Alright it's winter time & I don't have enough house for my daughter to be able to run around as much as she needs. She is getting tired of OMSI & Out of This World Pizza & Play. I live in Hillsboro & am willing to drive some distance & pay some money for her to have some fun On Saturdays & Sundays after Church. My duaghter is 7 almost 8 in two months. Please send me the names & phone number if you have them of places open for play on the weekeds & Christmas Break. My brain is in a fog. Thank you for your help.
Many's the winter morning when I've awoken to the Oregon deluge, glanced at my cherubic 3-year-old and thought, "Kid, this house isn't big enough for the both of us."
You know those Oregon parents who come fully loaded with activities, games and craft projects, the ones who make homemade organic fruit leather with their kids and orchestrate indoor treasure hunts and sew costumes from old sheets so everyone has something special to wear during the family's rainy-day Bob Dylan singalongs?
That ain't me, babe.
Driven by the limits of my patience for indoor activities -- and mindful that pediatricians and fitness experts recommend that even very young children get up to 60 minutes of structured activity, and more time in unstructured activities, every day -- I've come up with a list of indoor playgrounds. All charge admission, so we don't visit them daily, but in the winter, they're a godsend.
Note: I assume that anyone with a passing interest in this subject is familiar with the Portland Children's Museum and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Spendy for drop-ins, their per-visit prices plunge with a membership, but wouldn't it be nifty if these venues and the Oregon Zoo teamed up and offered a discounted package membership?
I've rated a range of play options, by, among other measures, their relative Lord of the Flies factor and Ick factor (the square root of germs and urine divided by the potential for stranger danger).
• OUT OF THIS WORLD PIZZA & PLAY
The scene: A vast arena inside an office building north of Sunset Highway, Out of This World features three play structures, including a floor-to-ceiling climbing gym with several slides. Two of the structures are inflatable, with one set aside for the 5-and-under-set and one reserved for older kids. A separate area for kids younger than 2, a bouldering wall and a track with seated scooters round out the offerings. Pizza, salads and ice cream are available, and the arena is ringed by dinner tables. Unlimited playtime.
Lord of the Flies factor: Low during school hours, but the joint rocks evenings and weekends. The age-segregated play areas ostensibly keep the rowdiness in check.
Ick factor: Low. Hand sanitizer available, the play structures are easy to monitor and all exits are visible.
Nice touch: Free Wi-Fi, a family bathroom, magazines.
Location: 6255 N.W. Century Blvd., Hillsboro.
Online: outofthisworld.net
Cost: Ages 1-4, $5; 5 and older, $7. Children under 1 free with a paid sibling. Special $4 rate on Mondays, except holidays and Hillsboro School District vacation days.
Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Other places like it: Safari Sam's in Sherwood. Chuck E. Cheese, more or less.
• INFLATABLE KINGDOM
The scene: A frigid Tigard warehouse with three inflatable play structures, one styled after a fire engine, and a bouncy house.
Lord of the Flies: Low. Few kids, and they're closely monitored.
Ick: Low -- hand sanitizer available and no stranger danger.
Nice touch: Considerate staff noticed that my pregnant belly limited my mobility and played with my son until other kids arrived.
Location: 6830 S.W. Bonita Road, Tigard.
Online: inflatablekingdom.com/
Cost: $5 in advance, $8 at the door.
Hours: This business mostly caters to birthday parties but also offers a few open playtimes. Check the website. Playtime is limited to about 90 minutes. No guarantees that other kids will show up.
Other places like it: JJ Jump in Clackamas and Vancouver and Pump It Up in Beaverton and Wilsonville also offer open play.
• PLAYDATE PDX
The scene: Pearl District warehouse with a massive play structure that looks like a castle complete with a dragon and several huge slides. Unlimited playtime.
Lord of the Flies: High. The tone is set by the air cannons in the ball pit. Rad, but still ... guns. Kids of many ages mixing it up, with few parents watching closely. Small fry without adult bodyguards risk being knocked down.
Ick: Medium. The castle design of the play structure makes it hard to see inside. A door tucked in back of the structure leads outside, and it doesn't seem far-fetched that a kid could wander off. Plus, how do they know that every adult there came with a child? On the bright side, the staff is constantly sanitizing equipment.
Nice touch: Free Wi-Fi and onsite parking. Decent food, Stumptown coffee and wall-mounted televisions mimic a sports bar, as do the waits for a table on Saturdays. I heard myself shouting to my husband, "Over here! Three seats at the bar!" -- words I hadn't uttered in years.
Cost: Kids 4 and up, $8 on weekdays, $10 on weekends. Kids 3 and younger, $4 weekdays, $5 weekends. Or buy play sessions 10 or 25 at a time to lower the per-visit price.
Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.
Location: 1434 N.W. 17th Ave., Portland.
Online: playdatepdx.com
Other places like it: This is probably sacrilegious, but McDonald's Playlands come close, minus the Pearl District cachet and price tag.
• NORTHEAST INDOOR PARK
The scene: A church basement in Northeast Portland stuffed with plastic jungle gyms, toys, bikes, blocks, dress-up costumes and a reading corner. Members can bring gently used kids gear to swap.
Lord of the Flies: Low. Parents keep close watch. Designed for kids 5 and younger.
Ick: Low. Hand sanitizer available, and no stranger danger.
Nice touch: A toddler's potty in the ladies bathroom.
Location: 1820 N.E. 21st Ave., Portland.
Online: neindoorpark.wordpress.com
Cost: $75 buys a family a full year of play; $30 buys four months of play. Scholarships available. Check it out for free during occasional open houses.
Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-noon Friday.
Other places like it: Sunnyside Family Swap Shop, St. John's Swap N Play, Rose City Indoor Park.
• PORTLAND PARKS AND RECREATIONS INDOOR PARKS
Eleven Portland Parks and Recreation community centers offer indoor parks, with admission ranging from $1 to $3. Hours vary. A full schedule is available on the city's website (portlandonline.com/parks).
The scene: Varies by location; for example, Peninsula Park Community Center's indoor park is low-tech, with a beat-up gymnasium, a fleet of plastic, Flintstone-style cars and a small, plastic climbing structure. Plenty of room for kids younger than 5 to ride and run.
Lord of the Flies: Medium, depending on the location and the parents. Skirmishes are resolved quickly.
Ick: No hand sanitizer available, but no worries about stranger danger, either.
Nice touch: Hey, it's cheap.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/themombeat/2011/02/rainy-day_p... By Paige Parker
Whaat?? the pizza at Out of This World is GREAT! It isn't your typical pepperoni junk you get at the local chains. It is a little expensive, but definitley worth it if you want tasty and fresh pizza.
As to the main question, I would recommend dropping by a local park (Griffin Oaks or Rood Bridge) to get outside if it isn't raining. On days when it is just not possible to be outside, try the library or aqautic center.
My daughter is 2005 born and very active. Here are some ideas:
For winter break camp and some ongoing camps, check out OGA (Oregon Gymnastic Academy)www.ogagym.org - they have great camps for the kids both 1/2 day (to 12:30) and full days (to 5pm). Kids will do all sorts of activities including lots of play time and gymnastics stuff. You do not need to be a member to participate. They also have OPEN GYM time 2-3 days a week where you pay a flat fee to use their facility and supervise your own kid - like an indoor playground. They are in Beaverton, in the same complex as Pump It Up JR.
To ensure she gets enough physical activity, esp in the winter, we make sure to enroll her in a few programs - in the summer, we drop at least one of them since there is so much to do outdoors. For examples, she is enrolled in Karate at Aim High Academy (great kids program with lots of times) and she continues to be enrolled in swimming 1xweek at Children of the Sea (she's been going there since she was 7 mos).
For physical activity, we also go to the Bethany Athletic Club. If you have a gym membership your gym likely has kids play times and activities, even camps over winter break. If not, you may want to consider a membership at a place like Bethany because it is very family focused with lots of activities (pre-organized times) for kids, or just use the gym facility (basketball courts, etc) where kids can run around, play with a ball, etc. We use the pools quite a bit. In the winter, they are not crowded at all. In the summer, the outdoor pool gets a fair number of families, but it is a great place to hang out with the little ones - a perfect pool for the young set.
Other activities we enjoy - although not as physically active as OGA or a playground - are:
1. going bowling at Sunset Lanes once in a while. My daughter gets a kick out of it and it is a nice change of pace and hitting the pins (once in a while) gives her a great sense of accomplishment - very cute!
2. Going to My Masterpiece Art Studio (Beaverton/off Hall Blvd area). They have Open Studio daily 10-6. Just pay for an activity (e.g., Clay/Ceramics or Painting pack, etc). You can go with friends and split the clay even since they give you enough for 3 kids in one batch! Stay as long as you want. Do as much as you want. They also have classes and camps for the kids (esp over break). Camp brochures are out already. www.mymasterpieceartstudio.com
I hope those ideas help!
We like the Children's Museum too. Its right by the zoo!
The Tualatin Hills Recreation District has so, so many locations and activities it's ridiculous. www.thprd.com to check out the classes and activities.
The Burger King in Burlingame has a huge play area. http://local.yahoo.com/info-21958394-burger-king-portland
Safari Sam's in Sherwood. http://www.jungleoffun.com/
And there is a place in Vancouver that I haven't been to yet, but it looks like it could be good... http://www.kidsclubfunandfitness.com/index.asp?rec_id=178
Go to out of this world but bring your own food the pizza is not good!
You can google these but the one's I know of are: MeToo Cafe in Beaverton, Play Boutique in Lake O, Grandma Leeth's over by St. Vincents, Pump it Ups have open play but not sure about weekends?! Children's Museum of course.. also a Great resource is the parks and rec has great activities especially during winter break..
Now just realizing your daugthers age, these all above mostly are for little kids = ( Figured I would leave them for other parents but I'm not sure about play places for 8 year olds.. If you do find some, please post them.. Good Luck!
My eldest daughter just turned 10 and we have a similar situation. One of her favorite activties is going to the Community Center Pools that have slides, and rope swings. This is great for energy release, and I just bring my book and let hr play. Also we have Inflateable Kingdom near us in Tigard, it is one of those indoor Bounce House play places, they have open playtimes a lot, and if you sign up for thier email list, you get coupons and emails about upcoming open playtimes. Often times, I have her bring one friend that way I dont have to always be the source of her "look what I can do". I hope this helps, good luck!
Pump it up in Beaverton
Sky High trampolines in Tigard
Safari Sam's in Sherwood
My 8 yr. old loves those places.
