falls instead of the full 6-ish-mile loop, and it was gorgeous: mossy forest, creek views, a suspension bridge, and then a huge tiered waterfall at the end. Our hike: 🥾 4 miles out and back ⛰️ 751 feet elevation gain, according to @alltrails ⏱️ 2.5 hours total, including about 30 minutes eating cookies at the falls ⚠️ lots of potholes on the drive in on the forest road The official out-and-back route is listed as 3.4 miles with about 750 feet of gain. The trailhead has a vault toilet that was surprisingly clean, and the day use fee is $5 per vehicle or a valid recreation pass. We couldn’t get the QR code to work (no cell service) so we paid cash. 📍 Put this into Google Maps: Falls Creek Falls Trailhead, Carson, WA Save this for a not-too-hard waterfall hike with a very big payoff.

Let this be the year your kiddo learns to swim with lessons at Children of the Sea! 🌊 @children.of.the.sea_pdx From first swims to more confident strokes, the warm-water pool, small class sizes and supportive instructors help kids of all ages build skills at their own pace — with lessons available for ages 4 months and up. Spots fill quickly, so now is a great time to find the class that fits your family. 🔗 Learn more and register at childrenofthesea.com

Looking for a small, screen-free summer camp on Portland’s westside? Play & Ponder is a @pdx_parent Reader Favorite, offering a sensory-friendly, neurodivergent-welcoming camp experience for ages 4–8. @playandponderpdx With just 8 kids per week and a 1:4 staff ratio, campers get plenty of space to create, explore and be known. ✨ 10 themed weeks 📅 June 15–August 21 🎨 Every Friday ends with a Family Celebration, where each camper can invite up to 4 guests to see what they made 🔗 Register at playandponder.com PDX Parent readers: The first 10 to reserve can save with code PDXPARENT100 for full-day camp or PDXPARENT50 for half-day camp.

Best job ever. Check out things to do in Portland this weekend, all in one place 👇 🚲 Southwest Sunday Parkways with @portlandsundayparkways 🎶 OCT Presents Red Yarn & Friends at The Abbey with @octportland , @redyarnpdx + @albertaabbeypdx 🦜 The Oregon Bird Man Live at Frog Pond Farm with @frogpondfarmoregon + @oregonbirdman66 ✈️ Oregon International Air Show at Hillsboro with @oregonairshow 🚂 S.T.E.A.M.’d Up for Kids at Powerland Heritage Park with @powerlandheritagepark 🛸 26th Annual UFO Festival in McMinnville Shows to see: 👑 Cinderella at Barclay Theater in Oregon City with @krayonkidsmtc 🌲 Into the Woods at Northwest Children’s Theater with @nwchildrenstheater 🫖 Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at The Judy with @nwchildrenstheater 🍍 SpongeBob the Musical at Portland Playhouse with @portlandplayhouse 🧚 A Midsummer Night’s Dream 🩰 Current/Classic at @thepdxballet 🕺 Footloose at Magenta Theater in Vancouver with @metropolitanperformingarts 🎭 Brown Face at Milagro Theatre with @milagrotheatre Free things to do: 🌲 Explore Your Park Series at Powell Butte Nature Park with @portlandparks 🎨 19th Annual Mt. Tabor Art Walk with @mttabor_artwalk 📚 Bard Storytime at Mike Bennett’s Wonderwood Springs with @wonderwoodsprings + @mikebennettart 📖 Huge 50-Cent Book Sale in Clackamas with @the_clackamas_bookshelf 🎵 Music Singalongs with Mr. Ben at Wonderwood Springs with @mrbenmusic + @wonderwoodsprings 🐐 Goats and S’mores Sundays at Director Park with @goat_it_solutions , @marshandmallowco + @directorparkevents 🍕 Music with Mr. Hoo at Mississippi Pizza with @musicwithmrhoo + @mississippipizzapub 🌸 See spring blooms around Portland Find all the details at pdxparent.com/this-weekend-in-pdx.

Trail of Ten Falls is probably my favorite hike ever. I’ve done it on Mother’s Day and on my birthday, and it’s definitely one of my go tos for out of town guests. A few things to know before you go: 🥾 Distance: about 7.2 miles for the main loop; closer to 9 miles if you take the side trails to see all ten falls ⛰️ Elevation: about 800 feet of overall elevation change 💦 Waterfalls: 10 total, with multiple walk-behind falls 🐕 Dogs: not allowed on the Canyon Trail, so leave pups at home for the classic waterfall loop 🚗 Parking: There’s a day-use parking fee at Silver Falls State Park. You can pay at the park’s fee machines, or use an Oregon State Parks annual pass. 👟 Trail tip: expect mud, stairs, slick spots, and mist near the falls — good shoes help 🌿 Best season: spring is especially gorgeous when the waterfalls are full. This video is from August when they weren’t nearly as full. You can make the hike shorter, but if your family is up for the full waterfall adventure, this is easily the most spectacular kid-friendly waterfall hike in Oregon, maybe anywhere.

Kinda nervous to kayak on the Willamette? Start here. 🛶 Bernert Landing in West Linn is a beautiful launch point for exploring the Willamette Narrows, and it felt surprisingly approachable when we visited. There’s plenty of parking and restrooms and the launch. The water near the Narrows was fairly shallow, boat traffic was minimal, and the scenery felt way more secluded than you’d expect this close to town. Take it slow, watch for rocks under the water, and always check conditions before you go — but if you’ve been wanting a pretty, not-too-intimidating paddle near Portland, this is one to save. Looking for more kid-friendly kayaking spots with calm water? Find our full guide at pdxparent.com/kayak. 📍 Bernert Landing / Willamette Narrows�West Linn, OR #portlandoregon #portlandor #westlinn #oregonoutdoors #thingstodoinportland

Don’t sweat it if you haven’t done your Mother’s Day shopping — Fred Meyer Jewelers is here for the gifting assist! 💎 My friend and I stopped by the Oregon City location to get some bling for our moms and, of course, did a little shopping for ourselves, too. 😆 ⬇️ Shop today for this awesome Mother’s Day promo: 💍 Spend $99 on jewelry and receive $20 off in the indoor floral department 🖍️ Have the kiddos color a cute — and complimentary! — Mother’s Day card 🗓️ This promo runs from Thursday, May 7 through Saturday, May 10 📲 Check out @fredmeyerjewelers to enter their sweet Mother’s Day giveaway which ends on Tuesday, May 12 🔗 fredmeyerjewelers.com