I have lived in Portland my whole life (except a 3 year stint in Indiana) and my mom used to take me to the Portland Children’s Museum when I was a child. It was in a different location back then and since we’ve had kids, we’ve actually never taken them! We were so excited to bring them to visit, especially with the Voyage to Vietnam: Celebrating the Têt Festival. The girls are still really young, so I wasn’t sure how they would be able to take everything in. Ryan took the day off of work to go with us, and we made a whole day of it!
We decided to ride the Max to the museum (Portland’s train transit system) and it was perfect because it dropped us right off in front of the museum. The Portland Children’s Museum shares a parking lot with the zoo, and on nice days it can be a little difficult to find parking. I highly recommend taking the Max. Plus, the girls love riding the “choo choo train”. We started our day off going through several of the permanent exhibits which the girls loved! It was nice letting them just run free, be kids, and not have to tell them “no” or “don’t touch” every five seconds. Our last stop was the Voyage to Vietnam exhibit and the girls had a blast exploring!
McKinlee and Madi playing at the Outdoor Adventure exhibit
Right as we entered the exhibit, we were greeted by a real Vespa! These are used to get around the city, and the girls loved sitting on it (it was probably their favorite part!). As we traveled through the marketplace, we were able to see the different types of flowers and fruits/veggies that are sold in a real Vietnamese market. The girls loved playing with the traditional Vietnamese instruments. They actually played music. McKinlee enjoyed trying on the giant lion dance mask. Ryan might have also tried it on too. Madison wasn't so sure about it though! The girls were thrilled that there were customary Ao Dai for them to try on. They love dressing up and even wore them throughout the exhibit.
The Voyage to Vietnam exhibit also had a traditional Vietnamese kitchen set up. The girls love playing "kitchen" and had a blast using the pretend stove and all the traditional utensils. We had such a blast learning about how the New Year is celebrated in Vietnam! It really was such an interactive exhibit and it was so fun learning about the similarities and differences of their lives as children in both the U.S. and Vietnam. McKinlee and Madi loved their visit to The Portland Children's Museum and we can't wait to make another visit soon!
One of our favorite children's clothing companies, is a sponsor to The Voyage to Vietnam exhibit and they had a pop up shop going on during our visit. Tea Collection and The Voyage to Vietnam exhibit are the perfect pair! inspires global connection and curiosity for little citizens of the world. They had some really fun crafts set up for the kiddos to do and their entire Spring line available to view at the pop up. Trust me, it is so cute online but even cuter in person. McKinlee wore her and Madi wore her (they make the best rompers!). We had some beautiful 65 degree weather, so these worked perfectly for the day. Tea Collection makes super comfy clothes for babies all the way up to tween sizes. They wash and wear so beautifully and don't fade. We're huge fans!
Natalie (she's the sweetest!) from Tea and I at the pop up
Once you've had your fun at the Portland Children's Museum, you could always walk over to the Oregon Zoo (if you have the energy!) since it is right across the parking lot. We left the museum right around 4 and were starving! We hopped on the Max and headed towards home and decided to stop off at Rock Bottom Brewery for an early dinner. You could also transfer to the street car and head over to the Pearl district for lunch/dinner, but we wanted to make it home quick with our tired girls. They both fell asleep on the ride home which means they had a fun day!
Madi passed out on the Max
A huge thank you to the Portland Children's Museum and Tea Collection for inviting us to visit! Thanks for reading, and let me know if you are planning a visit or have questions!
Nice place to take kids to play and have fun.