Wilshire Park

Wilshire Park is a nice park for all ages.  It does a good job at accommodating the imagination of little ones through fun play structures that consist of an airplane, boat, train and car. In addition, there are bigger structures such as a stainless steel slide, triple sand pit, 4 teeter-totters, a merry-go-round, two tire swings, and a wooden structure.  Although, Wilshire Park might not captivate a mid-to-older elementary child for long, maybe they will make friends and run around and play hide-and-seek behind the big trees.  My oldest did, and is capable of playing for hours under the beauty, shade, and adventure that is provided by countless NW trees in parks across the city.  In fact, I was thinking I would even like to run and play under the trees at when I saw the nice dirt/bark chipped path that circled the outer area of the playground.  Even while my kids were playing, there was a group of adults running and doing yoga that made this community park, feel vibrant. One plus and negative factor about Wilshire Park is, it is dog friendly.  I love dogs, but some children are scared and/or allergic and this park seems to lack a secure dog area.  The dog portion of the park is slightly fenced off, but could be better.  Other than that minor detail, this park seems to imply what The City of Portland aims at: “Healthy Parks, Heathy Portland!”  So get out, and have fun Playing in Portland.

Click on maps for directions to Wilshire Park

Click on The City of Portland to see their description of Wilshire Park.

 

Concerts, Movies, and Fun Times in Districts Across Portland

There are so many movies, concerts, parties and traveling Rec Mobiles throughout the city that possibly your family could be occupied all summer long! Since these opportunities are so much fun, I have listed various districts below so you may enjoy these fantastic FREE outings. My family and I have enjoyed every event that we have gone to, and during concerts and parties I’ve noticed a variety of vendors or at minimum a concession stand. At many events there are numerous activities for kids to enjoy which may consists of: a bouncy house(s), face painting, rock climbing, stickers, pencils, and possible toys from the local police department or various business. Last, but not least, there is food! This year I’ve seen Whole Foods show up, and they said they are planning to be at more events this year! (Gluten Free options!)

The benefit about having all the districts listed is you and your family may not be available on July 19th to see Wreck-It-Ralph in North Clackamas, but on July 26th you may be available, and could watch it in Wilsonville. In addition, one of the movies being shown maybe is your kids’ FAVORITE movie, and what better way to watch it in the park, possibly more than once! There are also a few bands that are playing at more than one event. For instance, Hit Machine was in Beaverton last night and will be in Wilsonville August 8th. They are definitely a fun band, and worth seeing twice. So check out the fun opportunities that are available for FREE all summer long.

Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin (THPRD) Concerts & Theater / Party in The Park / Rec Mobile

Beaverton – Movies

Clackamas – Movies and Rec Mobile

Gresham – Car Shows / Concerts

Hillsboro – Concerts

Lake Oswego – Concerts / Movies

Milwaukie – Concerts

Oregon City – Concerts / Movies

Portland – Concerts / Free Swim Times / Movies / Rec Mobile

Vancouver – Concerts / Movies

West Linn – Centennial Concert / Movies

Wilsonville – Concerts /Movies/ Fun in the Park

Grant Park

Grant Park is a classic Portland park.  It is named after the president Ulysses Grant who visited Portland 3 times, and is home to the Beverly Cleary Sculptures Garden for children where life-sized statues of the beloved Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Henry’s Dog Ribsy continue to play.  Since Grant Park is an older park there is plenty of shade and you can also find water fountains from June 1st – Sept. 15th.  The main structure definitely has its wear and tear, but it still brings smiles to every child that climbs on board.  Some of the classic attributes about Portland City parks, like Grant Park is the steep steel slide along with old wooden bright-colored teeter-totters.  Grant Park also has a tire swing which can be hard to find.  Last, but not least if you have runners in your family Grant Park has a nice track to run around.  Having a track can be especially beneficial if you and your family participate in family runs during the summer.  Overall, Grant Park is a great place to walk, run, bike, climb and do everything fun when the sun starts to shine.  So get out and have fun Playing in Portland!

Click on Portland Parks & Recreation to see their description of Grant Park.

Click on maps for directions to Grant Park.

 

Candy Babel

Every now and then even adults need to have that feeling of being like a kid in a candy shop!  So guess what?  Candy Babel makes that feeling possible as they offer a variety of unique candy.  They specialize in selling candy from around the world, and my new favorite candy comes from Europe which is a chocolate Carmel candy called Curly Wurly! Before diving into my Curly Wurly I enjoyed a variety of candy, such as a yummy green gummy solider, a red Scottish dog, a candy crab, pink marshmallow shake, a Danish peach fried egg gummy, a pig, cow and one of my childhood favorites soda pop gummies. I am a gummy lover, and they have so many!  My kids enjoyed a twisty marshmallow chain like candy, and we really had a good time.  Although Candy Babel has organic options and even gluten-free it can be difficult for people with life threatening allergies to read labels that are in different languages.  So be careful and know what is and isn’t safe for you and your child.  Overall I can’t wait to visit Candy Babel again because in the summer they offer one of the widest ranges of cotton candy flavors I’ve ever heard of.  So come be a kid in a candy shop, and have fun Playing in Portland.

For directions to Candy Babel click on maps.

PlayDate PDX

PlayDate PDX is the ultimate playing in Portland experience!  The first time my family and I went I was reminded of the 90’s TV show Double Dare.  The bright colors and fun obstacle play-structure brought me back to my childhood dream of being on Double Dare.  So of course I went in, and played at PlayDate PDX! One thing you might appreciate if you remember Double Dare is PlayDate PDX doesn’t have the slime or messy dares.  It just has genuine fun!  So if you are able to duck, crawl and wrestle through some obstacles, get up and have fun with your kids.  If you need to take a rest, or you came to enjoy a conversation with a friend, sit down and have some lovely Stumptown coffee or even a glass of wine or beer!  Some precautions you may want to be aware of are PlayDate PDX can get CROWDED!  Also I’ve complained and even heard other kids complain about the big triple slide hurting your back when you go down. Despite these minor precautions PlayDate PDX is a great place.  They have a great lounge with many tables, a couch, two comfortable love seats, flat screen televisions with enjoyable shows for both men and women, a wonderful menu and your kids will be worn out after good solid play.  So make time to play and play at PlayDate PDX.

For directions to PlayDate PDX click on maps.

Irving Park

Irving Park is best for hot summer days when you want to stay directly in Portland. There are unique water structures that kids love, and the newer playground brings a lot of fun climbing adventures.  Speaking of climbing my kids especially like climbing and walking around the cement balance beam like maze (which has dirt, stairs and wood chips inside). There is a fun little entrance that kids can go through and then they can walk around the ledges.  This park does have restrooms, but I’ve never been in the facilities. Irving Park isn’t one of my top favorite parks for my children to play at because of three reasons.  1). I have seen a man drinking a 40oz bottle of beer at 10am. 2). I’ve seen a homeless man taking shelter near the cement like balance beam maze.  3). There have been dogs enter the playground area because of this park at certain times allows dogs to be unleashed.  All that to say, this park is still fun the water structures are great!  The blue fountain is like a giant shower,  the red fountain is like a kid car wash, and the fire hydrant is awesome.  So, if it is a hot day, and you live in Portland check it out!

Click on Portland Parks & Recreation to see their description of Irving Park.

Click on maps or Irving Park for directions to this park.