Indoor Activities for Children | The Official Guide to Portland

Tuck Woodstock wrote and edited content for Travel Portland from 2014–2020. Read More

Don’t let a little rain spoil your fun! Portland offers a broad array of indoor activities, fun and games for high-energy kiddos (and adults, too). Find suggestions by activity of family-friendly things to do inside in and around Portland.

The modern lanes at KingPins in Southeast Portland allow bowlers to watch sports or music videos on HD televisions in between turns. The 40-lane bowling center also includes a 4,000-square-foot (372 sq m) game room.

Another popular bowling destination in Central Eastside is Grand Central Bowl, thanks to its giant HD projection screens, balcony game room and expansive food and drink menu, which gets delivered right to your seat. And speaking of great eats, Punch Bowl Social offers all sorts of gourmet gastro-diner plates (think Idaho trout and chicken ’n’ waffles), as well as bowling, pool, karaoke and a vintage arcade – enough to keep the whole family occupied.

A favorite with Portland parents, PlayDate PDX offers a massive, three-story indoor playground made for climbing, crawling, sliding and exploring. An expansive seating area allows families to refuel with pizza, wraps and kid-friendly finger foods before diving back in for another round of fun.

For springy fun, visit Northeast Portland’s Children’s Gym during their open gym hours. Welcoming guests 13 and under, this gymnastics-oriented facility features an extensive range of equipment —beams, bars, rings, springboards and trampolines — all protected with cushy mats and thick flooring.

Discover Portland’s top kid-friendly eateries — including breakfast spots, pizzerias and breweries — which offer awesome children’s menus, play areas and more.

Kids can channel their inner kung fu masters at Monkey King Play House, a dynamic, multi-story destination in Southeast Portland that combines space for martial arts lessons, private party rooms and celebrations of Chinese culture. Arrive hungry because their café offers spring rolls, dumplings, chow mein, fried rice, pork buns, and other Asian-inspired bites, along with classic kid-friendly bites like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chicken nuggets and hot dogs.

Only 15 minutes from downtown Portland, DiG PDX dubs itself as Oregon’s largest indoor sandbox. Kids ages 0-6 can play in one of the three giant sandboxes filled with white sand. Each sandbox has a hand-painted, PDX-themed mural by a local artist, with toy diggers and excavators, and kid-friendly tools to dig for fossils or build intricate sandcastles.

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Take advantage of tax-free shopping without leaving out the little ones. Ride the MAX Light Rail Green Line to Clackamas Town Center where you’ll find an outdoor-themed play space with faux logs and trees to scramble up, over or under.

Head south for a play date at LEKA Playland. Drawing inspiration from Montessori and Waldorf philosophies, this indoor playground 30 minutes from downtown Portland offers thoughtfully designed play structures and toys (many of them handmade) that are sure to spark your little one’s imagination. The modern vibe and elegant decor will make the grown-ups feel right at home too.

Yes, it’s true — it rains in Portland. Locals don’t let that stop them, and neither should you! From kid-friendly indoor activities to parks and gardens that keep you covered, Portland will keep you busy rain or shine.

The Portland metro area has a number of year-round ice-skating rinks. Lloyd Center Mall has attracted shoppers to its oval rink since 1960, and recent upgrades have made it even better.

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A short drive to nearby Beaverton, find Winterhawks Skating Center– the official practice facility of the Portland Winterhawks – with public skate sessions open to all ages. Sherwood Ice Arena, a 30-minute drive southwest of Portland, also offers daily public sessions.

With short walls, thickly padded floors and no tricky belay systems, bouldering gym The Circuit is great for kids. Portland Rock Gym is also kid-friendly (it even hosts its own youth climbing team), and has a café upstairs. The mammoth Planet Granite offers five stories of rock climbing bliss, featuring 200 routes and an expansive bouldering area.

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One of the largest skating rinks in America awaits at the historic Oaks Amusement Park in Sellwood. For maximum fun, catch “Kids’ Morning” on Saturdays or “Preschool Play and Skate” on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Fútbol fanatics should head to 30,000-square-foot (2,787 sq m) Rose City Futsal to take advantage of its three full-sized soccer courts: two turf and one hard rubber. Before you leave, shop for new shin guards and goalie gloves at the adjoining Far Post Soccer Supply Company, then grab a gourmet burger and microbrew at Clive’s Public House.

Skate down Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and into 4,500-square-foot (418 sq m) Commonwealth Skateboarding, an indoor concrete skate park built in an old stone-cutting warehouse. Young skaters are welcome anytime, but if your little ones are feeling shy, stop by on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for kids-only sessions, or on select Sundays for free “skate like a girl” clinics.

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Open seven days a week, the Portland Tennis Center at Buckman Fields Park offers eight indoor courts. Peaceful St. Johns hosts its own venue, the St. Johns Racquet Center, which offers three indoor courts and free monthly “junior play days.”

Whether you’re a parent looking for an educational game or a collector on the hunt for a vintage action figure, Portland’s toy stores deliver.

Portland offers a wide range of arcades, from family-friendly game rooms to dive bars and adults-only bar arcades.

Pair your board game night with a crafty cocktail or find a new favorite tabletop game at these Portland board game bars and stores.

Don't stop with the largest independent bookstore in the world; these seven other shops offer an abundance of literary riches.

With its huge exhibit halls, interactive science labs, multiple auditoriums, “After Dark” events and more, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) lures visitors of all ages.

Tree- and forest-lovers of all ages can learn about the importance of sustainability and experience a Portland icon at the World Forestry Center Discovery Museum, with exhibits on local and global forests.

Trips outside the city promise all-ages entertainment. Here are four must-see attractions within two hours of downtown Portland.

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