When you’re planning family travel, I bet you’re a bit like me: You probably fall into a bit of a kid-friendly activities rut. You visit a children’s museum and the city’s main park and the zoo, which are all wonderful—but sometimes, you want a family activity that spices up your trip.
That’s why I’m sharing these quirky and fun things to do in Portland with kids that are slightly different from the usual family activities you may enjoy!
After all, doing something out of the ordinary makes the experience more fun and memorable, research reveals. One study found that changing things up gives us a surge of the feel-good chemical dopamine. That improves our mood—and it also makes us more likely to seek out more new experiences.
So trying something different has a snowball effect, which you can turn into more and more memorable family vacations!
And I’m pretty sure your kids are like mine: They like to do things that are unusual, unexpected and totally surprising. If that’s the case, here are 13 super fun kids activities in Portland.
If you’re planning family travel in Oregon, then, definitely hit the highlights as there are so many awesome family activities to enjoy. But work some unexpected, off-the-beaten-path items into your itinerary, too.
Want some ideas? These quirky things to do in Portland with kids will surprise the whole family!
Best unusual things to do in Portland with kids
I’m so excited for you to explore these hidden gems with your family. I’ve covered everything from outdoor adventures to relaxed activities for kids in Portland, Oregon!
The most memorable periods of our lives are when we break the script.
Chip and Dan Heath, The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact
1. Build a terrarium
Roosevelt’s Terrariums recently invited me to build a terrarium at one of their evening workshops, and I seriously loved it. Not only did I have fun landscaping a tiny habitat for ferns and other plants, I also was thrilled that with close to zero effort from me, the terrarium could survive for generations.
For someone who kills even succulents, this was good news.
A terrarium workshop in Portland would be such a fun and memorable activity to do with elementary-aged kids and older.
This quirky Portland activity would be best for locals and people visiting on a road trip, though, as it’d be hard to bring a terrarium through airport security!
2. Get hands-on with puppets in Portland
You could probably guess that Portland has an art museum, a children’s museum, and a science museum— but did you know it has a puppet museum, too?
The Portland Puppet Museum in Sellwood is home to rotating displays of more than 2,000 puppets from around the world. Yes, some of them are super creepy, but most are supremely cool.
Even better, kids can play with the puppets! If you’re looking for fun things to do in Portland with kids, putting on your own puppet show with these one-of-a-kind creations should definitely be on your list.
3. Explore a submarine
Boop boop boop—submarine sound effects are 100% welcome on the USS Blueback, the submarine permanently docked in Portland’s Willamette River. Kids who are interested in the military or trucks/diggers/emergency response vehicles will be enthralled, but this submarine-museum is a great activity for the whole family.
You’ll have to buy a special, scheduled entry to the USS Blueback along with your ticket to OMSI, Portland’s science museum. Then you can walk around inside the submarine, getting up-close with the controls, periscope, and other equipment.
4. Go rock climbing
This certainly tops my list of the best things to do with kids in Portland.
Most of the time when you’re on a family vacation, kids are told not to climb: Stay off that sculpture, please come down from there, good grief you’re going to break your neck!
The opposite is true when you go to a kid-friendly rock climbing gym.
We recently tried out The Circuit, a bouldering gym with three locations in Portland—and my kids were obsessed. An entire section of the Tigard location (just minutes from downtown Portland) is geared toward kids, with easier walls and slides to get down once they reach the top.
My older daughter also crushed the adult routes, scampering up six different walls, as she reminded us many times.
When it was time to go, the girls cried. “But I want to live here!” Edie said. You probably won’t want to move in to a rock climbing gym, but this quirky family activity in Portland is definitely worth a visit.
Level 10 travel tip: Check out Groupon before you go: The discount site sometimes have cheaper passes for The Circuit bouldering gym.
5. Hike to a real witch’s castle
Ok, I don’t know if there’s actually a real witch at this Forest Park destination, but it’s fun to pretend and makes for an exciting activity for kids in Portland!
Forest Park is the country’s largest urban park, full of miles of trails within Portland. The witch’s castle is a stone ruins along one path that’s within easy hiking distance even for kids.
The witch’s castle is small for something with such a grand name, but you can go inside and walk around the ruins. My kids thought it was pretty much the coolest hike we’ve ever done. You can see why!
I wrote all about hiking to the Portland witch’s castle with kids over on my other blog; click on over if you want more details.
6. Ride the air train
Want a really good view of Portland’s skyline? See it from above on the Portland Aerial Tram.
For just a few bucks, you can ride from the top of a hill all the way down to the Willamette River inside a pod suspended from overhead cables.
You’ll see 360-degree views of the city. On a clear day, you’ll also spot Mt. Hood in the distance.
7. Eat a totally weird donut
My friend and photographer Sarah Giffrow shared these photos of Voodoo Doughnut with me
If you’re wondering what to do in Portland with kids, this is the answer! They will flip at all the donut options at Voodoo Doughnut.
Portland has a ton of truly excellent donut bakeries, with more popping up with each passing month, but the original quirky donut place remains Voodoo Doughnut.
It’s easy to spot Voodoo Doughnut in downtown Portland—it usually has a line out the door.
Go during the week for shorter wait times, and let your kids indulge in a huge sugar bomb. They can pick from donuts topped with Oreos, cereal, or even bacon. Or go with the signature donut, shaped like a voodoo doll with a stake through its doughy heart.
My friend and photographer Sarah Giffrow shared these photos of Voodoo Doughnut with me
8. Pose in front of a giant banana
Portland has truly wonderful street art—just ask my kids, who shout out, “There’s a mural, mama!” whenever we pass one. (And we usually pull over just to take a closer look!)
One of my favorite murals in Portland also happens to be the city’s oldest. The giant banana, also called Art Fills the Void, is one of the Portland-iest quirky things to do in Portland on this list.
If you visit Portland’s banana mural in June, walk a few blocks northeast to the Ladd’s Rose Garden. This historic garden is at the center of the maze-like Ladd’s neighborhood, and it’s a gorgeous spot to relax and let the kids play in the early summer, when roses are at their peak bloom.
Check out my post on even more tips on when and where to see amazing flowers in Portland!
9. Do a downward dog during cat yoga in Portland
At Purrington’s Cat Lounge, you can join an hour-long yoga class along with a roomful of humans—and cats! Kids under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
The class also has an extra half-hour for meditating, taking an extra-long corpse pose with a kitty perched on your chest, or simply playing with the cats. Cat yoga is one of the most quirky things to do in Portland—and something you’ll 100% be glad you tried.
You can also sit and sip a drink among all the adoptable kitties. But don’t blame me if your kids want to take one home. Either way, this is one of the best things to do in Portland with kids.
10. Visit Portland’s Wishing Tree
I don’t know how it started, but Portland’s Wishing Tree is home to hundreds of hand-written hopes. Visit this iconic but weird landmark in Portland to read others’ wishes—and leave your own, of course.
The Portland Wishing Tree is located at 2954 NE 7th Avenue.
11. Eat a super weird dessert at Rimsky’s
When I was in high school, I sometimes rode the train from Eugene to Portland to stay the weekend with my older sister, who lived here. She introduced me to Rimsky-Koraskoffee House, the weirdest coffee and dessert place in town.
It’s decorated like your quirky aunt moved in, and it serves over the top sweets and coffees. The tables rotate slowly enough that you won’t notice until your ice cream sundae has moved to the other side of the table!
And the bathrooms are totally weird. Don’t take my word for it; see for yourself by visiting this weird Portland landmark.
12. Drink hot cocoa on a double-decker bus
Portland is crazy about coffee, and I’m crazy about Tov, a totally weird Portland cafe that operates out of a double-decker bus. It serves the usual barista drinks (I recently got a delicious chai latte with a perfectly balanced mix of spices) in an unusual location.
So if you’re looking for quirky things to do in Portland, order a drink and sip it in this twinkle lit, magical bus.
13. Find a toy horse
A century ago, folks rode horses—not cars (or unicycles!)—around Portland. And instead of paying at a parking meter, they simply tied their ride to a ring in the ground.
Luckily, these Portland horse rings are still around!
Although you won’t find any actual horses tethered to Portland’s horse rings, you will find tiny toy ones—if you know to look for them.
As you walk around Portland’s historic neighborhoods, keep an eye to the ground. You’ll spy the Portland horse rings on the curbs of sidewalks. Folks who live here, who love to keep Portland weird, tie little horses to the rings to surprise and delight others walking by.
This quirky thing to do in Portland can’t be done anywhere else, so keep a sharp eye—and your camera—ready!
The best things to do in Portland with kids – ready, set, go!
Now that you’ve read about some of the weird and quirky things for kids to do in Portland, I’ll bet you’re inspired to let your own freak flag fly. (That’s what we do here in PDX.)
After all, the murals and bumper stickers tell us to keep Portland weird!
Which of these activities do you think would be the most fun? Do you have any suggestions for weird family activities in Portland to add? Tell me in the comments!
What awesome tips!! My husband and i are talking about doing a Portland road trip soon from Vancouver Canada
That’d be such a fun road trip! We’ll be doing that trip in reverse this summer, haha!
Love these ideas! I try to seek out different things like this whenever we go somewhere new 🙂
Thanks Julie! Yeah, a bit of something unusual really spices up a vacation.
These do sound like they are a lot of fun to do! I love the rock climbing idea. Actually, my kids would love all of these. So great!!
The rock climbing was SUCH a hit. I can’t believe we’d waited so long to try it out.
Haven’t been to Portand yet but this is really helpful in the future!
Forest Park is STILL on our to-do list. I really need to remedy this!
There is SO MUCH to do in Forest Park – better put it on the list several times. 😉
I’ve been wanting to make a terrarium and yours look so cute! And donuts are ALWAYS a good idea! Thanks for sharing!
Yes: More donuts, all the time! 🙂
I love that there is a rock climbing area for kids! I may need to try that area myself 🙂 So many fun and unique experiences in Portland!
I definitely climbed the kids’ walls and used the slide to get down. Adults are allowed! 😉
Ohh you summed me up perfectly in your first paragraph! Sooo me! What great ideas. I’m totally checking out that rock climbing place next time we’re in a rut, for sure! Thanks for all the great ideas. Looking forward to exploring them all with my kiddos.
Haha, you and me both! That’s why we have to push ourselves to do something a bit out of the ordinary every so often. 🙂
What a great roundup! I’m going to pass it on to my friend who has an almost four year old. I think they’d love so many of these places. I would, too! And I wish adult-oriented climbing walls had a slide option for the descent! Very cool.
Thanks for sharing this post, Meg!! That’s the best compliment.