So What Happened?
Many's the winter morning when I've awoken to the Oregon deluge, glanced at my cherubic 3-year-old and thought, "Kid, this house isn't big enough for the both of us."
You know those Oregon parents who come fully loaded with activities, games and craft projects, the ones who make homemade organic fruit leather with their kids and orchestrate indoor treasure hunts and sew costumes from old sheets so everyone has something special to wear during the family's rainy-day Bob Dylan singalongs?
That ain't me, babe.
Driven by the limits of my patience for indoor activities -- and mindful that pediatricians and fitness experts recommend that even very young children get up to 60 minutes of structured activity, and more time in unstructured activities, every day -- I've come up with a list of indoor playgrounds. All charge admission, so we don't visit them daily, but in the winter, they're a godsend.
Note: I assume that anyone with a passing interest in this subject is familiar with the Portland Children's Museum and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Spendy for drop-ins, their per-visit prices plunge with a membership, but wouldn't it be nifty if these venues and the Oregon Zoo teamed up and offered a discounted package membership?
I've rated a range of play options, by, among other measures, their relative Lord of the Flies factor and Ick factor (the square root of germs and urine divided by the potential for stranger danger).
• OUT OF THIS WORLD PIZZA & PLAY
The scene: A vast arena inside an office building north of Sunset Highway, Out of This World features three play structures, including a floor-to-ceiling climbing gym with several slides. Two of the structures are inflatable, with one set aside for the 5-and-under-set and one reserved for older kids. A separate area for kids younger than 2, a bouldering wall and a track with seated scooters round out the offerings. Pizza, salads and ice cream are available, and the arena is ringed by dinner tables. Unlimited playtime.
Lord of the Flies factor: Low during school hours, but the joint rocks evenings and weekends. The age-segregated play areas ostensibly keep the rowdiness in check.
Ick factor: Low. Hand sanitizer available, the play structures are easy to monitor and all exits are visible.
Nice touch: Free Wi-Fi, a family bathroom, magazines.
Location: 6255 N.W. Century Blvd., Hillsboro.
Online: outofthisworld.net
Cost: Ages 1-4, $5; 5 and older, $7. Children under 1 free with a paid sibling. Special $4 rate on Mondays, except holidays and Hillsboro School District vacation days.
Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Other places like it: Safari Sam's in Sherwood. Chuck E. Cheese, more or less.
• INFLATABLE KINGDOM
The scene: A frigid Tigard warehouse with three inflatable play structures, one styled after a fire engine, and a bouncy house.
Lord of the Flies: Low. Few kids, and they're closely monitored.
Ick: Low -- hand sanitizer available and no stranger danger.
Nice touch: Considerate staff noticed that my pregnant belly limited my mobility and played with my son until other kids arrived.
Location: 6830 S.W. Bonita Road, Tigard.
Online: inflatablekingdom.com/
Cost: $5 in advance, $8 at the door.
Hours: This business mostly caters to birthday parties but also offers a few open playtimes. Check the website. Playtime is limited to about 90 minutes. No guarantees that other kids will show up.
Other places like it: JJ Jump in Clackamas and Vancouver and Pump It Up in Beaverton and Wilsonville also offer open play.
• PLAYDATE PDX
The scene: Pearl District warehouse with a massive play structure that looks like a castle complete with a dragon and several huge slides. Unlimited playtime.
Lord of the Flies: High. The tone is set by the air cannons in the ball pit. Rad, but still ... guns. Kids of many ages mixing it up, with few parents watching closely. Small fry without adult bodyguards risk being knocked down.
Ick: Medium. The castle design of the play structure makes it hard to see inside. A door tucked in back of the structure leads outside, and it doesn't seem far-fetched that a kid could wander off. Plus, how do they know that every adult there came with a child? On the bright side, the staff is constantly sanitizing equipment.
Nice touch: Free Wi-Fi and onsite parking. Decent food, Stumptown coffee and wall-mounted televisions mimic a sports bar, as do the waits for a table on Saturdays. I heard myself shouting to my husband, "Over here! Three seats at the bar!" -- words I hadn't uttered in years.
Cost: Kids 4 and up, $8 on weekdays, $10 on weekends. Kids 3 and younger, $4 weekdays, $5 weekends. Or buy play sessions 10 or 25 at a time to lower the per-visit price.
Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.
Location: 1434 N.W. 17th Ave., Portland.
Online: playdatepdx.com
Other places like it: This is probably sacrilegious, but McDonald's Playlands come close, minus the Pearl District cachet and price tag.
• NORTHEAST INDOOR PARK
The scene: A church basement in Northeast Portland stuffed with plastic jungle gyms, toys, bikes, blocks, dress-up costumes and a reading corner. Members can bring gently used kids gear to swap.
Lord of the Flies: Low. Parents keep close watch. Designed for kids 5 and younger.
Ick: Low. Hand sanitizer available, and no stranger danger.
Nice touch: A toddler's potty in the ladies bathroom.
Location: 1820 N.E. 21st Ave., Portland.
Online: neindoorpark.wordpress.com
Cost: $75 buys a family a full year of play; $30 buys four months of play. Scholarships available. Check it out for free during occasional open houses.
Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-noon Friday.
Other places like it: Sunnyside Family Swap Shop, St. John's Swap N Play, Rose City Indoor Park.
• PORTLAND PARKS AND RECREATIONS INDOOR PARKS
Eleven Portland Parks and Recreation community centers offer indoor parks, with admission ranging from $1 to $3. Hours vary. A full schedule is available on the city's website (portlandonline.com/parks).
The scene: Varies by location; for example, Peninsula Park Community Center's indoor park is low-tech, with a beat-up gymnasium, a fleet of plastic, Flintstone-style cars and a small, plastic climbing structure. Plenty of room for kids younger than 5 to ride and run.
Lord of the Flies: Medium, depending on the location and the parents. Skirmishes are resolved quickly.
Ick: No hand sanitizer available, but no worries about stranger danger, either.
Nice touch: Hey, it's cheap.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/themombeat/2011/02/rainy-day_p... By Paige Parker