We kicked off our adventures by a trip inside the city with a trip to Powell's book store to let our toddlers pick out a few books they would like for the time we are here. If you haven't visited this bookstore yet, it honestly is such a staple in this city and it's obvious why. There are literally floors and floors of books that you could end up spending an entire day exploring here. Our family has a deep love for books so it was exciting for our children to just spend the afternoon exploring and discovering new books to add to their collection. A big bonus for us homeschoolers is their large selection of workbooks and homeschooling materials!
Since we were already in the city it only made sense to make a complete day out of it and explore some of the other great things this city has to offer for families. It only made sense to take time for a little treat between the different activities we had planned by stopping in at an amazing artisan ice cream shop. You've probably heard of Salt and Straw here in Portland and I have to agree it was a must see for our family while we are here. Their flavors are such an out of this world combination that is sure to have you trying new things, you'd be surprised at the different flavors your toddlers will love.
After a quick refuel from the ice cream pit stop we made our way to visit OMSI. This was the first time we have actually visited as a family to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. If you are a homeschooling family like ours then be sure to take advantage of their $2 Sunday, the first Sunday of every month they have a special $2 admission day that makes this a very budget friendly experience for our family (we arrived early to avoid the crowds). Both of our toddlers enjoyed this museum, their special animation exhibits were a huge hit! Our entire family really gravitated to the human body exhibits that really covered every aspect of our bodies and how they work. Honestly, for only $6 for our family of 4 to explore OMSI, it was well worth it! I can see this being an activity that our children could grow into, once they are a little older they may enjoy certain exhibits even more.
If you have a younger toddler like our family then you can understand that certain activities only hold their attention for so long before they are running off to the next big thing. If that's the case for you then there are some great choices that are sure to hold their attention and they are both located within walking distance of each other! Whenever we find ourselves in Portland, we make sure to find time to make it up to the Portland Zoo and they offer a discount day on every second Tuesday of the month. For only $4 a person you are able to enjoy the zoo and all the exhibits they have to offer! This makes a very affordable field trip opportunity for our preschooler. There are so many options to enhance this fun visit as a large learning opportunity by supplementing zoo themed workbooks. We printed off a fun little workbook for our preschooler to fill with coloring and animal facts while we explored each animal exhibit (we will have more on this workbook later).
Just across the parking lot is another museum specifically tailored to young children, the Portland Children's Museum is really a must see if you have toddlers or preschoolers. A huge bonus to homeschooling families like ours that are on a budget is that this museum offers a free night! Yes, you read that right! Every first Friday of the month the children's museum has a free night thanks to Target for sponsoring it that gives everyone a chance to explore the entire museum and all the exhibits they have to offer. This had to be our families favorite stop during our trip and I honestly cannot say enough great things about this place. Everything is completely hands on and welcoming for young children to explore! There is a little bit of something for everyone here, a few of our favorites were:
The pet hospital and the grocery store were a big hit with both of our toddlers, offering a dramatic play opportunity to enjoy together. Each room was completely equipped with everything needed to make this dramatic play realistic for our toddlers. The grocery store even had little checkout stands that beeped each time you scanned an item.
The play it again theater was a HUGE hit with our preschooler and how could it not be? Give any preschooler a big stage and endless costume choices and you are sure to have a fun show provided. Our son really got into the pretend play and putting on shows for us. It was such a fun opportunity to see him really shine!
Lastly, our family really enjoyed the clay room together. I think we could of easily spent half the night in this exhibit just playing with clay and creating little masterpieces together. What toddler doesn't enjoy a fun opportunity to get messy and create things? It was hard to believe we got to enjoy the entire night at no cost at all, if you find yourself in the area it really is a must see!
Lastly, to just round out our entire trip we decided we really needed to get our toddlers out in nature and get away from all the hustle of the city life. As, many know we really enjoy hiking as a family and if you are in the Portland area it just makes sense to make a day trip to Multnomah Falls. This is such an amazing experience and offers different levels of hiking to fit with your own comfort levels. This can easily take up an entire afternoon of exploring so be sure to pack accordingly.
There are some hidden gems we are already excited to explore next time around ,but for this trip we were pleased to enjoy so much of Portland as a family while sticking within our budget. We can't wait to jump back into our normal homeschooling routine and get back to the fun learning with you all. Be sure to check up some of our fun upcoming activities as we navigate through the holiday seasons!
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