Summertime birthdays seem like a breeze to plan. Just bring the kids to the park, fire up the grill and let the good times roll. But in Oregon, summer is a short affair, which can leave parents of kids with birthdays the other 10 months of the year scrambling for a space to throw a great party. The good news is there are plenty of options for those kiddos who have outgrown the whole birthday party at home deal. Got kids who need to move? There’s a place for that. Got party-goers of various ages? There’s a place for that. Got kids who like to jam? Well, there’s a place for that, too.

Sellwood Community Center
If hosting a crowd of wiggly youngsters in your home gives you the willies, consider booking a birthday party at the Sellwood Community Center’s mat room. Ideal for the preschool set, the mat room is padded with gymnastics-worthy mats and stocked with exercise balls for kids who like to roll. You also can rent the adjacent kitchen, which has table and chairs, when it’s time to cut the cake. Individual rooms are available for rent, but you’re better off taking advantage of their birthday party packages for kids ages 5 and under, which gets you two hours in the gym or in the mat room with access to a whole bunch of toys for your little partygoers to play with.

Sellwood Community Center
1436 SE Spokane Street
Sellwood
503-823-3195

SCRAP Portland
Word on this street is this center, that reuses materials to make art, is a hit with the next generation. SCRAP hosts birthday parties for children 6 and up and includes projects lead by the staff. The staff will decorate for the party, too, and parents can opt to add on cupcakes, party hats and just about anything else needed for a great birthday. Their Basic party for 10 children costs $100. The Works party includes face painting, goody bags, face painting and party hats for $175.

SCRAP Portland
2915 NE MLK Jr. Boulevard
Portland
503-294-0769

Portland Children’s Museum
Some kids like to run and play, others like to sit still and tinker. If the guest list is long and includes a wide range of interests and ages, a birthday party at the Portland Children’s Museum might be a great fit. There’s a theater with dress-up clothes for the little drama queens and kings in the group, a clay studio for budding artists and the water play room for anyone who feels like splashing around. That’s just a few of the exhibits at the museum, which also includes a closed-in space especially for little ones under 3. Party packages come with a 90-minute room rental for opening presents and birthday cake. The Basic Blast party package includes admission for 33 guests (15 kids, the rest adults) costs $160 for members, $200 for non-members.  

Portland Children’s Museum
4015 SW Canyon Road
Portland
503-223-6500

Sherwood Ice Arena
It is winter after all, so consider embracing the wintery cold with a party at the Sherwood Ice Arena. Party packages include admission to the skate rink, a short lesson, skate rental, party decorations and cake and drinks, as well as a gift for the guest of honor. The Bronze package includes admission for 9 guests plus the birthday host for $150. The Silver package also includes pizza for $180. The Gold package admits 19 guests plus the party host and one-hour rental of the party room for $265.

Sherwood Ice Arena
20407 SW Borchers Drive
Sherwood
503-625-5757

Mimosa Studios
Winner of The 2011 Red Tricycle’s Totally Awesome Award for best birthday party venue in Portland, Mimosa Studios invites you to experience life in color, with novel and fun design ideas in a cozy atmosphere. The studio offers over 200 pottery and painting options, with coupons and discounts offered daily. Their 1.5 parties are usually divided up into an hour of painting and 30 minutes of gifts and partying with the birthday boy or girl. Their $12 birthday party packages let your partygoers paint a small figurine of their choice; their $18 packages let them paint a large figurine of their choice. And do they have choices! They’ve got got snakes, bears, cats, dogs, ballerinas, cars, butterflies, monkeys, penguins, dinosaurs, and more.

Mimosa Studios
1718 NE Alberta Street
Portland
503-288-0770

What is your go-to spot for throwing an awesome winter birthday for your kiddo? Are any of these venues on your list?

—Tamara Miller

Photo credit: Tamara Miller (photo is of a Sound Roots Rookie Rock Show)

It’s usually pretty clear – you’re either a LEGO family or you’re not – and it all depends on how obsessed your kids are with these colorful, popular building blocks! But, the land of LEGO’S has stepped it up since you were a kid (they’ve been in the United States since the 1960s!) and just like so many brands, you can fill your entire life with LEGO gear these days – from bedding to board games to room decor to clothing and more. If they make it, you can get it in a LEGO version! Thankfully, most of these LEGO products won’t hurt your feet when you step on them in the middle of the night, as every parent has done a million times. Ouch!

For kids who love Legos and want everyone to know it, LEGO clothing is the only way to go. Crocs recently released these Crocband Kids Lego Clogs ($35) that are a hit with both kids and parents, who are happy to report that they no longer have to repeat themselves 27 times when asking their kiddos to get their shoes on! 

If you’re looking for some off-beat LEGO clothing that is funkier than the average LEGO gear, head to Red Bubble, where independent artists and designers sell their cheeky, fun LEGO designs. Prices vary and most designs are available in infant through adult sizes. We guarantee your LEGO-loving kid won’t see all of his friends at school wearing these shirts!

Okay, we know that life as a parent isn’t all about us versus them, but we have to admit, these Poppin’ Pineapple Soaps with a LEGO Surprise ($7) score one point for mom and dad! What better way to trick your kids into scrubbing up than with the reward of a new LEGO figurine, that’s embedded in the middle of these soaps. Each soap is made from glycerin, Shea butter and essential oils and you can choose the figurine that is in the soap, as well as the scent. Just don’t look too smug about it when they are asking to wash their hands – you don’t want them to catch on to your trick!

Don’t say we didn’t warn you – going on to Etsy and searching for LEGO party supplies is like opening Pandora’s toy box. There is so much good stuff on there that it may, quite literally, blow your mind. Some of our favorites include these fun Personalized LEGO Cupcake Toppers ($14 for 24) that will instantly dress up some homemade cupcakes.

Or, how about this cool LEGO Head Piñata ($30) that can be custom-made with different facial expressions and colors.

And this creative LEGO Happy Birthday Banner ($30) that they’ll love hanging in their room after the party.

For the youngest of LEGO loving kids – you know, the ones who still can’t be trusted not to swallow a brick or two? – these new LEGO Duplo Read & Build sets ($13) are becoming quite the hit. East set comes with a storybook and Duplo building pieces, so that your child can build along with the story.

With this LEGO Chucky Style Coat Rack ($22), you might actually be able to get your child to hang up his coat and backpack when he gets home from school! We think it’s super cool that these are handmade by a 13-year old, Hannah, a Lego lover herself!

And to top off a LEGO-themed bedroom, these custom-made LEGO Switchplates ($48) are so unique and can be made-to-order with your child’s favorite Lego guys – from skateboarders (as pictured) to firefighters to punk rockers.

LEGO’S are hardly just for the boys anymore! Girls love LEGO’S just as much and LEGO is even taking note, designing building sets that are geared towards activities girls think are cool. We’ve found some LEGO gear that your LEGO girl will think is pretty sweet, proving once and for all that they can have it all. A hip new replacement for the classic BFF heart necklaces, this LEGO Heart Friendship Necklace ($12) is sure to win her over.

The two LEGO pieces come together to form a heart. Need to add even more LEGO accessories to her collection? Put those LEGO’S to use with these funky (and functional!) LEGO Hair Clips ($10) – they come in a set of three and you can choose your own colors – a great way to get her hair out of her face so that she can focus on building!


And, we’ve thrown a little bit of LEGO love in here for you too, mom and dad, because we all know how painful it is to step on that rogue LEGO that didn’t get picked up. Check out these two cool LEGO pick-up solutions – Swoop Bags ($48) are sturdy, canvas play mats for your Legos (or other small toys) that you can them pull up with the drawstring and rope all those little buggers up into one ready-to-go bag.

Or, if you already have a Lego storage system, check out the Toydozer ($19), which acts like a mini LEGO bulldozer to get every last block. Both products were designed by moms… surprise, surprise!

What’s your favorite LEGO gear? Bags, clips, a coat rack? Let us know!

— Katie Kavulla, Mom to two LEGO obsessed girls and one son who things LEGO’S taste delicious