Portland Children's Museum

My parents came for a visit around Thanksgiving and while searching for something fun to do we found the Portland Children's Museum. And what a find it was! What a great place. The kids had sooo much fun and this place has it all. We rode the train (MAX) which if any of you know my kids then you know how much they love trains. So this was part of the fun of it, or we probably would've just drove. However, we got a buck off each person's admission for taking public transit and we didn't have to pay the parking fee so it actually ended up saving us some cash. Not to mention the train drops you off right outside the doors to the museum and the zoo.

So here is little Landon on the train, all bundled up because it was pouring rain.

They had a travel room with an ambulance and bus and a train table. They loved driving the ambulance. It had a million little buttons in the front that turned on the sirens and flashing lights. It was very realistic. Then there was this room with a combined grocery store and restaurant. They've gone all out in this place. The food was completely realistic, made of rubber but weighted and textured like real food. You can see a slice of cantaloupe to the right of Braden in this picture and the grill with fake flames coming out of it. They LOVED it. From where I was sitting behind the camera was the bar where about 5 different kids were serving me and my mom our food.

Here Braden is checking out his groceries. The scanner beeped every time they put a food over it and it has a credit card scanner with plastic cards attached for them to swipe. Notice the full loaf of very realistic bread he is buying from his little pint sized shopping cart.

Dalin, working as a checker. All the kids would line up and he would check them out and put their food in little bags. It was great to see all the kids playing out this real life scenario and working so great together when they didn't even know each other. This was my favorite room because I would've loved something like this as a kid.

Then they had a veterinarians office. The tools that Dalin is grabbing are real, just like you would see in the doctor's office. You know, the ones that the kids always want to play with at the doctor but you never let them near them. Braden and these two little girls are cats and Dalin is the doctor.

Here he is checking out her heart.

These are the cages where all the life size stuffed animals are kept. The kids loved these.

Braden giving this poor dog his shots.

Landon even got in on the fun. This is a little flower garden. You could pick each of the flowers and then put them back in the ground. Landon got a kick out of these and he sat there for quite a while playing with the flowers.

This room was the highlight for the boys because they are all three little water dogs. Here Dalin has moved all the pipes around and now his little friend is pumping water in.

They discovered this river that you could manipulate to make rapids and channels and then send your boat or rubber ducky down.

Braden loved watching his duck go down over and over again.

Can you see the pure joy in this boys face?!!!

No one loves playing in water more than Braden.

Dalin really liked figuring out how all the different contraptions worked. He's always curious about the way things work.

They even have a little toddler room that Landon had fun in. This is a little "river" with a minuscule amount of water in, just enough for them to get their finger tips wet. Landon loved it because he could get wet and stand there all by himself.

Here he is looking at the fish. There is a big fish tank in the wall of the toddler room. What kid doesn't like to watch fish? Every time I'm in a Walmart we have to look at the fish.

And of course, mirrors. Landon, like so many other babies loves to play with himself in a good mirror. There people have thought of everything.