Summertime Fun Activities
With summer vacation now upon us, Faithful Friends Program Coordinator Chon has come up with a list of some great activities sure to keep our mentors and mentees busy throughout the Portland metro area. For the full details, be sure to download this PDF. And check out this fun bingo summer activity sheet too!
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30 Things to Do This Summer in the Portland Area
Read together and get prizes along the way. Summer reading programs at your local libraries: Multnomah County, Tualatin, Beaverton
U Pick Berries. Make pies, smoothies, strawberry shortcake or ice cream from berries. Here is a farm on Sauvie Island or in Beaverton (Hoffman Farms)
Swimming. Portland Parks swim page, Beaverton/Tigard/Tualatin, Matt Dishman Community Center Pool
Bike Rides and walking. Be sure to check out our community partner, Braking Cycles, if you’re in need of some bike repair or a good used bike (free for mentees). Show your mentor ID to get free perks. Enjoy trails in Tigard/Tualatin/Beaverton, or in the Portland area consider Hoyt Arboretum (SW), Keller Fountain Park (SW/Downtown), Forest Park (NW), Duniway Track and Terwilliger (walk overlooking the city by OHSU), Peninsula Park Rose Garden (North PTLD), Mt. Tabor (SE), Powell Butte Nature Park (SE). In Vancouver there’s the WaterFront Park, Esther Short Park, Vancouver Lake and lots of other spots.
Farmers Markets, farms, nurseries. Consider Portland Nursery and Dennis Seven Dees or Cornell Farm Nursery & Cafe. Here’s a look at local Farmers Markets. Black Futures Farm (Brentwood-Darlington) is another cool initiative. Be sure to pick out some pots and plants and get those hands dirty!
OMSI. All of our matches have free access to OMSI. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Echo Ranch Horse Therapy Ranch. Free to all of our mentor matches. (Don't forget the FF release form!)
Rank/Rate food places. Visit every ice cream location in the city and have a rating system/ranking. Do this for sliced pizza, french fries or whatever you choose. Or try traveling the globe through food. Make some sushi, or head off on a culinary trip to Morocco, El Salvador or Kenya. Visit a local food cart pod. Portland is #1 in the world for food carts and there are lots of cultural options.
Make popsicles, have a water balloon fight, s'mores around a firepit at night, bbq, picnic
Get together with other Faithful Friend mentors/mentees. We have nearly 80 matches in the Portland metro area. Maybe you know someone at your church who also mentors a girl or boy through Faithful. Picnic at a park? Bocce ball? Hide and go seek? Hike? Let us know if you are interested in connecting with another mentor and kiddo.
Trip to the beach, Multnomah Falls, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens. For out of town trips, remember to let your coordinator know when you are planning to go.
Portland Parks offers free lunches in the parks, free movies and free concerts throughout the city.
Portland Parks offers free summer cultural events. See what Travel Portland recommends too.
Try the 4T Hike in the city of Portland
Take your mentee on a scavenger hunt walk
Take your mentee to the batting cages
Take your mentee bowling for free at King Pins. Bowling is free for kids before 5:30pm until September 30th.
Faithful Friends Oaks Park Event Happening August 12, from 12-4
Regal Cinema has $2 movies this summer.
Kennedy School Theater in NE Portland. Grab some tots, enjoy the AC and watch a movie.
Oregon Historical Society/Museum (SW-Downtown Portland). Multnomah county residents are free!
Crystal Springs Rhododendron garden. Located near Reed College. Beautiful setting. Free for kids under 10 years old and free for everyone on Mondays. Lots of water fowl in the gardens.
Do you or your kiddo have a birthday this summer? https://portlandlivingonthecheap.com/birthday-freebies/ (definitely take advantage of Pips Donuts & Dutch Bros)
Fishing. Horning’s Hideout (North Plains) — only $5 per person which includes boat, poles, and they will clean your fish. If you have your own fishing gear check out Blue Lake in Gresham or Commonwealth Park in Beaverton.
Summer Baseball. Portland Pickles (SE PDX Lents Park) or Hillsboro Hops
Golf. Some options include Eagle’s Landing (Clackamas)—short par 3 and mini golf, soccer golf; Tualatin Greens—mini golf, driving range; Glowing Greens (Portland)
