If you’re looking for a way to keep your child engaged during the potential strike days in November, we’ve pulled together a few ideas to help you get organized. This is a living document and we will add local resources and businesses as they reach out to us.
If you’re a local business offering childcare during the strike, send us a DM on Instagram, and we will add you to this list.
To create this list, we began with our advertisers from our No School November post, added all the recommendations from our community on Instagram, and we will continue to add resources as we learn of them.
Classes and Camps
Trackers Earth
Book a spot in the 2023 PDX Parent Reader Favorites Winner for Best Camp! Trackers Earth offers No-School & Winter Break Camps featuring outdoor adventure and hands-on crafts. Kids can connect with friends while learning real skills with expert Trackers Teachers and Guides.
Families can choose: Martial Arts, Archery, Role-Playing Games, Wilderness Survival, Animals, Farms, Fishing, Jewelry, Sewing, DIY Crafts, Paintball, Snowshoeing, Leadership, Woodworking, Ceramics, and Blacksmithing!
All this and much more. Choose your camp, choose your Trackers Adventure!
Skyhawks Sports Academy
Skyhawks provides a wide variety of fun, safe and positive sports programs that emphasize critical lessons in sports and life, such as teamwork, respect and sportsmanship! With over 12 sports and professional staff, there is something for everyone. Their programs are designed to give each child a positive introduction into sports while fostering a lifelong love for an active, healthy lifestyle. Please view their website at www.skyhawks.com for further information.
Afterglow Aerial Arts
Join Afterglow Aerial Arts Thanksgiving & Winter Youth Aerial Camps! They offer 3- to 5-day camps for ages 7-15. Your children will learn aerial tricks and confidence building moves/drops in the air and on the ground through silliness, circus games and play. Gain strength, flexibility and coordination on the Lyra, Trapeze, Silks and Sling! Learn balance, foundational gymnastics and how to express emotions through journaling/art. Each camp will end with a showcase for friends and family.
Experiment PDX
School’s out and the fun is on at Experiment PDX! Full-day camp for grades K-5, with LEGO Robotics, Dr. L Ektron, chess, interactive exhibits, science library, and craft lab! Cost is $80/day.
The Independent Dance Project
The Independent Dance Project is offering school break camps during Thanksgiving and winter break! Camps are half day and feature dance class, craft time, and open play.
Commonwealth Skateboarding
Commonwealth’s skateboard camps are one of the funnest and fastest ways to get better at skateboarding and experience all of the best outdoor skate parks in the greater Portland area. Each day, campers will warm up at Commonwealth for an hour before loading up in the camp van and heading out to two or three different skateparks each day. Their camps coincide with breaks in the school calendar.
Hoyt Arboretum Friends
Join Hoyt Arboretum’s Nature Educators to perform nature-based science experiments! They will demonstrate different experiments each day that focus on decomposition, pumpkins, and fall leaf pigments. Participants will perform the experiment on their own, gaining hands-on experience using the scientific method, and will walk away with confidence to explore the inner workings of the natural world around them! This is a FREE, drop-in program on November 20, 21, and 22, from 10 am-12 pm.
Wow and Flutterville
Wow and Flutterville, a Reggio- and Waldorf-inspired childcare center, can host children ages 5-8.
Sweet Day Community School NE
Sweet Day Community School has options for five- to seven-year olds.
Stronger Skatepark
Enrolling now for PPS Strike Skate Camps.
Chords Music School
Chords Music School offers classes Tuesday-Thursday from 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Westside Academy Dance & Gymnastics
Learn more about the camp offerings at Westside Academy here.
D-BAT West
Learn more about their no-school day camps here.
The Children’s Garden
Families on Instagram recommend The Children’s Garden, an early learning community downtown.
Vibe of Portland
Vibe PDX is at capacity in their strike classes, but you can join the waitlist by emailing music@vibepdx.org.
Soccer Shots: FREE
Soccer Shots is offering FREE classes to families. See their message below:
We Care — about the great number of children, families, and teachers impacted by the strike.
We Own — that we can provide a no-cost solution for families and their children to stay active and engaged, by doing what we do best – coaching soccer classes.
We are Inclusive — by making the classes FREE and open to all PPS students in K-2nd grade (ages 5-8), not just those already enrolled in Soccer Shots.
We will be offering free classes at Clinton City Park on Friday, November 3rd from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Our classes will be 45 minutes long and will start at 9:00am, 10:00am, and 11:00am. As local members of the Portland Community, we understand that this is challenging time for families, and we want to do our part to provide some fun and fitness for your children.
You can use this link to register for the classes: Soccer Shots | Clinton City Park
Please invite your school friends to Soccer Island, who may not know about this opportunity, for a fun, outdoor activity with peers. In the best case scenario, the strike will be resolved and these free classes will be cancelled. In the worst case, the strike will persist and we’ll look at opening more free classes in the coming weeks.
Art World School
Art World School offers camps November 1-3, full day or half day options available.
Electronic Music Club
Electronic Music Club will offer day camps, beginning Monday, November 6.
Other World Games & Comics
Other Worlds Game & Comics is offering all day Magic the Gathering camps Monday-Friday, plus multiple D&D sessions. Contact the shop directly to book your child’s spot.
Rumble Art Studio
Rumble Art Studio is offering full or half day camps from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
NW Dance Project
NW Dance Project is offering a variety of dance classes and activities to keep students moving and engaged during the PPS strike. Each day will include stretch/yoga time, ballet basics, creative movement, dance creation, story time/quiet time, and more!
Nannies and Sitters
Jovie of Portland
Struggling with school off-days? Jovie’s exceptional nannies and sitters are here to help! They ensure your child’s days are filled with fun and learning, even when school’s out. Trust Jovie for reliable, engaging, and adaptable childcare that meets your family’s unique needs, turning each day into a delightful and enriching experience. Contact Jovie today!
A Brilliant Nanny
A brilliant nanny offers sitters, temporary nannies, and long term “remarkable childcare.” Learn more at their website.
Parent Swap
The price is right on this good, old-fashioned solution. Reach out to other parents in your child’s class and swap childcare days.
Play Spaces with Wi-Fi
Indoor play spaces and art studios often offer Wi-Fi, so you can get some work done while your child gets the wiggles out or creates a piece of art. Find one near you and give them a call to confirm the Wi-Fi situation first.
PlayDate PDX is a popular work+play location, but get there early as it will fill up quickly.
Screen Time
In case you need someone to say it, it’s okay to let your kids play a ton of video games during the strike so you can get some work done. Here at PDX Parent, our kids certainly will be enjoying some extra screen time!
If you have the flexibility to not need childcare at this time, the strike can be a great time for an educational visit to a kid-friendly museum or a volunteer shift at a local nonprofit.
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