NW Kids Magazine September 2020 Digital Edition

magazine

L I V E • PLAY • DO

Birthday Parties in a Pandemic

2020-2021 Birthday Celebration Guide

September Music News

SEPTEMBER 2020 - DIGITAL EDITION nwkidsmagazine.com

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Editor’s Note It is September at long last! As we enter month 9 of the pandemic, we’ve become accustomed to some new norms.

Most schools and districts have announced their plans for back to school and families are figuring out what changes will need to be made for accommodating these plans. Distance learning in the spring taught us all a lot about ourselves.

Some parents bought whiteboards and charts and created elaborate schedules to ensure academic success from home. Others (I’m looking at myself here) resigned themselves to making sure their kids completed their required work and more or less left it at that. Now that we know most of us will be beginning the school year with distance learning, we’ve been given the opportunity to prepare a bit more. For my household, this involves setting up comfortable and functional work spaces for a 3rd grader, a freshman and myself.

While this is certainly a challenge in a condominium, the one thing I’ve learned for sure is that change is the only constant.

The September issue of NW Kids traditionally includes our annual Birthday Party Guide. Despite the current circumstances, we’ve decided to include that again this year, in addition to a guide on Birthday Parties during the time of COVID. While some of the businesses in this year’s guide are not currently open and others are not holding birthday parties during this phase of the reopening, I hope that you will keep each and every one on your radar so that we can continue to support and enjoy them once they reopen their doors to us. During my 15 years of being a mom in Portland, I have hosted and attended countless birthday parties where kids are packed together to play, eat, celebrate and watch the birthday child open their gifts with anticipation and wonder. We’ll get back there again. For now, there are countless ways to include some of your kids’ favorites in their special day and they may just find a new favorite as we pivot our way through this storm.

Cheers,

Mary 4 | NW Kids Magazine

Contents SEPTEMBER 2020 8 2020-2021 Birthday Celebration Guide 18 Virtual Birthday Parties 22 Fall Music News

Cover photography by NW CHILDREN’S THEATER & SCHOOL

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magazine Publisher Michelle Snell michelle@nwkidsmagazine.com Editor/Account Manager Mary Brady mary@nwkidsmagazine.com Graphic Designer Robyn Barbon robyn@folkloremedia.com Advertising Inquiries: 503-282-2711, ext. 1 sales@nwkidsmagazine.com

Connect With Us: • Phone: 503.282.2711 • email: contact@nwkidsmagazine.com • Facebook: facebook.com/nwkids • Instagram: @nwkidsmagazine • Twitter: @nwkids • Pinterest: pinterest.com/nwkids NW Kids is published monthly by Miche Media, LLC. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy; sometimes we make errors. Please let us know when we do and accept our apologies. Printed locally; Please recycle.

Listings All Families Surrogacy..................................... 3 Bamboo International School.......................... 7 Bennett Suzuki................................................. 2 Engineering for Kids........................................ 7 FAIS.................................................................. 3 Heidi Timmons...............................................21 Language-Learning Connections..................17 Little Fruit Farm................................................ 3 Lumberyard...................................................... 7 Mad Science..................................................... 3

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Math Gamers................................................... 2 OES.................................................................17 OMEGA Gymnastics.......................................16 Penny’s Puppets.............................................16 Play Fit Fun....................................................... 2 Portland Early Learning Project.....................16 Portland Rock Gym.......................................... 2 Presents of Mind............................................16 Xstream Learning Center................................. 7

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2020-2021 Birthday Celebration Guide Covid-19 has made 2020 a year of endless change. It has affected every industry in ways that we never could have imagined; and we are still in the thick of it. As we plan for our children’s birthday celebrations, things look a bit different this year. Some of our favorite businesses have closed permanently while others are closed temporarily during Phase 1, but many are open and need our support now more than ever. We can still order birthday treats from our favorite bakery or ice cream shop and we can still visit many of our favorite venues in smaller numbers; even if they are not able to offer their traditional birthday party options right now. Covid has not canceled birthdays, but a bit more patience and creativity are needed to make the day special right now.

Be sure to check websites and Facebook pages for the most up-to-date information.

Cakes, Treats & Everything Sweet Candy Candy Babel

candybabel.com

Lolli & Pops

lolliandpops.com

Rocket Fizz

rocketfizz.com

Rose City Sweets

rosecitysweets.com

Study of Sweets

studyofsweets.com

Sweets Etc.

sweetsetc.com

The Candy Basket

theartfullgardenandcompany.com

Frozen Treats 22 Below

22beroll.com

Cloud City Ice Cream

cloudcityicecream.com 8 | NW Kids Magazine

Cool Moon Ice Cream

coolmoonicecream.com

Cup & Cone

cupandconepdx.com

Eb & Bean

ebandbean.com

Fifty Licks

fifty-licks.com

Great Northwest Ice Cream Company

facebook.com/gnwcompany

Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream handelsicecream.com

McBee’s Shakes Crepes & Cones mcbeescafe.com

Nectar Frozen Yogurt Lounge nectarfroyo.com

Ome Calli Frozen Treats

omecallifrozentreats.com

Pinolo Gelateria

pinologelato.com

Ruby Jewel

rubyjewel.com

Salt & Straw/Wiz Bang Bar

saltandstraw.com, saltandstraw.com/wizbangbar

Donuts, Cookies & Pies Angel’s Donuts & Ice Cream

facebook.com/Angels-Donuts-IceCream-171378416919449

What’s the Scoop?

Bipartisan Cafe

Custom Cakes

Blue Star Donuts

Baker & Spice/The Cakery

Coco Donuts

Cake It

Crumbl Cookies

Decadent Creations

Delicious Donuts

Helen Bernhard Bakery

Lauretta Jean’s

Just a Dash

Pacific Pie Company

Mehri’s Bakery & Cafe

Pie Spot

Miss Zumstein

Pip’s Original Doughnuts

New Cascade Traditional (Gluten-free)

Random Order

whatsthescooppdx.com

bakerandspicepdx.com cakeit.us

decadentcreations.com helenbernhardbakery.com justadashcakes.com mehris.com

misszumstein.com

newcascadiatraditional.com

Nothing Bundt Cakes

nothingbundtcakes.com

Petunia’s Pies & Pastries (Gluten-free & vegan)

bipartisancafe.com bluestardonuts.com cocodonuts.com crumblcookies.com deliciousdonutspdx.com laurettajeans.com pacificpie.com pie-spot.com pipsmobile.com, facebook.com/pipsoriginal randomordercoffee.com

The Pie Guy

facebook.com/The-Pie-Guy-990846617608515

Voodoo Doughnut

voodoodoughnut.com

petuniaspiesandpastries.com

Piece of Cake Bakery

pieceofcakebakery.net

Sweetpea Baking Company (Vegan) sweetpeabaking.com

Unicorn Bake Shop

unicornbakeshop.com THE CAKERY

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Places to Party Animals Oregon Coast Aquarium aquarium.org

Oregon Reptile Man

oregonreptileman.com

Oregon Zoo

oregonzoo.org

Party Animals NW

partyanimalsnw.com

Arcades, Fun Centers & Theme Parks

Confection Crafts

confectioncrafts.com

Let it Bead

letitbeadportland.com

Mimosa Studios

mimosa-studios.com

My Masterpiece Art Studio

mymasterpieceartstudio.com

Portland Child Art Studio portlandchildartstudio.org

SCRAP

scrappdx.com

Arcade 2084

Spark Arts Center

Bullwinkle’s

SunnyLove

Electric Castle’s Wunderland

The Craft Factory

Enchanted Forest

The Merry Kitchen

Next Level Pinball Shop & Museum

Venvino Art Studios

Oaks Park

vibepdx.org

arcade2084.com/index.php fun-center.com wunderlandgames.com enchantedforest.com

nextlevelpinballmuseum.com oakspark.com

Art, Craft & Cooking Bricks & Minifigs

sparkartscenter.com sunnylovepdx.com craftfactorypdx.com themerrykitchen.com venvinoartstudios.com

Vibe of Portland

Bowling Allen’s Crosley Lanes crosleylanes.com

bricksandminifigs.com/store/ portland-oregon

Big Al’s

CeramiCafe Art Lounge

Grand Central Restaurant & Bowling Lounge

ceramicafenw.com 10 | NW Kids Magazine

ilovebigals.com

thegrandcentralbowl.com

KingPins

Sensational Play

Milwaukie Bowl

The Children’s Gym

Park Lanes

Tumble Bus

Punch Bowl Social

Westside Dance and Gymnastics Academy

mykingpins.com milwaukiebowl.com parklanes.net punchbowlsocial.com/portland

Super Play

superplayor.com

Tigard Bowl

sensationalplay.com childrensgym.com

tumblebuspdx.com

westsideacademy.com

Karaoke & Movies

tigardbowl.com

Academy Theater

Climbing

Punch Bowl Social

Circuit Bouldering Gym thecircuitgym.com

Portland Rock Gym

portlandrockgym.com

Stoneworks Climbing Gym

academytheaterpdx.com punchbowlsocial.com/portland

Voicebox Karaoke Lounge voiceboxpdx.com

Laser Tag, Paintball & Go-Karts

belay.com

Impact Action Sports

Dance, Gymnastics & Yoga

Malibu Raceway at Skibowl

Echo Theater Company echotheaterpdx.org

The Gym-Nest

thegym-nest.com

impactactionsports.com skibowl.com/summer/mt-hoodactivities/malibu-raceway-skibowl

Splat Action

splataction.com

Metro Gymnastics Center metrogymnastics.com

Naydenov Gymnastics ngymnastics.com

OMEGA Gymnastics

omega-gymnastics.com

Oregon Gymnastics Academy ogagym.org

Precision Elite Gymnastics

precisionelitegymnastics.com

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Places to Party (continued)

Sykart Indoor Racing

Oregon Rail Heritage Center

Ultrazone Laser Tag

Play Street Museum

sykart.com

ultrazoneportland.com

Miniature Golf & Golf

orhf.org

playstreetmuseum.com/oregon

Portland Children’s Museum portlandcm.org

Glowing Greens

Pizza Parties

Topgolf

John’s Incredible Pizza

Twin Pines Country Club

Mississippi Pizza

glowinggreens.com topgolf.com/us/ twinpinescountryclub.com

Museums & Science

johnspizza.com/beaverton mississippipizza.com

Papa’s Pizza Parlor papaspizza.net

Gilbert House Children’s Museum

Pietro’s Pizza

Engineering for Kids

Play

acgilbert.org

engineeringforkids.com

Mad Science

portland.madscience.org

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry omsi.edu

pietrosrestaurants.com

Dizzy Castle

dizzycastle.com

Nest Playground

nestplayground.com

Ocean Plays Indoor Playground oceanplays.com

Play Boutique

playboutique.com

Playdate PDX

playdatepdx.com

The Wiggle Room

thewiggleroom.com

Two Sisters Play Cafe MAD SCIENCE 12 | NW Kids Magazine

twosistersplaycafe.net

Salons Pigtails & Crewcuts

pigtailsandcrewcuts.com

Sit Still Salon & Shoppe sitstillkids.com

Skating & Ice Skating Lloyd Center Ice Rink lloydcenterice.com

Mountain View Ice Arena mtviewice.com

Mt. Scott Community Center

portlandoregon.gov/parks/60409

Oaks Park Roller Rink

oakspark.com/roller-skating.html

Sherwood Ice Arena

Sky High Sports

skyhighsports.com

Tree to Tree Adventure Park tree3treeadventurepark.com

Urban Warrior urbanwarrior.fit

Swimming & Water Play DolFUN Swim Academy

dolfunswimacademy.com

Emler Swim School

emlerswimschool.com

Farber Swim School

farberswimschool.com

North Clackamas Aquatic Park ncprd.com/aquatic-park

sherwoodicearena.com

Portland Parks & Rec

Sports, Jump, & Active Play

Safe Splash Swim School

portlandoregon.gov/parks/38284 safesplash.com

Aim High Martial Arts

Tualatin Hills Parks & Rec

Archers Afield

Wings & Waves Waterpark

aimhighma.org

archersafield.com

thprd.org

wingsandwaveswaterpark.com

iFLY

iflyworld.com

Lumberyard Bike Park lumberyardmtb.com

NW Fencing Center nwfencing.org

Playground Gym

theplaygroundgym.com

Portland Parks and Rec

portlandoregon.gov/parks/ article/430541

LUMBERYARD

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Performers Balloon Artists Joe Mishkin

joemishkin.com

Joy Entertainers

joyentertainers.com

Slightly Twisted Balloons

slightlytwistedballoons.com

Tuxedo Jimmy

tuxedojimmy.com

Olive and Dingo

oliveanddingo.com

Penny’s Puppets

pennypuppets.com

Princess Power Parties

princesspowerparties.com

Red Yarn

redyardproductions.com

Wishes Come True

wishescometruepdx.com

Clowns, Princesses & Puppeteers

Face Painters

BJ the Clown

fancyfacesbyamy.com

bjtheclown.com

Cha Cha the Clown

chachatheclown.com

Dragon Theater Puppets & Princesses dragontheatre.com

PENNY’S PUPPETS

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Fancy Faces by Amy

Mystique’s Fancy Faces

mystiquesfancyfaces.com

Nicole’s Face Painting

nicolesfacepainting.com

Circus Arts & Magicians Alexander Master of Marvels parlorofwonders.com

Dave’s Killer Magic Shop killermagicshop.com

Erika Ryn

Presto the Magician

prestothemagician.com

Scramble James

scramblejames.com

Musicians Mo Phillips

erikaryn.com

Magic with Hart hartkeene.com

Mark Benthimer

magicpdx.com/pages/markbenthimer

mophillips.com

Red Yarn

redyarnproductions.com

The Alphabeticians

thealphabeticians.com

The Perfect Gifts Black Wagon

MudPuddles Toys & Books

Finnegan’s Toys & Gifts

Piccolo Mondo Toys

iSpark Toys

Presents of Mind

Kids at Heart Toys

Spielwerk Toys

Made You Look

Thinker Toys

blackwagon.com finneganstoys.com isparktoys.com kidsathearttoys.com madeyoulookpdx.com

mudpuddlestoys.com

piccolomondotoys.com presentsofmind.tv spielwerktoys.com thinkertoysoregon.com

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? e c n a t s i D l Socia

Party On.

SAFELY SOCIAL: Virtual Birthday Parties by KELLEY GARDINER

Social distance? No problem. Even if you’re just keeping to your bubble, your kiddo can still have a memorable birthday celebration. Here are some ideas for how to knock that birthday party out of the park.

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Drive-by Parade For your social butterflies who absolutely must see all their friends, and possibly most of their classmates as well, a parade can be a fantastic option. Beforehand, decide if you want one big parade with a staging area, or if you’re into more of a “open house” style party where people pop by, park, and say hello. Make or order some decorations and yard signs, pass out individually wrapped treats if you like, and have a great time.

“ Our daughter was devastated about not having a birthday party this year.

The Craft Factory saved the day!

Our virtual crafting party was so much fun!”

- Jill, Milwaukie, OR

Zoom Party with Family and Friends Don’t worry, parents. Once you get the friends and family all together singing and toasting your birthday, it won’t bear any resemblance to that budget meeting last Thursday. Anyone can join from anywhere, so all your far-flung family can join in on a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

CRAFT FACTORY

Bring the Party to Your Friends Drop off or mail an activity (check out these amazing local ones we found!) ahead of time, and then schedule a time for the kiddos to do the activity together virtually.

“To-go” Cookie Decorating Kits Just because you’re not having a traditional party doesn’t mean you can’t share a few treats. A cookie decorating kit works great for just the family at home, or for distribution to friends ahead of time.

It’s an activity, a treat, and a favor all in one.

Perfect! Sweets by Beth offers virtual party kits with four or eight cookies each. sweettreatsbybeth.com/classesandparties

SWEET TREATS BY BETH

Craft Factory Crafts to Go Beep boop! The Craft Factory’s robots, fairy houses, rockets and crowns are fan favorites for crafty kids. Order ahead for curbside pickup. craftfactorypdx.com/crafts-to-go/ NW Kids Magazine | 19

MIMOSA STUDIOS

Mimosa Studios Birthday Party Take-Home Kits The studio might be closed, but that can’t stop you from making some beautiful art.

Call the studio to choose the figurines, and you’ll get a set of paints, pallets, brushes, and instructions for your own party space. mimosastudios.com/calendar/mimosaparties/ PlayFit Fun Party Activities to Go Looking for something more active?

PlayFitFun will not only bring you some cool activities to get kids moving, but they’ll bring pizza and treats too, and they’ll come back the next day to pick up the activities you chose. Easy as pizza pie. playfitfun.com/family-game-night/ Bach to Rock Musical Parties We’ll let a happy parent speak for themselves: “Andrew made the online birthday party format so fun for the kids.

They were able to create an entire song together, in a short amount of time, and even learned about music theory. Most importantly, the kids were able to be creative, and there were lots of giggles and 20 | NW Kids Magazine

smiles. The kids had such a good time that we even scheduled two more gettogethers just for fun!” tanasbourne.b2rmusic.com

Virtual Entertainment Hosting at home? You can still bring talented local artists into your living room.

Amazing Fairytale Parties Your kiddo’s favorite princess is waiting to say hello! If your party schedule is packed, order a prerecorded message.

Or, have a live virtual meet-and-greet and storytime to tickle the birthday kids’ fancy. amazingfairytaleparties.com/videomessage-birthday-package Penny’s Puppets Penny’s Puppets is a Portland staple, and for good reason — her shows use a perfect mix of music, story, and humor to keep kids engaged. A virtual birthday party gives you a live puppet show without the setup and tear down. pennypuppets.com

Bring the Party to You Masks on, party on! Some parties can come straight to your house.

Mystique’s Fancy Faces Okay, for the moment, fancy faces are off the table. But luckily, masked party-goers can still get fancified with airbrush tattoos on their arms and legs. mystiquesfancyfaces.com/ portlandairbrushtattoos Portland Goat Parties What’s a Portland party list without some goats? Head to the farm to meet goats, or have them come to you. Your animal-loving kiddo will be over the moon. Of course, you’ll need to wear a maaaaaask. (Sorry.) portlandgoatparties.com/services

PORTLAND GOAT PARTIES

Too Worn Out to Plan a Party?

Who could blame you? Try unicornpartiespdx.com for a kidfriendly party-planning option, or book your bubble buddies at a kiddie venue that’s open for private play, like The Wiggle Room. thewiggleroom.com/ private-play

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Fall Music News: Raffi’s Tune for First Responders, Aaron Nigel Smith Sings for Starlight, and Red Yarn Creates by BETH BLENZ-CLUCAS

While families can’t sing along with their favorite artists in person right now, they are creating a wealth of new songs and virtual shows to tide us over.

Raffi can’t get back to Portland for his usual annual family concert. Instead, he’s been very busy all summer recording songs and videos for his young and grownup fans. The iconic children’s entertainer and climate activist is celebrating 40 years since he released “Baby Beluga” with a new fan-art video. Check it out on Raffi’s YouTube channel. He also just released a new original song called “For All You Do” for all the helpers – frontline and behind the scenes – who are working during the ongoing pandemic. The song was written by Raffi and features rising children’s artist, Lindsay Munroe and celebrated cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. Click to download or stream “For All You Do”. Proceeds from downloads and streams will got to Direct Relief, an organization providing equipment and medication to health care workers around the world. Raffi will also release a Baby Beluga fan-art animated video on his YouTube channel this month.

A few years ago, Aaron Nigel Smith moved to Portland, and since then he’s been busy creating new music, videos, and festivals for the whole family (Rox in Sox, Building Bridges Festival, Big Up Show, etc.). His newest reggae album features messages of peace and love: Aaron Nigel Smith & 1 World Chorus: Live in LA. One of the ways he is celebrating is with a Facebook Live virtual concert on Monday, September 21st, which is International Peace Day. The after-school show will benefit the Starlight Foundation, and it’s part of the Stream for Starlight events in September.

Photograph by Ben Gibbs 22 | NW Kids Magazine

Photograph by Jason Quigley

Also this month, Portland’s family folk puppeteer Red Yarn launches a YouTube series for tots called “Red Yarn’s Backyard.”

Starting in September, Red will release a new mini-episode on YouTube every other Friday. Alternating between music videos and social-emotional stories featuring his critter puppets, “Red Yarn’s Backyard” will welcome audiences to an inclusive space where they can sing, dance, and learn alongside Red Yarn and his critters.

For families raising Jewish children, September means the high holidays of Rosh Hashana (September 18) and Yom Kippur (September 27th). PJ Library, a non-profit organization that ships more than 225,000 books to kids each month for free, offers a handy guide to Rosh Hashanah, complete with recipe and activity ideas. Music is important, and so PJ Library’s free-streaming LISTEN hub offers hours of audio entertainment, from kid-friendly playlists to podcast episodes.

Other online concerts this month: Local favorite Mo Philips has a weekly livestream each Friday at 10:30am. *The timing of this may change as school schedules become more clear. mophillips.com

A few times each month, Latin GRAMMY winning duo 123 Andrés presents engaging bilingual shows, often with an educational theme, via Facebook and Instagram (IGTV) Live.

International kids’ phenom The Wiggles are celebrating a new album about transportation with a new music video each week. Engage with them on their Facebook page.

Brady Rymer, a 3-time Grammy nominee, hosts rootsy “Live from Brady’s House” virtual concerts each week. Check his Facebook page for upcoming fall shows, including a “Virtual Kids Music Festival with Wendy and DB on September 16th.

The twice-Grammy-nominated kid-hop collective known as The Alphabet Rockers host anti-racist “Rock the Block” music and dance parties a few times each month via Facebook Live. Everyone is invited to this inclusive party!

Insider Tip: want to get regular news about fresh songs for kids? Jeff Cohen’s reviews on Geekdad are always helpful and fun to read.

And, catch our fresh children’s playlists on Spotify.

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