Our 2012 Family Resource Guide is on the stands now, with over 50 pages of new and updated listings! It’s the ONLY regional directory of family-friendly activities, destinations, businesses and resources available for FREE! Inside you’ll find everything from Educational Attractions to Visual and Performing Arts to Playgrounds, Public Fountains and Hiking Opportunities to Sports, Gymnastics and Horseback Riding to Family-friendly Restaurants and Cafes to area Farmers Markets and more. You’ll even find a comprehensive list of Resources for Parents and Families . You really should pick up your copy today! (You can read it online , too, but we think you’ll want to keep a copy handy for those “What should do today?” and “Where can we find …?” kind of days.)

Go here to see the original:
Our 2012 Family Resource Guide

You voted. We counted. Now we’re happy to announce the winners of our 2011 “Family Favorites” Reader Survey. (Read our September issue for a more detailed recap of our survey, including readers’ comments and a few additional categories, beginning on page 30.) Family Favorite Restaurant (Our “Happy Highchair” Award) Our readers love their brewpubs, with Laurelwood Public House & Brewery (5115 NE Sandy Blvd.; laurelwoodbrewpub.com ) earning this year’s “Happy Highchair” award, and Hopworks Urban Brewery (2944 SE Powell Blvd.; hopworksbeer.com ) coming in a close second. Local favorite Old Spaghetti Factory (multiple locations; osf.com ) rounded out the top three. Coffee Shop Indie coffee shops still reign supreme, with Munchkin Playland (18335 NW West Union Rd.; munchkinplayland.com ) once again taking top honors. Café Sip-n-Play (3000 SE 164th Ave., Vancouver; cafesipnplay.com ) took the silver. Pizza Parlor (new category!) Hillsboro’s Out of This World Pizza (6225 NW Century Blvd., Hillsboro; 503-629-8700; outofthisworld.net ) ranked number one in our survey, with Papa’s Pizza (16321 SE Stark and 15700 NW Blueridge Dr., Beaverton; papaspizza.net ) close behind. Toy Store The region’s Toy Trifecta includes the same players this year -– Finnegan’s, Piccolo Mondo and Thinker Toys -– but in a different order. Thinker Toys (7784 SW Capitol Hwy; thinkertoysoregon.com ) grabbed the top spot, Piccolo Mondo (4768 SW Bethany Blvd.; piccolomondotoys.com ) in hot pursuit and Finnegan’s (922 SW Yamhill; 503-221-0306; finneganstoys.com ) taking third. But watch out guys –- Learning Palace (multiple locations; learningpalace.com ) nearly broke into the top three this year with plenty of loyal reader votes. Movie Theater Just like us, you love the Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark; academytheaterpdx.com ) and McMenamin’s Kennedy School (5736 NE 33rd; mcmenamins.com ) for family-friendly flicks. Book Shop It’s Portland. Naturally Powell’s (1005 W Burnside and other locations; powells.com ) took the top spot, but Annie Bloom’s (7834 SW Capitol Hwy; annieblooms.com ) is much loved by our readers, too. Birthday Party Place The Little Gym (17890 SW McEwan Rd., Lake Oswego; tlglakeoswegoor.com ) once again claimed top honors, with runners Club Sport (18120 SW Lower Boones Ferry Rd., Tigard; clubsports.com ) and JJ Jump (9057 SE Jannsen Rd., Clackamas and 7500 NE 16th Ave., #2-D, Vancouver; jjjump.com ). Fitness Center Club Sport (18120 SW Lower Boones Ferry Rd., Tigard; clubsports.com ) prevailed, with 24 Hour Fitness (multiple locations; 24hourfitness.com ) taking the number two slot. Place to Swim North Clackamas Aquatic Park (7300 SE Harmony Rd., Milwaukie; ncprd.com/aquatic-park ) was the individual pool named most often in our survey, Portland Parks & Rec (multiple locations; portlandonline.com/parks ) pools collectively garnered the most votes. The very big and very new Wings & Waves Waterpark (460 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way, McMinnville; evergreenmuseum.org/waterpark ) also got a fair share of mentions, considering they just opened in June! Indoor (Rainy Day) Destination Once again, OMSI (1945 SE Water Ave.; omsi.edu ) triumphed in this category, with newcomer Playdate PDX (1434 NW 17th; playdatepdx.com ) and stalwart Portland Children’s Museum (4015 SW Canyon Rd.; portlandcm.org ) both ranking high. Outdoor Destination Two diverse experiences topped the list: the Oregon Zoo (4001 SW Canyon Rd.; oregonzoo.org ) and Jamison Square (810 NW 11th; portlandonline.com/parks ), in that order. Family Vacation Destination Sunriver (resort: sunriver-resort.com ; area: sunriverchamber.com ) edged out the Oregon Coast for the top spot this year, though the coast still made a respectable showing! To read more about our Family Favorite winners –- including those for Ice Cream (Yogurt/Gelato) Parlor , Kids’ Clothing/Shoe Store , Bike Shop and Children’s Gym -– check out our September issue in print or online.

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… and the Winner Is …

If you’re looking for something fun to do with the kids this weekend – and you want to learn about some cool local resources for families – you’re in luck! The northwest’s largest family-focused expo is hitting the Portland Expo Center April 16 and 17. With four different themes – KidFest, BabyFest, CampFest and the new SportFest – there’s sure to be something useful for every parent. And with loads of live entertainment, interactive exhibits and fun zones, the kids will stay entertained, engaged and happy all day, too! Here’s a taste of what’s in store: * Family-friendly entertainment on two stages * Disney featured artists performing live on the Radio Disney Main Stage * Special character appearances * Game Truck video game challenge & interactive zone * Sports demos * Kids’ physical fitness challenge * Diaper Derby crawling races (for prizes!) * A Pint-Sized Disco especially for the little ones Special theme areas include Sports & Fitness, Education & Youth Enrichment, and Resources for Families Raising Kids with Special Needs. Plus, the Extreme FunZone includes giant slides, jump houses, rock climbing, petting zoo & “Walk On The Wildside” reptile exhibit, Mad Science, hands-on crafts, games and more! New this year is a Spring Eggstravaganza – a benefit for Easter Seals – with an Easter Egg Hunt and a visit from the Easter Bunny. Admission to the egg hunt, which begins at 9 am both days, is $10 per child and includes photos with the Easter Bunny, a bouquet of tulips from Wooden Shoe Bulbs, VIP admission to KidFest and more. (Parents are free with paid child!) Regular show hours are 10 am to 6 pm Saturday, April 16, and 10 am to 5 pm Sunday, April 17. Admission is $5 for adult & kids 4 and over; kids 3 and under are free. You can get a family pass for up to 5 people for $20 at TicketsWest.com . Plan to arrive early – the first 250 families each day will receive free passes from show sponsors! For more information, visit kidfestnw.com .

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KidFest! BabyFest! CampFest! SportFest!

Once again, we’d like to point you in the direction of the coupons and deals in our current issue . Happy saving! Learning Palace: Take 15 percent off your entire purchase. (Page 6) Santosha Yoga: Attend your first class for free. (Page 7) World of Smiles: Free exam for children under 2. (Page 15) Little Smiles: Free initial exam for children under 3. (Page 19) Our World Learning Creative Play Center: Get $2 off a JJ Jump/Our World Open Play Session. (Page 25) Tidee Didee: Get 1 free week with 4 prepaid weeks of diaper service. (Page 35) Music for All: Classical music performance tickets for $5 for families on food stamps. (Page 37) You can also enter to win a week of summer camp at ClubSport this month. (Contest ends March 31.) And last but not least, we’re happy to offer you a chance to see the Portland Art Museum’s new exhibit – Riches of a City: Portland Collects – for half price ! Just mention our sister publication, Portland Woman , when you purchase an adult admission and you’ll get a second adult admission for free. (Admission for children 17 and under is always free.) The exhibit runs through May 22, but this offer is valid only through March 31, so don’t delay! Like we said, happy saving!

Continued here:
March Coupons & Savings

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Bend Oregon Vacations, Travel and Events in Winter with Hotels

The Metro Parent 2011 Family Resource Guide is currently being distributed throughout the region. It’s the ONLY regional directory of family-friendly activities, destinations, businesses and resources made available to area parents free of charge! Inside the guide you’ll find everything from Educational Attractions to Visual and Performing Arts to Playgrounds, Public Fountains and Hiking Opportunities to Sports, Gymnastics and Horseback Riding to Family-friendly Restaurants and Cafes to area Farmers Markets and so much more. There’s also a special section with resources for parents and families and a guide to Multicultural Fairs and Festivals happening around the area all year long. Pick up a copy wherever Metro Parent is distributed, or read it online today.

Read this article:
Our Annual Family Resource Guide

If your child is starting a new school this fall – whether preschool, kindergarten, middle school or high school – now is the perfect time to start preparing him for a smooth transition. Here are some simple ways to help kids feel comfortable and familiar with their new school before the first bell rings: Visit the school with your child during the summer. Play on the playground. Look into classrooms, walk down the halls and check out the cafeteria if you can. Get together with other families whose children will attend the new school. If your child sees a few familiar faces on his first day, he’ll feel more at home there. If your child is starting middle school, find out if you can walk around the school and find her locker and classes prior to the first day. That will alleviate the anxiety of trying to navigate unfamiliar halls crowded with excited teens and ‘tweens. If your child is interested in sports, music, dance or theater, find out if he or she can get involved in school activities during the summer. Many organized clubs and teams begin practicing before school begins. Talk with your child about what to expect – what will be similar to what they’re used to and what will be different. Acknowledge their concerns and remind them that everyone feels a little nervous on the first day. Show them you have confidence in them and in their ability to succeed in their new school. For more tips about smoothing the transition to a new school, read Smooth Moves in our August issue .

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Starting a New School?

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Scrooge Lives Holiday Festival @ Gresham-OR Venue (12.02.10)

The 8th Annual Portland Urban Iditarod will be run Saturday, March 14th, 2009. Show up at 11:30 a.m.. We mush at 12:00 p.m., sharp.

In the Alaskan Iditarod, more than sixty dog sled teams race across the frozen tundra from Anchorage to Nome. In our urban version, teams of ‘dogs’ lead by a musher will pull their sleds (shopping carts) through some of Portland’s most scenic areas. These teams of barking humans must negotiate through the unrelenting and unforgiving dangers of Portland’s urban frontier.

http://www.keepportlandweird.org/urbaniditarod/