Question about Portland weather and kids (home, buy, move to)

[Topaz]

Today in sunny Colorado my two young children were bouncing off the walls so my husband and I took them to the park where they ran around and happily played for an hour. After that, the day went much better.

We are considering a move to Portland and I am wondering this:

What do parents of young children do in Portland when the weather is wet and gray for so much of the year?

Are there indoor play areas somewhere? Or do you take towels to the park and dry off all the equipment?

I don't want to move there and spend all my time indoors.

Thanks for any input!

Topaz

[oldtintype]

There are many indoor parks--both private and through Portland Parks and Rec. It also doesn't rain 24 hours a day every day in the winter. There will be days when it rains for 15 minutes, days when it's just cold, and yes, days where it rains all the time. I don't know anyone with kids who stays indoors all the time. Buy a rain jacket, boots and go out--the kids don't melt!

I have a very hyper four year old and we're out and about every day rain or shine. It also, I repeat, does not rain every day and when it does rain it's often a very light rain. There are also great kids museums to go to on really bad weather days, great library programs, great park and rec classes and so on. If people are sitting home all the time it's by choice because there's certainly no need to.

[Topaz]

oldtintype - thanks! I booked a flight for this weekend to check out Portland in person. I'm excited to visit.

Topaz

[PDXmom]

When it rains you just bundle your kids up and send them out in the rain. It doesn't usually rain hard here. And as long as it's not freezing or blowing really hard the kids don't care. You will have extra laundry to do, but it seems most kids really like the mud so they don't mind.

There are also places like the Children's Museum, OMSI, Indoor Park Co-ops, the Library for story time and activities, and Portland Parks and Rec for great indoor classes.

It doens't rain hard here so it's really not that bad. By March I'm tired of the extra mud my kids track in the house. But many of my friends have said that my children have an higher affinity for mud that most kids. They are special that way.