Hello, winter! It’s nice to see you again, sort of. There’s something about this time of year that makes us start to twitch a bit – trips to the park to run off some energy aren’t as easy and somehow we’re already on a first name basis with the folks at our neighborhood library and indoor play centers. If your’e looking for some fresh ideas for winter survival with your energetic brood, here are 50 winter activities in Portland for kids and families that will help everyone get through the cold months with a smile on their face. So go ahead — bookmark this page, print it out, and let us know how you’re passing the winter months with your family.

1. Spend a day tiring out your rambunctious kid at an indoor play space built to exhaust the energetic little ones. 

2. Boogie on down after dark with your kiddos.

3. Cabin fever — has it hit your household yet? Here are 11 awesome ways to beat it with your energetic fam.

4. Add to your child’s dress up collection by making a homemade hat. Here are some simple ideas for hat crafts.

5. Enjoy a meal out with your kids. Yes, it’s possible! Here are our picks for great restaurants with play spaces. 

6. Explore the city’s newest kid on the block: the Portland Aquarium. 

7. Check out one of our favorite spot to score farm to table meals. Kids play area and a heated eating area included.

8. A former school turned indoor playground — need we say more?

9. Whether you’re in the NE or SE, we’ve got two great itineraries for those pesky rainy mornings. And let’s be honest — we have a lot of them here, right?

10. Put on some warm clothes and venture around Portland to all of the famous Beverly Cleary statues and follow the paths that some of her beloved book characters did including Ramona.

11. From the LEGO store to Home Depot to Michael’s, did you know that our city features a variety of stores that offer kids classes and workshops while you shop?

12. Show your kids the books you read when you were young. Got any classic books to add to our list?

13. Treat your family to a weekend at a local hot spring, just a few hours outside the city.

14. While snow may not blanket our city the entire winter, your kids can still enjoy snowflakes, no matter the weather.

15. If you have two kids under two (or just one!), we’ve got some great ideas on how to entertain the toddler set on these cold winter days. 

16. Cuddle up with a book. Here are some must-read picks straight from our friends at Chronicle Books.

17. How many Portland sweets can you load up on this winter? From cupcakes to pie to donuts, Portland is very delicious… any time of year!

18. Channel your inner rock star with fab kindie rockers from Portland.

19. Prep for the next snow day by perusing our favorite sleds for toddlers. 

Pay a visit to the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, an ideal spot to indulge your train-crazy kid.

20. Venture out to an indoor play space that’s not in your neighborhood. Here are our seven favorites that never disappoint.

21. Bust the bathing suits out of storage to spend a winter day at one of Portland’s indoor swimming pools.

22. Visit the area’s most jaw-dropping indoor water park. You’ll be blown away.

23. Head to a winter farmer’s market to pick up some veggies for dinner – soup sounds like a great idea!

24. Need an engaging indoor activity? The World Forestry Center is perfect for an entire morning or afternoon of indoor fun.

25. Catch a Portland Trail Blazers game – the fast-paced basketball game will keep your little ones’s attention easily!

26. Winter days are perfect for making a mess in the kitchen – here are some easy ways to get kids baking.

27. Arrrrr, mateys. Plan an indoor treasure hunt for your kids that will have them entertained all morning long.

28. We’ve come up with 8 fab DIY activities that will provide endless fun.

29. Portland doesn’t get a ton of snow, but thankfully the mountains are close-by – head east for some snow tubing fun.

30. Introduce your kids to some old school games from to Clue to Life to Guess Who?

31. Play with clay at a Friday night drop-off clay extravaganza. 

32. Get lost in these totally amazing tree house designs. We can all dream, right?

33. We all have paper bags lying around the house. Make good use of them with some fun paper bag crafts. 

34. Bumpers or no bumpers, bowling is always a great option on days you need to stay indoors.

35. Bundle up and head out to explore a Portland neighborhood that’s cooler than you think. 

36. Huddle around your fireplace or your stove and pretend you’re camping with some delicious homemade s’mores. 

37. What could be better on a chilly Portland day than a yummy pint at a family-friendly brewery?

38. Stretch out those little limbs with some Portland yoga for kids. It will bring you all a little piece of zen this winter!

39. Wine tasting in wintertime? We won’t tell! And these wineries are kid-friendly!

40. Warm with with some kid-friendly winter mocktails. 

41. Get a jump start and plan your next winter wonderland getaway. 

42. Fine dining and kids. Not two words you’d think go together. Luckily, our city has its fair share of fine dining establishments that cater to families. 

43. Your kids are up at the crack of dawn anyways so why not check out a breakfast food cart. Here are our favorites. 

44. Moms, grab your favorite friends and go on a mom-date… It’s the new bro-mance!

45. Take the afternoon to explore West Slope with your kiddos.

46. Feeling brave? Your kids will love their first trip to the movie theater and we promise to hold your hand the entire time.

47. Sign your child up for a drama class. 

48. Got a kid with a winter birthday? Here are our picks for the best winter birthday party venues. 

49. Nervous about getting the kids on skis? We’ve rounded up some tips and tricks to get your kiddos cruising down the bunny hills in no time. 

50. Winter may mean a lack of great produce, but that hasn’t stopped us from juicing. We seriously can’t get enough of these awesome juicing recipes. 

We want to hear from you — what are your go-to winter activities? 

– Katie Kavulla and Erin Lem

photo courtesy of PJ Beardsley via CC