to check out some indoor play places to give us some inspiration for old school...
first off, so fun!
it was kind of funny because we went to places that my kids would have loved to go to
but if they had been there it would have been krazy (with a K)
& i wouldn't have learned half of what i did...
happily, now i know where i want to take them next time we're looking for something to do in portland...
may i give you a little tour?
i made little forms for us to fill out after each place
(because any chance i get to make a form or a website, i'm doing it :)
they were super basic:
what did we like?
what did we not like?
i probably could have added more stuff but, of course, we just wrote whatever we wanted
(cause we're adults :)
we headed up from eugene at 4pm on thursday
(anyone who drives I-5 knows that is horrible timing in terms of traffic
but we flew right through... a field trip miracle!)
we went straight to Playdate PDX (details below)
then i took laurie to her dad & step-mom's house
& i went to my friend, gwen's...
(thanks, guys!)
it was really great, we got to visit people we love & each have our own bed...
lovely!
& now on to the tour
(spoiler alert for grammar police:
as i wrote this i couldn't settle on a tense 'it was a fun place' or 'it is a fun place'
therefore i used both liberally. watch your step!)
please, keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times...
(click the name of any playplace to go to the website for location,hours & other details)
PlayDate PDX
it has the biggest tube, slide, climbing structure i've ever seen.
plus a foam ball shooting range that any nerf gun fan will love...
man, it is cool.
my idea is to have some more of a variety of play areas (active play, creative play) but this was an awesome first place to visit, for sure.
one of the things that i don't love about tube structures is that i always wonder how often they get cleaned (& who is climbing in there to clean them?) we talked to the manager & he said that the owners are doctors & the entire place gets disinfected several times a day (i forgot to ask who climbs in)
the cafe was really nice with an awesome variety of prices (from a $1 menu of fruits & veggies to pricier yummy salads & paninis).
we loved it!
i will most definitely be taking my kids someday...
Art ala Carte
yes.
it was as awesome as it sounds.
& it was the main place that made us see that what i have in my brain can really happen & be so fun.
plus by the time we left there were people waiting outside to get in.
what business doesn't want people waiting excitedly to get in?
& the foodie theme! the salad bar, tongs, trays & they even do to-go boxes...
so adorabley awesome.
highly recommended for all!
(they do adult nights, too!
we even made our own projects before it got full & we were taking spots from kiddos :)
Silk Espresso
if you're in the area, you need to go!
so so so cute & yummy!
Cafe Au Play
is that the cutest name or what?
the logo is so fun, too!
inside it was smaller than expected & the kids play area was just books & toys in a small area. however it had a garage door (a dream of mine!) that when the weather was warm, opened out into a great patio (under construction right now) with two levels for kids to play around. really neat!
we talked to the manager for a few minutes & she said that because they are right across the street from a high school (Franklin High School... shout out to my cousins who went there!) they have high school kids come over & do work study, small business training & just learn about running a cafe'. it was really awesome & another thing that i had thought about & loved seeing actually happening in real life. love!
i wouldn't recommend going here if you have high energy kids who need a place to climb/run/destroy. but if you've got a mellow fellow (or gal) it's a very sweet place.
kidopolis pdx
my playground gym
Steamers & Screamers
& then we were on our way home (with a quick stop at burgerville to get us all the way there :)
- it was so nice to just be in places that are doing some of the things i have had stuck in my head for so long.
- looking at places online is good, actually walking through places is better.
- it was really fun to talk to owners & workers & just get their take on their place.
- super best part: going with laurie! she is the best at talking to people, oh my goodness! she asks questions without bugging people, gives sincere, kind compliments & notices little things... i loved getting to spend a couple of days with her!
click on the names of the places to find out more...
oh, & if you know of some great places that we didn't visit leave a comment,
we'll check them out next time!
thanks, portland!
you never disappoint :)