KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Mon, Mar 2: Purim Party at Sellwood
Community House
Wed, Mar 4: Teen Volunteer Night at Cedar Mill Branch
Sat, Mar 7: March Chess Tournament at Puddletown Chess
Sun, Mar 8: Family Series: Dinosaurs! at Oregon Symphony
Thu, Mar 12: Tiny Tots at Albina Library
Fri, Mar 13: Gem Faire at Westside Commons and the Wingspan Event & Conference Center
Fri, Mar 13: School's Out Camp: Weird Science! at Kids Club Fun & Fitness
Sat, Mar 14: FLIP Museum at Albina Library
Sun, Mar 15: The Clackamas Bookshelf HUGE 50 Cent Book Sale at Kraxberger Middle School
Fri, Mar 20: 2026 Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
February is Children’s Dental Health Month, which means it's the perfect time to talk about LYING. The first lie my daughter Madison ever attempted was when she was about 3. "Did you brush your teeth?” I asked as she was getting ready for bed. She nodded earnestly, but I had my doubts; a check of the toothbrush revealed it was dry as the Sahara. "Looks
like we need a do-over," I said. "Try again." In a 2025 Delta Dental study of 1000 parents of kids age 12 and under, 67% of respondents reported difficulty in getting their kids to brush their teeth. And in a related but thoroughly unscientific survey,
100% of the friends I asked told me that their own kids have lied about tooth brushing at least once. See, young children don’t experience truth as adults do; their developing minds blur the line between reality and hope, between what happened and what they would prefer had happened. Brushing is tedious, being done is better. Add a desire to please Mom, and those wires can cross. In those early years, our job is to help kids gradually separate fact from wishful thinking. You
might think that prosecuting dishonesty harshly might scare kids into telling the truth, but that often just scares them into hiding more cleverly. Our goal as parents isn't just to have kids who brush their teeth and do their own homework and someday file tax returns without creative interpretations of “business mileage,” although we do want all those things. But overall, we want kids who are brave enough to be, rather than seem to be. If they see early
that mistakes can be brought into the light and fixed with a do-over, they’re far less likely to build a life around pretending they didn't happen. So my best recommendation for Children's Dental Health Month is to model both scrupulous honesty and scrupulous teeth-brushing yourself. In case you need an immediate solution, though, I hunted down a list of kids' best tooth-brushing songs thoughtfully supplied by the American Dental Association. Grit your teeth and hum along.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
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Ring in the Lunar New Year the Chinese way—with dazzling light, roaring dragons, and the magic of spring arriving in a classical Chinese garden.
Unlike any winter light festival in Portland, Lan Su’s Lantern Viewing Evenings immerse you in handcrafted Chinese lantern sculptures, partnering with Noble Robot for a spectacular projection-mapping light show—The Twelve Zodiac Animals, and a lively Dragon Dance procession by Portland Lee's Association that brings the garden to life.
Don't miss a truly one-of-a-kind celebration that ushers in the New Year with unforgettable color, culture, and joy!
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OMSI’s 11th Annual Studio Ghibli Film Fest Opens January 16. The festival runs from January 16 to March 2 with screenings of 21 Studio Ghibli films, including such popular favorites as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s
Moving Castle, and The Boy and the Heron.
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Hunt for hand-blown glass hearts scattered throughout Tualatin parks and trails the entire month of February. Keep the heart as a reminder of the love we have for our city or share the love by hiding it again for another person to discover. Snap a photo and
tag us at #ShareTheLoveTualatin. Brought to you by your City of Tualatin Parks and Recreation Department.
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Step into the magical world of Cinderella, live on stage!
The beloved fairy tale comes to life in a spectacular Broadway-style production that delights all ages, blending humor, romance, and the timeless majesty of classical ballet.
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- All Ages Storytime | Oak Lodge Library - Oak Lodge Library, Southeast Concord Road, Oak Grove, OR 97267, Friday, 02/20/2026, 10:30 am & 11:30 am
- Family Bingo Night at Camas Public Library - Camas Public Library, 625 NE 4th Ave, Camas, WA 98607, Friday, 02/20/2026, 5 pm
- Bookbabies | North Plains Public Library - North Plains Public Library, 31334 NW Commercial St, North Plains, OR 97133, Friday, 02/20/2026, 10 am - 11 am
- All Ages Storytime | Gladstone Public Library - Gladstone Public Library, 525 Portland Ave, Gladstone, OR 97027, Saturday, 02/21/2026, 10:30 am - 11 am
- Free Dental Screenings - Hands On Children's Museum, 414 Jefferson St NE, Olympia, WA 98501, Saturday, 02/21/2026, 2–4 pm
- Black History Month: Rainbow Family Storytime + Guests! | Albina Library - Albina Library, 3605 Northeast 15th Avenue, Portland, OR 97212, Saturday, 02/21/2026, 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
- Black Family Storytime | Albina Library - Albina Library, 3605 Northeast 15th Avenue, Portland, OR 97212, Saturday, 02/21/2026, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
- Warhammer for Beginners | Cedar Mill Library -
Cedar Mill & Bethany Community Libraries - Cedar Mill Branch, 1080 NW Saltzman Road, Portland, OR 97229, Saturday, 02/21/2026, 10 am
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournament | Beaverton City Library - Beaverton City Library, 12375 SW 5th St, Beaverton,
OR 97005, Saturday, 02/21/2026, 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Ugly Art Contest for Tweens and Teens | Lake Oswego Public Library - Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 4th Street, Lake Oswego, OR 97034, Saturday, 02/21/2026, 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Chess A2Z Inaugural Puzzle Competition -
Chess A2Z, 10940 SW Barnes Rd 247, Portland, OR 97225, Saturday, 02/21/2026, 2PM to 5PM PST
- Miller Family Community Free Day | Portland Art Museum - Portland Art Museum, 1219 Southwest Park Avenue, Portland, OR 97205, Sunday, 02/22/2026, 10 am - 5 pm
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Portland area! Use our Big List to help find the best one for your kiddos and check our events calendar to find Open Houses where you can meet teachers and tour the
schools.
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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Portland area? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues and complete your mission-all before time runs out! Whether you're escaping
a spooky cabin, cracking a high-stakes heist, or breaking a magical curse, escape rooms offer exciting, screen-free fun for kids, teens, and adults.
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Winter is here and fun options for families just keep getting better! Whether you stick with what you love or decide to try something new, KidsOutAndAbout has plenty of ideas. From Ice skating, kid-friendly museums, indoor play centers, and outdoor
activities to thinking ahead to next year's school options - we've got you covered.
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There are lots of places to have a birthday party in the Portland area! Start thinking outside the box! KidsOutAndAbout has dozens (and dozens) of ideas! Also includes the areas of Lake Oswego, West Linn, Beaverton, Clackamas, Tigard, Tualatin, Milwaukie,
Oregon City, and Hillsboro.
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2025's best places to take kids in the Portland area: In early summer each year, thousands of parents vote in KidsOutAndAbout's survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids. Our Top 20 results page is an annotated list of the winners, both of the top 20 slots
and of the three category winners.
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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