Get to know some familiar faces from Portland’s kidfriendly performing arts companies. Plus a list of family-friendly shows to see this spring. By Miranda Rake.
The littlest Portlanders and their grown-ups can check out engaging, free art installations from these BIPOC artists. By Sarah Carpenter.
art spaces for kids; library openings and closures; advocating for kids and families on the state level; and a charming kids’ book from two local grandfathers.
The Woodstock neighborhood in Southeast Portland is as family-friendly as it gets.
the Easter bunny; OMSI’s new LEGO dinosaur exhibit; free prom dresses for teens; and more.
Show time
Walking through my neighborhood, I’m starting to see the unmistakable signs of spring: Daffodils, tulips and frilly, pink cherry blossoms showing off. And more and more families out and about. Another sign of spring? A new season of terrific family-friendly performances. We’re so lucky that Portland is home to so many performing arts companies that love having kids in their audience. I have mental snapshots of seeing my kids giggling hysterically during Northwest Children’s Theater’s Elephant & Piggie and Oregon Children’s Theatre’s Dog Man: The Musical. Or watching them craning their necks to see the different instruments during Oregon Symphony’s Peter and the Wolf. Recently, we were lucky enough to see Hamilton at the Keller and continued our tradition of discussing our favorite parts of the show over dinner at the Hotel Zags restaurant’s happy hour. If your family is like mine, and you have been seeing shows for years, some performers on our local stages start to become familiar faces to your family. This issue, writer Miranda Rake interviewed a dancer, a musician and two actors who you may recognize as they take center stage this spring during kid-friendly shows. Find out more on page 16.
On Our Cover
Also in our annual Arts Issue, we explore four kid-friendly art exhibits from BIPOC artists starting on page 20. One of the great things about Portland is coming across stunning artwork as you are just going about your day. And you and your kids may just happen to catch a couple of these art installations that way. The bonus: You don’t have to pay to see them! We’ve also got our readers’ favorite picks for art and entertainment (page 24), and a list of new places where your kids can make art — and you don’t have to worry about the clean up (page 6).
Hope to see your family out there enjoying a show this spring!
A big thanks to Rebecca Hunnicutt Photography & Education for the adorable cover photo this month. Hunnicutt, who snapped this photo of her two daughters, now 12 and 14, while the family was traveling, has been a lifestyle photographer for 10 years. She also teaches photography to kids and adults. “Seeing the kids work with a camera in their hands, seeing the light bulb turn on as they understand how the camera works with the exposure triangle is so fun to watch.” See more of her work or find out about classes at hunnicuttphotography.com/portland-family-photographer and on Instagram @rebecca.hunnicutt.photography.
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PDX Parent is published monthly (except July) by Northwest Parent, LLC., and is copyright 2021 Northwest Parent, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. PDX Parent is distributed free of charge throughout the Portland, OR / Vancouver, WA metropolitan area. PDX Parent reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason. Distribution of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised herein. PDX Parent does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender expression, sex or sexual orientation.
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BETSY PARKER
Top 5: Kid-Friendly Art Spaces
What better way to foster your child’s creativity than by taking them to an art space. Portland has some great, kid-friendly options. Here are some newer spots to check out the next time their muse strikes. 1. PlayLab at Sellwood Community House. The beloved Sellwood community nonprofit debuted a new indoor play space last month. Housed in the nearby Immanuel Lutheran Church, PlayLab has drop-in messy art classes and hands-on sensory and science-based activities. Sellwoodcommunityhouse.org 2. Hey! Happy Makers. The art studio in Northeast Portland offers classes for kids as young as 5, plus no-school and summer camps. Heyhappymakers.com 3. Color Me Mine. The popular paint-your-own-pottery studio opened its second Portland-area location in Clackamas this year and offers kid-oriented sessions, including those for toddlers and storybook-themed workshops. Clackamas.colormemine.com 4. Whimsy Wees. Voted by readers as a Top Five PDX Parent Readers Favorites winner, this Bethany studio offers no-school and after-school art classes, and summer camps geared for toddlers. Whimseywees.com 5. Unified Art Studio. Last fall, the organization Artful Autism hosted a grand reopening for the new location of its Unified Studio. The Beaverton art studio has open studio days, classes for littles, even game nights and music workshops, all geared to creatively empower children with disabilities. Artfulautism.com/unified-studio — Tiffany Hill
3
4
For more places to get creative with your kids, visit pdxparent.com/ pdx-arts-crafts.
Grandparents to Know: Author & Illustrator
Jim Rosenbaum, M.D. and Doug Katagiri became friends more than 60 years ago when the two were students at Lincoln High School. The longtime friends recently self-published a children’s book, Eleanor and Geraldine about the friendship between a quiet elephant and flamboyant giraffe. While the book is aimed at kids ages 3 to 9, it’s become a hot seller in the teen and young adult family issues category on Amazon. Probably because the book’s core messages are about acceptance and staying true to yourself even in the face of teasing.
Rosenbaum, a retired OHSU professor and grandfather of one, comes from a family with a tradition of being first-time septuagenarian authors. His grandmother, who owned Rose’s Delicatessen on NW 23rd, published a popular cookbook after she retired. And his father, a rheumatologist who developed throat cancer, published his diary about his treatment, which became the basis for the 1991 Disney movie The Doctor. “I felt obligated to publish a book in my 70s, and a children’s story with less than 400 words was the path of least resistance,” says Rosebaum.
And Katagiri, a grandfather of four, worked as a graphic designer for the Oregon Zoo for nearly three decades. “I did a variety of graphic design for regular projects including interpretive materials for exhibits as well as print media for educational, promotional, and fundraising programs,” Katagiri says. His illustrations featuring the elephant and giraffe friends are lively and vibrant, and reinforce the charming book’s sweet message of friendship. Available on Amazon.com. — Denise Castañon
Head to Children’s Place Bookstore, 1423 NE Fremont St., on Friday, April 4 at 10:30 am for a reading and book signing by the author and illustrator!
WHIMSY WEES ART STUDIO
COLOR ME MINE
JIM ROSENBAUM AND DOUG KATAGIRI
JIM ROSENBAUM AND DOUG KATAGIRI
Ask Dr. Baynham: Molluscum
Q: My 3-year-old has these small, pink bumps on her arms that won’t go away. She says they are itchy sometimes. What’s going on and how freaked out should I be?
A: This sounds like molluscum contagiosum, and even though the name sounds like a spell from Harry Potter, don’t freak out. Molluscum is a common, benign childhood rash consisting of small, round, smooth, pink or flesh-colored bumps, sometimes with a central dimple. It is caused by poxvirus and spreads from direct skin-toskin contact but can also spread by touching something that came in contact with molluscum; for example, towels or wrestling mats.
It is completely harmless and often not bothersome. It can occur anywhere, but is most often on the arms, legs and stomach. If it becomes red and inflamed, that can be a sign the body has recognized it as foreign and it’s about to go away. The bumps can become infected as well — signs of infection include pain, spreading redness or discharge. See your doctor if you’re worried about infection. If it is itchy, you can use topical, over-thecounter 1% hydrocortisone twice daily as needed (up to
two weeks in a row) to keep your kid from scratching it, which can lead to further spread or infection.
Molluscum will go away on its own without treatment within six months to two years after onset. Treatments such as freezing (cryotherapy) or topicals that cause blistering (such as cantharidin, also called “beetle juice” since it comes from the blister beetle) can lead to scarring or skin discoloration. So if it isn’t bothersome, just leave it alone.
Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the only thing to scratch is this item off your list of things to worry about.
Pediatrician, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics and mom of two, Allison Baynham, M.D., knows what it takes to raise healthy, resilient children. Come bond, share your struggles and team with her for great care at Metropolitan Pediatrics in Tigard.
Pay Attention: Advocating for Children
Even for the most fervent political wonks, politics is a lot right now. One way to keep civically engaged (and maybe keep from doom spiraling) is to focus on and advocate for local legislative bills that can have a positive impact on your kids — and families and children across Oregon. And the advocacy group Our Children Oregon can help you do just that. “Oregon’s children are facing increasingly complex challenges that demand urgent action and a unified response. Together, we can make Oregon a place where every child and family thrives,” says Policy and Advocacy Director for Our Children Oregon Ali King. (King is also a former PDX Parent staffer.)
Keep an eye on these bills:
The “Momnibus” bills prioritize housing during pregnancy and early childhood; ending child poverty; expanding behavioral health services for infants, children and parents; and expanding the perinatal workforce.
The Child Care Package bills aim to make it easier for parents who qualify for Employment Related Day Care Programs to find providers; help child care businesses recruit and retain employees; and include child care needs in labor discussions.
And finally, HB 2958 calls for renewing and expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, the largest anti-poverty program in the Oregon tax code.
Your family can get involved by following Our Children Oregon and its partner organizations on social media. Many of the organizations advocating for children’s issues host events that are specifically designed to engage kids and teens, encouraging them to stand up for an important cause in a safe and structured way such as attending peaceful rallies or virtual advocacy events; submitting written or verbal testimony for bills; and calling representatives to share their viewpoints or personal stories. — D.C.
Find out more at ourchildrenoregon.org/2025-childrens-agenda.
In the Know: Library Updates
Raise your hand if you and your family love visiting the library. Us, too! And we love that many of these beloved spaces have undergone, or are currently getting some renovation TLC. We’ve rounded up the latest library happenings below so you know where to revisit, as well as locations that are currently closed for a makeover.
Newly Reopened
North Portland Library The historic Carnegie building was updated and 1,500 square feet were added to the footprint, including a Black Cultural Center, an early learning play space (pictured below, left), and art glass panels based on an original painting by Sadé DuBoise (pictured below, right).
Troutdale Library After a refresh, the library reopened last fall welcoming families with updated reading spaces, including moveable, animalshaped furniture in the children’s area, and new carpet throughout.
Midland Library After a major renovation, Midland Library is modern, spacious and welcoming to readers of all ages. The Southeast library reopened last October. Head to page 23 to read more about the commissioned art inside.
Closed
Woodstock Library is scheduled to reopen this summer with new paint, carpet, furniture and teen and children’s spaces.
Kenton Library is scheduled to also reopen this summer and will feature a tech area, new shelving units, new carpeting and fresh paint.
St. Johns Library is scheduled to reopen next spring; new construction will add 8,500 square feet.
Belmont Library is also scheduled to reopen next spring; renovations will more than double the library’s footprint. — T.H. For all the latest library happenings, events, storytimes and more, visit multcolib.org.
Photo by Jingzi Zhoo
several locations throughout pdx-se, ne & n Camps for ages 5 and up, camps for older kids too new for 2025: creative expression with literacy-building activities! smaller camps. cartooning. digital art. beat making. stop motion animation. mixed media, costume sewing. natural dyes, pride art, jewelry making. band camp. puppet making. miniatures.... & MORE!
Curtain
Get to know some of the local performers regularly onstage at Portland’s family-friendly shows.
hard to count the many joys that come from being a regular participant in our city’s rich performing arts scene. With sliding scale ticket pricing (some as low as $0), and many sensory-friendly options, too, there’s room for everyone in Portland’s family-focused performance spaces; just knowing that is a joyful feeling. One of the sneakiest pleasures and rewards of being a frequent show-goer is that you and your kids will start to recognize the performers who are at the heart of the cultural feast we enjoy. Whether they stand center stage, or work beyond the direct spotlight, the artistic, passionate kids and grownups who keep our stages brimming with colorful, original works quickly come to feel like beloved friends. We spoke to four artists familiar to Portland families about what drives them, what inspires them, and what they love most about sharing their passion for artistry with our city’s littlest audience members.
Deanna
Tham, associate conductor, Oregon Symphony
What she loves most about conducting the Oregon Symphony’s Family Series:
This is my third season with the symphony, it’s a really fun, gratifying role. I get to work with the really awesome musicians at the symphony, work with all the wonderful guest artists and conductors that come through, and learn so much about my craft. It’s so fun to introduce these things to young audiences and see how excited they are.
Favorite past performances:
I love all of our family performances because they force us to think creatively about how we want to present music, about the most interactive, most engaging way to present it. It’s a lot of work, but it’s always a fun day to be introducing young listeners to classical music.
Call
How she feels about introducing kids to classical music:
We’re always really cognizant of keeping their attention for the entire hour by not taxing their attention on any one thing for too long. That definitely is a challenge because classical music is written in the long form, but it’s really exciting. I feel this is where the classical music industry has a responsibility to not only be a historical preservation force for art music (like Beethoven and Mozart) but we also have a responsibility to keep expanding that repertoire and make sure that the art form doesn’t become stagnant. Presenting new work to young audiences, we can remold the preconception of classical music in real time.
Mateo
Espinoza
, a young dancer with Oregon Ballet Theatre
How long he’s been with OBT:
I’ve been doing ballet at Oregon Ballet Theatre for four years. I did ballet in kindergarten because there was a partnership with my elementary school called Ballet Bridges, which is also with Oregon Ballet Theatre. I’m in sixth grade now, but in second grade I got asked to join OBT.
Favorite past performances:
Big Shoes and The Nutcracker. My first year in The Nutcracker, I was Fritz. And my second year in The Nutcracker, I was Prince (pictured above). I liked being the Prince in The Nutcracker because it was fun to play around with other kids. I’m always excited when I get that role. It’s a big part.
What he loves most about being part of OBT: What I love most about being at OBT is just kind of feeling the music. If I’m having a rough day, then I can just go there or I just listen to music and I just forget about my rough day. And I also like the professional dancers, getting to meet them all.
Where to catch Mateo this spring:
I’m going to be doing the annual school performance in April, Sleeping Beauty.
John Ellingson,
associate
artistic director, Northwest Children’s
Theater
What he loves most about being at Northwest Children’s Theater:
Across the country, our theater scene is struggling so anytime we get the chance to do what we’re doing, that’s a huge gift and honor. I cherish that.
On seeing The Judy full of families, post-pandemic:
When I come to work, and there’s hundreds of families coming out, or I see kids pouring down our staircase — when this part of Portland is activated, when our building is activated. … I just love it when a lot of people can gather together like that. There’s nothing better than laughing and giggling; when I see a kid just having a great time and their parents having a great time. Those are the days that make me really happy.
Favorite performances to date:
(Artistic Director) Sarah (Jane Hardy) and I like to say we’re a not shushing theater. I love any show where we’ve gotten to really be a bit wild, a bit immersive. In Alice in Wonderland (pictured above)— Sarah was like, ‘Can you get out there before the show starts?’ When the house opened, I was just sitting on a bench, I’d go through people’s purses, I’d throw water (that was supposed to be tea). We just made the room feel ridiculous before that show even started. The shows aimed at our littles, the sillier ones, are my favorite.
What’s next:
Pete the Cat! I (designed) that show, and Sarah Jane (directed). It’s just a fun book to stage. My daughter loves that book — it’s a silly show, and it’s going to be a delight. School shows are selling like mad, and it’s so wonderful to get buses here.
The Judy gives us the ability to create fun, immersive things families can enjoy, like The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party which will be in the late spring. It’s going to be an amazing tea party with things to eat and drink. Then, in fall, we’ll have the Halloween Ball, when we invite kids to come in costume and we create a piece of theater around them.
Sidra Cohen-Mallon, a young actor with Oregon Children’s Theatre’s Young Professionals Company
Favorite past performance:
My favorite performance has been The Mad Ones. It’s such a great story of grief and growing up. It’s even more impactful to have a story about teenagers be told by real teenagers, and I love how it uses symbolism of the universe — something so large and vast — to tell the story of something so personal: A teenage girl losing her best friend.
What he’s excited for this coming spring:
I’m excited to be a part of the staged reading of Why We Have Winter, and I’ll be portraying Peter. I’m very excited to play Peter because he cares so much about his friends, and tries to do the right thing. The script deals with some very serious topics of sexual assault and self harm, and Peter’s reaction to these topics is very real.
What he loves most about being part of the Young Professionals Company:
I’ve met some of my closest friends through the YP Company. And it’s such a different environment than doing theater through high school, with a group of extremely talented and dedicated people who care as much as I do about making something we’re all proud of.
April
Pete The Cat
Northwest Children’s Theater, nwcts.org
Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am and 2 pm through April 13 at The Judy Spring Chamber Music Concert
May
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
Northwest Children’s Theater, nwcts.org
May 3-18, Saturdays at 12:30 pm and 3 pm; and Sundays at 10 am and 12:30 pm at The Judy
Sunday, April 13, 4:30 pm at Rise Church in Tigard
The Sleeping Beauty
Portland Ballet, portlandballet.org
Friday and Saturday, April 25 at 7 pm and April 26 at 2 pm
Family Series: Adventures in the Great Outdoors
Oregon Symphony, orsymphony.org
Sunday, April 27, 2 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
The Sleeping Beauty
Oregon Ballet Theatre’s annual school performance, obt.org
Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27, 1 pm at the Newmark Theatre
Portland Ballet, portlandballet.org
Saturday, May 10, 11 am at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center
Young Professionals Company
Readers Series
Oregon Children’s Theatre, octc.org
Thursday to Sunday, May 15-18 at Shaking Tree Theatre, 823 SE Grant St. (Note: Why We Have Winter involves mature themes, and is best suited for ages 14 and up. See website for other age recommendations.)
Back To The Future in Concert
Oregon Symphony, orsymphony.org
Saturday, May 24, 7:30 pm and Sunday, May 25, 2 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
11 Family-friendly Performances from April to June
June
Family Series: Peter & the Wolf
Oregon Symphony, orsymphony.org
Sunday, June 1, 2 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
MYS’ 50th Anniversary Season finale featuring Esperanza Spalding Metropolitan Youth Symphony, playmys.org
Tuesday, June 17, 7:30 pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Miranda Rake is a writer, editor and co-host of the Mother Of It All (motherofitall.substack.com), a podcast that explores the culture of modern motherhood with curiosity and compassion. She lives in Northeast Portland with her two little kids.
RICHARD
KOLBELL
DAVID KINDER
IMMERSED IN Art
From your neighborhood library to the beautifully remodeled Portland International Airport, the littlest Portlanders and their grown-ups can bask in engaging art exhibits from a range of artists.
BY SARAH CARPENTER
In the constant churn of taking care of kids, it’s easy to forget that there is art out there in the world to appreciate. Yeah, you appreciate your kids’ marker, glitter glue and paint masterpieces. But going out to see art in the wild reminds us just how talented and consummately unique humans can be. And the best part? It’s like a magical soup for the soul that everyone in the family can find appetizing.
Note: All exhibits are free and open to the public, excluding the terminal side of Yoonhee Choi’s glass installation, which requires going through airport security.
RANJANI SHETTAR
Morning Song at The Lobby at the Ellen Browning Building
Ranjani Shettar, based in Karnataka, India, has her first exhibition in Portland. Her monumental wall installation titled Morning Song, is located in The Lobby at the Ellen Browning Building and is part of the “Breathing. Room” exhibit. The wood pegs in her work, which look sort of like golf tees balancing pearls on top, vary in angle and scale, and are arranged along the wall in a flowing swarm.
Curator Sima Familant says when the middle school nearby visited the exhibit, the students were fascinated. They noted the shadows the sculpture casts, and some felt like the sculpture was moving. “When I’m creating something in my studio, I’m constantly going around them … I am moving and because I’m going around the sculpture, the sculptures get that movement in them, and in turn they make the audience go around them,” Shettar says.
Shettar remembers marveling at the luster of the lacquered toys she had as a child and wondering how it was made. She worked with local Indian toymakers to make the pegs according to her design. Each of the 3,000 pegs was individually shaped.
MARIO
GALLUCCI
LATOYA LOVELY
Just Playin’ Around exhibit at Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU
April is the last month to see Latoya Lovely’s installation at Just Playin’ Around at Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Portland State University.
Lovely is a painter and muralist, with a background in education. (You might remember PDX Parent profiled her in our 2022 April Arts Issue; Lovely and her son were also on our cover.) She now homeschools her 9-year-old son, whose art classes take place on site with her during her painting commissions — he participates in her process from the design phase to completion. “It’s not about what’s convenient for my work,” she says. “It’s a constant collaboration and revision — it’s hard — but he gets that he’s important and that’s the biggest thing.”
As the Trump administration actively dismantles diversity, equity and inclusion policies at the federal level, Lovely’s flexing her power to celebrate her culture. “It’s freedom,” she says. “It’s a celebration of Black excellence, Black creativity, Black community, Black ingenuity — all of that. We’re constantly fighting for freedom, and why not celebrate that and honor that by freeing yourself once you enter into that space?”
“The mood is set for you to be a playmate,” Lovely says. The entryway is a hopscotch game and there are clothes draped over trees meant to be worn for dress-up. “We’re asking people to be brave and look into your heart and remember what it was like to be a child — ooh, I’m gonna cry!” She says the curators asked how they could make adults feel safe to play, and she tears up wondering, “Why do we have to beg people to be free?”
YOONHEE CHOI
Between installation at Portland International Airport Permanent exhibit, with temporary mezzanine exhibit through June 2025
Yoonhee Choi moved from South Korea to Portland in 2005 with a background in city planning and architecture. At the time, her art medium was welding — until she learned she was pregnant. Then, needing a less toxic medium, she started using chart tape — a small tape used for charting lines in map making. “Over 20 years, it became like my musical instrument — I played with it, got to know it, and now I can improvise,” she says.
Choi says her design for the Portland International Airport installation was sitespecific, choosing soft colors to help calm stressed travelers and laminated kilned glass to diffuse the natural light coming from the window walls. Between is a permanent art installation meant to be enjoyed as you enter the security checkpoints (it’s located near the security checkpoint queues) and as you exit within the concourse connector.
Choi uses open parentheses and speech bubble motifs as armature holding abstract shapes floating within the space provided, a parallel to the many unique stories travelers experience within the airport terminals.
Choi worked with a glass fabricator in Germany, which took six months to complete the project, and a whole month to ship the panes via boat. Think your kiddo might get a kick out of seeing how this huge undertaking came to be? Until June, a temporary exhibit showcasing Choi’s process is on display pre-security in the mezzanine gallery.
MARIO GALLUCCI
KANANI MIYAMOTO
Mural at Midland Library’s Gathering Circle and Across Oceans at The Reser
Printmaking has a rich history in civil rights movements fusing art and message to reach broad audiences in a reproducible and accessible way. And Kanani Miyamoto was always drawn to printmaking as an art form, “as a means of storytelling and resistance,” she says. “The ability to create multiple impressions ensures that these ideas are not confined to galleries, but circulate among the people they represent.”
She encourages families exploring her artwork to “spark conversations about how we are connected, no matter where we come from.”
At Midland Library (pictured above), look for the blue elements in her work. During a hands-on event, neighbors came together to paint blue ink washes inspired by water, which were later transformed into the flowing blue elements on the walls.
In Beaverton, at The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, her large-scale print installation Across Oceans (pictured above with the artist) holds motifs from Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) culture that children can search for on the east and south windows. (Beaverton ranks second in Oregon for largest AANHPI population.) “Ask what the motifs make them think of,” she says. “For example, in Hawaiian culture, the bird motifs symbolize freedom, travel, guidance and even a connection to your ancestors soaring through the heavens.”
Miyamoto also has a vibrant painted mural bringing life to a long side of the United States Post Office Milwaukie Branch at 11222 SE Main Street.
Special thanks to Art & About PDX for their recommendations.
Sarah Carpenter is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in The Mountains, Cannabis Now and Saratoga Living magazines. She can be found trying to keep pace with her toddler in Portland’s Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood.
MARIO
GALLUCCI
Reader Favorites: Arts & Entertainment
PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY
Winner Northwest Children’s Theater & School
1000 SW Broadway, T-100, Nwcts.org
Readers love Northwest Children’s Theater (NWCT) for so many reasons: quality-produced shows just for kids (see Pete the Cat this month!), family movie nights, and summer camps and classes galore. The organization’s after-school drama club starts this month with classes for kiddos in kindergarten to fifth grade, and registration is open for its summer camps.
ARTS & CRAFTS
Winner SCRAP PDX
Scrapcreativereuse.org
When it comes to searching for all the bits and pieces for your family’s next DIY project, no place is better than SCRAP PDX. The creative reuse center is a repeat PDX
Parent Reader Favorites winner. In January, the nonprofit announced they are relocating and heading back to east Portland. The new space will allow for increased accessibility, exciting new programs, community programs and improved parking.
Top 5
Children’s Healing Art Project (CHAP)
Craft Factory
Owl & Bee Clay Company
PDX Preschool of the Arts & The Hangout
Portland Child Art Studio
Top 5
Broadway Rose Theatre Company
Echo Theater Company
Oregon Ballet Theatre
Oregon Children’s Theatre
Oregon Symphony
KID - FRIENDLY MOVIE THEATER/CINEMA
Winner McMenamins Kennedy School 5736 NE 33rd Ave., Mcmenamins.com/kennedy-school
Going to movies with littles is not always a quiet experience. And at McMenamins Kennedy School that’s OK! This repeat PDX Parent Reader Favorites winner hosts weekly Baby Blockbusters, where the lights are up, the sound is dimmed, and babes can babble or cry it out if they need to. And for older kids, the experience of sitting on a comfy couch in front of the big screen, while munching on Cajun tots can’t be beat.
Top 5
Academy Theater
Electric Castle’s Wunderland Games
Family Cinema at The Judy
Hollywood Theater
McMenamins Bagdad Theater & Pub
NORTHWEST CHILDREN’S THEATER
Pop In For Some Fun
This fun, new, indoor play space in Sellwood is also a toddler co-op play program.
My son has always been a good going-out baby.
As an infant, he’d be content to hang out in his car seat or be held without much fuss. He’s still happy when we leave the house, but now as a 19-month-old, his main objective is to explore everything. I’m thankful that our city has a variety of indoor play spaces that are engaging and safe for littles, especially when the weather isn’t cooperating for an outdoor adventure. And working at PDX Parent means we get the opportunity to visit lots of fun, new play spaces.
Enter Poppy Collective PDX. Nestled in Sellwood, this neighborhood spot is clean, organized and lots of fun for little kids. Some neighbors might recognize the space; it used to be home to Treehouse Playschool. After it shuttered, Poppy Collective owner Taryn Babb leased the space and transformed it into a warm and welcoming area for littles and their families. Like the name suggests, Poppy Collective is a play program co-op for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 ½ years. (As noted on the website, it is not a day care or preschool program.) But the genius part is that it also doubles as an afternoon and weekend indoor play space open to families not part of the co-op.
More than a play space
While most families will visit Poppy Collective for drop-in play sessions, the Sellwood space also functions as a co-op play program. Toddlers ages 18 months to 3 ½ years learn, play and explore during the half-day programs. Enrollment is available part-time. Visit the website to find out more and register.
Mornings are the best time to hit up libraries and indoor play spaces for my son, so after he had breakfast and my husband and I drank lots of coffee, we packed up and headed out. The first thing I noticed is how welcoming Poppy Collective is. Co-op educator Chelsea Hoshaw introduced herself to us, explained the co-op/indoor play space concept and had us fill out a waiver for our son before he dashed off to play. Poppy Collective has wood flooring, lots of natural light and is organized with a mix of Montessori- and Waldorftype activities and toys. There’s a pretend kitchen, a tree house, train tracks, costumes and scarves, sensory bins, and cozy little nooks for quiet play
If You Go
Poppy Collective PDX 6032 SE Milwaukie Ave. Poppycollectivepdx.com
Open-play hours: Monday and Thursday, 4-6 pm; Saturday, 9 am-1 pm; and Sunday, 8:30 am-12:30 pm. Admission: $10 per child for weekday drop-in play and $15 for weekend play.
Ages: 1-5.
Pro tip: Grippy socks are required and a waiver needs to needs to be filled out before playing.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY TIFFANY HILL
or looking through books. Thanks to some recent hand-me-down toys from parent friends, my son loves anything with wheels. He gravitated toward the wooden train set first, but by the time we left, he had played with all the cars, trucks and a ride-on ladybug.
Since the space is a co-op program, the restroom area is roomy, and well equipped for babies and toddlers, including potty seats, toddler steps at the sink and a changing table. Outside snacks are also allowed; kids can refuel at the child-size tables and chairs near the front.
My happy-go-lucky guy had a great time at Poppy Collective; he does at every play space we visit. But what stood out for me as a parent was the sense of community here. Many places we visit, while loads of fun, feel anonymous for parents as they watch over their children at play. When we visited, the families there seemed to already know each other, but they also all introduced themselves to us, and asked questions about our son. It’s places like this that help build community, especially helpful during those long days with littles.
Managing Editor Tiffany Hill’s rainy season weekends are now mainly spent exploring libraries and indoor play spaces so she, her husband and their toddler can all get out of the house for a bit.
Preschool, Kindergarten & Childcare Center
4845 SW Murray Boulevard, Beaverton, OR 97005
503-644-1466 | sunshine-montessori.com
Ages: 2 years through Kindergarten Hours: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm (Mon - Fri)
• Locally owned and operated
• Serving the community since 1996
• Qualified & consistent staff
525 SW 150th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006
503-626-0457 | www.nwlearning.com
Ages: Infant through Kindergarten
Hours: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm (Mon - Fri)
Early Learning School 14950 SW Osprey Drive, Beaverton, OR 97007
503-579-0600 | childs-place.com
Ages: Infant through Kindergarten
Hours 7:00 am - 6:00 pm (Mon - Fri)
• Large outdoor play areas
• Snacks & lunch prepared and served daily
Preschool, Kindergarten & Childcare Center 17650 SW Alexander Street, Aloha, OR 97003 503-591-9660 | www.mayflower-montessori.com
Ages: Infant through Kindergarten
Hours: 7:00 am - 6:00 pm (Mon - Fri)
Wonderful Woodstock
BY DENISE CASTAÑON
Shaped like the letter P with an eastern border of Cesar Chavez Boulevard and a northern border of Southeast Holgate Boulevard, Southeast Portland’s Woodstock neighborhood is a family-friendly gem. The neighborhood is extremely walkable and bikeable; Woodstock Boulevard bisects the neighborhood and is home to multiple coffee shops and grocery stores, a hardware store and numerous dining options. While the median home price is $541,000, homes vary widely in size and price. A 3,800-square-foot, 4-bedroom new construction home sold in the last year for $1,450,000, while an 880-square-foot, 2 -bedroom went for $467,000. North of Woodstock Boulevard, families enjoy proximity to Woodstock Park. And the streets south of Woodstock Boulevard and just east of the Eastmoreland neighborhood are so serene you might mistake them for the suburbs.
Eat Here
In Woodstock, your family could dine out every day for a month and not visit the same eatery. Just some of the family-friendly choices include pizza at Double Mountain Brewery, housemade hot dogs from Otto’s, Swedish meatballs and more at Viking Soul Food, grass-fed beef burgers at Dick’s Primal, and mouth-watering teriyaki chicken at Ate-Oh-Ate. And you’ll find neighborhood kids enjoying scoops of Circus Friends and Sasquatch Tracks at Cloud City Ice Cream
Here
$541,000 Median home price
$1,995
Average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment
Play Here
While the play structure at Woodstock Park was recently removed because it was unsafe, kids still have 14 acres to romp through including multiple baseball fields. Just outside the eastern neighborhood boundary, Berkeley Park is also a great place to play and provides a safe sledding area on snow days. For indoor activities, Portland Parks & Recreation’s Woodstock Community Center offers affordable art, dance and martial arts classes for kids. Recent neighborhood addition Musical Monsters and Budding Bookworms (pictured middle left) children’s bookstore lets the littlest readers find their new favorite book and hosts kids’ music shows, storytimes, musical classes and summer camps. Sundays from June to October, the Key Bank parking lot on Woodstock Boulevard transforms into the Woodstock Farmers Market (pictured top left) with fresh produce and foods, live entertainment, and kids’ activities.
What Neighbors Say
Nicole and Brian Koffler have lived in the Woodstock neighborhood for 14 years. Their daughter Ella is 10, and they are hosting Allegra Ghizzoni, a 17-year-old exchange student from Italy. Nicole says she loves the strong feeling of community in the neighborhood — including the firefighters who do their weekly shopping at Safeway and always take the time to say hi to her daughter. “Everyone looks out for each other,” she says. “If you need something, someone close by will have it. Neighbors are always willing to jump in and help when needed.”
Some of the Koffler family’s favorite things to do close by include going to the newly renovated Errols Heights Park, dining at The Heist food cart pod, which recently opened indoor seating, and seeing the peacocks who frequently traipse over from Brentwood-Darlington. The proximity to all this good stuff does come with a cost — Nicole notes that property taxes are higher than in some areas just south of Woodstock.
Get Around
WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKET
MUSICAL MONSTERS AND BUDDING BOOKWORMS
NICOLE KOFFLER
APRIL 2025
Go. Play. Explore.
Jurassic bricks
Dinosaurs and LEGOs are a winning combination. And your family will find both at OMSI’s new Jurassic World by Brickman exhibit You’ll marvel at velociraptors, a brachiosaurus, a T-Rex and the iconic Jurassic Park gates — all built with LEGO bricks. Pro tip: There are lots of hands-on activities and more than 2.5 million bricks for kids to build with! Now through September 1. General admission, including access to Jurassic World by Brickman: adult: $27; youth (ages 3-13): $22; senior (age 63+): $24. OMSI Member price for adults, youth and seniors: $6. Omsi.edu — Denise Castanon
Top 3 Free
Catch the spring blooms! Tom McCall
Waterfront Park is an explosion of pink as cherry blossoms bloom this month. Other places to catch blossoms for free: Happy Valley Library (there’s a park nearby, too), Mt. Tabor Park and Laurelhurst Park.
spring has sprung
Celebrate the arrival of spring during the annual Trillium Festival at Tryon Creek State Natural Area. For more than 40 years, nonprofit Friends of Tryon Creek have welcomed the blooming of the trillium, a perennial native to Oregon. The festival features a plant sale, a gardening resource fair and kid-friendly, interactive nature stations. Saturday, April 5, 9 am-2 pm. Free admission. Tryonfriends.org/calendar/trillium-festival-2025 — Tiffany Hill Fun stuff for zero dollars!
Celebrate the launch of Lizard Boy 2: The Most Perfect Summer Ever, the new, middle reader graphic novel from Portland author Jonathan Hill. Tuesday, April 8, 7-8:30 pm. At Literary Arts Bookstore, 716 SE Grand Ave.
Check out a free performance from Hip Hop Soulsation at the library. Saturday, April 19, 2-2:30 pm at Troutdale Library and Sunday, April 20, 4-4:30 pm at Midland Library. — D.C.
Find more family fun on our online calendar: pdxparent.com/events-calendar. Be sure to confirm the most upto-date info with event organizers before heading out.
play in the dirt
At the Oregon Ag Fest kids can watch chicks hatch, shuck corn, dig for potatoes, plant seedlings, ride a pony and more. All activities are free of charge and aim to help kids gain a better understanding of where their food, fiber and flora come from. Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27. At the Oregon State Fairgrounds, Salem. Free admission for children 15 and younger; 16 and older: $15. Oragfest.com — D.C.
perfect ’fit
Prom is right around the corner and if you know a teen who needs a spectacular dress for the big night, check out the Abby’s Closet Free Prom Dress giveaway. Teens can sign up for a time slot to “shop” for their perfect prom outfit. Abby’s Closet welcomes people of different gender identities, abilities, size and socioeconomic status with the goal to make every participant feel special, beautiful and confident. Saturday and Sunday, April 5-6. At the Oregon Convention Center. Students must register ahead of time and bring ID; find out more at pdxparent.com/ event-single/abbys-closet-free-prom-dress-giveaway — D.C.
new-to-you threads
All parents know just how quickly kids grow and need new clothes. Thank goodness for the SuperKids Resale Sale
This twice-yearly event offers more than 100,000 items, from clothing, shoes and bedding to toys, books and baby gear. Tuesday to Sunday, April 8-13 at the Gresham K-Mart at 440 NW Burnside Ave. Free admission; presale passes start at $5. Superkidsresale.com — T.H.
globe trotters
gotta catch ‘em all
Get out those baskets because Easter is on Sunday, April 20, and for kiddos that means it’s time for Easter egg hunts! Visit pdxparent.com/easterfun for up-to-date info on egg hunts and Easter bunny visits near you. Below are some unique egg hunting opportunities:
Dig for eggs at Dig PDX, a large indoor sandbox play space in Beaverton. Kids can search for buried eggs and then trade them in for a goodie bag full of surprises. There’s even a golden egg hidden for the chance to win an extra special prize. Thursday, April 16 and Sunday, April 20. Admission is $30 per child and for ages 2 to 8. Digpdx.com
Search for eggs at Rice Museum of Rocks & Minerals in Hillsboro during the annual Great Thunder Egg Hunt. Egg hunters can look for eggs in exchange for prizes, including whole thunder eggs (pictured above). Museum volunteers will also be on hand to cut open the geodes! Saturday, April 19. Admission is $15 for youth and $25 for adults. Ricenorthwestmuseum.org
Join the community at Multnomah Village for the annual Celebrate Earth Day. There will be art, music, food, activities and more that support the good of our planet. Saturday, April 26, 10 am-4 pm. Free admission. Multnomahvillage.org/event-details/ celebrate-earth-day-2025 — T.H.
And for families who like to hunt for eggs on a farm, there’s Bella Organic’s Bunny Hop Easter Egg Hunt on Sauvie Island, which offers 21 different hunts for a variety of ages on Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20. $30 admission. Bellaorganic. com. In Tualatin, visit Lee Farms for Easter at Lee Farms, which not only includes an egg hunt and photo ops with the Easter Bunny, but also a bounce house, hay maze, crafts, cookies and more. Saturdays, April 12 and April 19. Admission is $25 for those participating in egg hunts and $10 for adults not participating. Leefarmsoregon.com — T.H.
