20+ Free Things to Do with Kids in November

With the holiday season in full swing, everyone could use some family activities that are 100% fun and free. Here are ideas to get outside, learn new skills, enjoy music or help others, all without opening your wallet.

Make some money! First, how about making a little extra cash? Dentist offices across the Portland area (and Bricks & Minifigs in Beaverton) have Halloween candy buy-back programs going on now. It’s a fun and easy way to get rid of some leftover treats.

Honor and remember. Celebrate the remaining days of Día de los Muertos at these free events throughout the city.

Get festive. It’s the Week of Lights at Al’s Garden & Home centers. The four Al’s locations are festively festooned for your holiday home decor inspiration (November 6-10). The free event also features a visit with Santa, live music, discounts and more. 

Hear a story. The beloved Portland Book Festival is happening on November 2. And guess what? Youth 17 & under get in FREE. (Plus, qualifying families only pay $5, thanks to the Arts for All program.

Salute our veterans. The 36th Annual Lough Legacy Veterans Parade in Vancouver, and the Portland Veterans Day Parade will be held on November 11. These are great opportunities to honor our veterans, and they are free to attend.

Take a hike. Bundle up and enjoy the crisp fall air during one of these family-friendly fall hikes. 

Teen time. Teens ages 13-18 will love Teen Night at OMSI on Saturday, November 2. The Bioluminescence Bash will have STEAM activities, a photo booth, pizza and more!

Explore a different park. Take advantage of the free Metro parking days this month by heading to one of our great parks. On November 11, 21 and 29, enjoy free parking at Oxbow and Blue Lake regional parks, Broughton Beach, M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Ramp and Chinook Landing Marine Park.

Read new books. Our fabulous libraries and independent, neighborhood book shops have weekly story times — for free! Check out where to go here.

Use your pass. Did you know you can visit local museums and cultural institutions for free with My Discover Pass? Take advantage of this awesome library perk and beat the rains with some indoor museum fun.

Visit PAM. Speaking of museum fun, get free admission to the Portland Art Museum the first Thursday of this month (November 7). And remember—admission is always free for kids ages 17 and under!

Or visit a mini gallery! Thanks to @pdxflag and @pdxdinorama, you can follow a map of Portland’s delighful tiny installations, from little libraries to mini art museums.

Learn with the Literacy Lady PDX. Have you been to the Literacy Kid Lounge, the Literacy Lady’s new space? Come say hi and preview her Bookworm Buddies program on November 14 and 28.

Snack time. Get your snack on during the annual Snack Fest from November 15-17. In addition to some delicious food made by local vendors, there will also be live entertainment, food demos and more.

Take on Tryon. Head to Tryon Creek for a guided nature walk on Saturday, November 15 at 10 am. Led by a naturalist, these weekly hikes are kids from hikers age 5 to adult, but all are welcome.

Master builders. Calling all Lego builders! Now’s your chance to show off your block skills during Bricktastic! Organized by Columbia Play Project in Vancouver, this all ages creativity event is must for any fan of Legos.

Give back. What better way to spend some downtime than by helping others? Instill the value of volunteerism by giving back at one of these organizations that offer kid-friendly volunteer opportunities. We have great options for Vancouver families, too!

Get crafty. Get the kids’ creative juices flowing with these fun DIY Thanksgiving decorations. These craft projects are fun, festive and fool-proof. Even better, it’s likely you already have the materials needed. 

Learn about fish. Head to the Bonneville Fish Hatchery and Dam. There you can learn about sturgeon and see Herman the Sturgeon, a more than 75-year-old, 500-pound fish! There’s also the rainbow trout ponds (you can feed them for a quarter) and the adult salmon holding ponds.

Find a birthday freebie. Show your little Scorpio and Sagittarius some extra love on their special day by visiting one of these local establishments.

Kick off the holiday season. For many Portlanders, the lighting of the 75-foot Douglas fir in Pioneer Courthouse Square heralds the official start of the holiday season. But if you can’t make it, don’t worry! There are many tree lightings happening all over the Portland metro area — like this one in Hillsboro.