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
2 | NW Kids Magazine
NW Kids Magazine | 3
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
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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
ENGINEERING FOR KIDS NW Kids Magazine | 11
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
NW Kids Magazine | 13
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. 18 | NW Kids Magazine
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. NW Kids Magazine | 23
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