NW Kids March 2025

LIVE • PLAY • DO
magazine
2025
SUMMER
CAMP GUIDE
PART 1
of 3
nwkidsmagazine.com MARCH 2025

2 | NW Kids Magazine

NW Kids Magazine | 3

Editor’s Note
March has arrived and signs of early spring are all
around! While we haven’t even made it to all of the
spectacular parts of a Portland spring, we’re already
fully immersed in Summer Camp Season here at
NW Kids. The March issue is our first full Summer
Camp Guide of the year. We’ll be following up with
April and May guides and may even have a roundup
of camps that still have openings in the June issue for the later planners!
Our annual Summer Camp Expo is scheduled for Saturday, April 5th at
OMSI and it’s going to be a fun one! Save the date and join us for raffles,
giveaways, and all sorts of swag for the kiddos. More importantly, enjoy
the chance to speak with dozens of camps face-to-face and find the
camp or camps that are the perfect fit for your family. While many of your
favorites will be there, we also have some camps that are new to us and
may be new to you as well. A fun day is guaranteed to be had by all and if
you also get to spend a Saturday at OMSI, that’s a bonus as well!
Enjoy this glorious transition from winter to spring and we can’t wait to
see you around town soon!
Cheers!
Mary
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Contents
MARCH 2025
8
2025 Summer Camp Guide
30
PJA Perspectives
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magazine
Connect With Us:
• Phone: 503.282.2711
• email: contact@nwkidsmagazine.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/nwkids
• Instagram: @nwkidsmagazine
NW Kids is published monthly
by Miche Media, LLC.
Every effort is made to ensure accuracy;
sometimes we make errors. Please let us
know when we do and accept our apologies.
Printed locally; Please recycle.
Publisher
Michelle Snell
michelle@nwkidsmagazine.com
Editor/Account Manager
Mary Brady
mary@nwkidsmagazine.com
Graphic Designer
Robyn Taylor
robyn@folkloremedia.com
Advertising Inquiries:
503-282-2711, ext. 1
sales@nwkidsmagazine.com
Listings
Adventure Camp............................................ 24
All American Magic Shop & Theater............... 2
Alliance Francaise de Portland...................... 13
Arco Iris Spanish Immersion School.............. 16
BaxterSports.................................................. 16
Big Lake Youth Camp..................................... 13
Bird Alliance of Oregon.................................. 13
Brainbox Science............................................ 17
Catlin Gabel.................................................... 16
Cedarwood Waldorf School............................. 2
Club K............................................................. 16
Fine Art Starts................................................ 12
French International School of Portland....... 17
Friends of Tryon Creek.................................... 17
German International School........................ 20
Happy Hollow Children’s Center.................... 13
i9 Sports........................................................... 7
Imagine Theatre............................................. 21
International School of Portland................... 21
Little Fruit Farm.............................................. 21
MJCC............................................................... 12
Mr. David’s School of Film.............................. 24
MLA................................................................ 21
NWCT............................................................. 20
NW Kids Summer Camp Expo....................... 32
OES................................................................. 12
OMEGA Gymnastics....................................... 25
One With Heart.............................................. 12
Parkour Visions............................................... 25
PJA.................................................................. 24
Play Fit Fun....................................................... 7
Portland Drama Club..................................... 29
Portland Village School.................................. 25
Portland Waldorf School................................ 17
Saturday Academy......................................... 29
Scuola Italiana............................................... 17
Skate Like a Girl.............................................. 17
Stronger Skatepark........................................ 17
The Movement Park....................................... 17
The Portland Ballet........................................ 17
THPRD.............................................................. 3
Villa Sport....................................................... 24
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2025
SUMMER
CAMP GUIDE
PART 1
of 3
Summer Camp season is around the
corner and it’s time to start planning
your kids’ best summer yet!
From art to sports and everything in
between, you will find it here!
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ACADEMIC
Portland Jewish Academy
Explore your creativity, discover your talents,
nurture your curiosity, and broaden your
horizons at PJA’s Summer Discovery Program.
Learn coding, experiment with string arts,
construct elaborate Lego sculptures, and more!
Open to everyone ages 4-15!
pjaproud.org/summer
ARTS & CRAFTS
Fine Art Starts!
Draw, paint, sculpt, make pottery and digital
art under a magical canopy of trees! Small
groups, skilled staff. Step-by-step and selfdirected
exploration. New projects daily! Full
& half days. Payment plans & financial aid
available. Grades K-5 & 6-8.
fineartstarts.org
DANCE, GYMNASTICS & ACTIVE PLAY
DolFUN Dynamics
DolFUN Dynamics: Swim-Move-Play-Learn
Their Dynamic camps provide kids with
an active day of Sports & FUN including
Gymnastics, Ninja, Swim, Crafts, & More!
Summer: June 16-Aug 28. Early-Bird pricing by
April 1. Exciting themes each week.(beautiful
air-conditioned facility, located right off I-205)
dolfundynamics.com
Jigs for Kids - Yeates
Academy of Irish Dance
Jump into the rhythm of Irish dance! This
high-energy week-long camp is the perfect
intro to Irish soft and hard shoe dancing, plus
storytelling, music, arts, and crafts. Designed
for beginners, campers (ages 5-10) will build
confidence, master new moves, and take
home a Yeates Academy t-shirt!
yeatesacademy.com
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OMEGA Gymnastics
OMEGA keeps your kids active with
supervised play, gymnastics instruction, and
craft. Choose half day or full day weekly
options. Camp shirt and annual family
membership required for all attendees. See
website for more details.
omega-gymnastics.com/camps
The Movement Park
The Movement Park is an indoor parkour
facility where all ages discover a love of
movement. Experience award-winning
camps, diverse classes, birthday parties, and
more! No experience needed - join them for
unforgettable adventures in movement.
themovementpark.com
The Portland Ballet
Dance with TPB this summer! At TPB, they
foster not just exceptional dancers but life
skills for success. In a nurturing yet rigorous
environment, they impart the lineage of
ballet, helping young dancers reach their
highest potential. Explore TPB today!
theportlandballet.org
DISABILITIES
ABI: Bike First!
Riders blossom and beam with pride over
their new-found skill, volunteers cheer, and
parents tear up to see their child take flight,
alone, for the first time. Bike First! is open to
children eight years and up; meaning there is
no cap on the end age.
nwdisabilitysupport.org/about-bike-first
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Camp Yakety Yak
Camp Yakety Yak is an inclusive social skills
day camp supporting friendship development
for children with special needs, ages 5-15, &
social skills in the workplace instruction for
young adults ages 16-22.
campyaketyyak.org
GENERAL
Adventure Camp
Join Adventure Camp for up to 8 weeks of
themed day camps for kids in K - 5th Grade in
Beaverton! Each week features field trips, art &
cooking projects and outdoor games on their 26
acre campus, and much more! Adventure Camp
is a program by Southwest Bible Church.
adventurecampkids.org
Catlin Gabel School
Catlin Gabel’s 67-acre campus offers a variety
of weekly camps from July 7-Aug. 8 (preschoolhigh
school). Options include sports, arts and
crafts, photography, LEGO robotics, model
rockets, writing, DJing, day camps, and more.
Extended care available.
catlin.edu/summer
Cedarwood Waldorf School
Cedarwood’s summer camps offer handson
fun, outdoor adventures, and creative
exploration in a nurturing environment.
Children of all ages thrive through
storytelling, crafting, movement, and
nature-based activities inspired by Waldorf
education.
cedarwoodschool.org
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Club K Summer Camp
Give your campers an unforgettable summer
at Club K’s Dream Big, Achieve More
Summer Camp! This day camp offers handson
activities and exciting career-themed
adventures with daily and weekly themes all
summer long. Check them out!
clubkafterschool.com/summer-camp
French International School
French International summer camps are
designed for students ages 3-8th grade, and
they offer both English and French options for
the greater Portland community. Weekly options
from June 23-August 1 including music, art,
engineering, sports, and more.
frenchintl.org/summercamp
Happy Hollow Children’s Center
They are an inclusive Summer Day Camp
for children 2.5-5 and School Age Groups
(Kindergarten to 2nd Grade - 5-8 Years). They
offer weekly enrollment full-day camp or halfday
camp and drop-in day options as well!!
happy-hollow.net
Mittleman Jewish Community
Center
Have an AWESOME summer at MJCC Summer
Day Camp! Enjoy quality, age-appropriate
programs that are super fun including
swimming, cooking, Jewish culture, drama,
nature, sports, and more! Flexible options 8:00
am – 5:30 pm. Open to everyone ages 3-15.
oregonjcc.org/daycamp
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Oregon Episcopal School
Summer at OES offers students in pre-K
through grade five a variety of fun, inquirybased
summer enrichment programs, plus
special workshops for grades 6-11. From rock
climbing to creative arts, river running to STEM,
your child will find their passion at OES.
oes.edu/summer
Portland Waldorf School
Spend the summer unplugged and outdoors
on their 7-acre campus! Themes for ages
3-12: pollinators, recycled textiles, nature art,
kitchen science, wolves & more. For MS & HS:
theater, babysitter training, parkour, & art!
Rest time for campers age 3-5.
portlandwaldorf.org/camps
Steve & Kate’s Camp
Campers choose from a variety of activities,
including sewing, coding, maker crafts, sports
& more! Buy any number of days to use at
any time. Unused days are automatically
refunded at summer’s end. Lunch, snacks &
all hours (8am–6pm) included.
steveandkatescamp.com/portland
St. Mary’s Academy
St. Mary’s Academy camps are filled with
adventures, hands-on activities, and a
variety of fun games to pique every girl’s
interests! Current SMA students serve as
camp counselors, facilitating valuable learning
experiences and mentoring campers.
stmaryspdx.org/beyond-the-classroom/
summerprogram2025
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Tualatin Hills Parks and
Recreation District
Full and half day camps available. General camp,
sports, nature, art, and more. #1 Summer camp
provider on the Westside. Open to ages 3-17.
thprd.org
Villa Sport Athletic Club
Kids can look forward to 10 weeks of
adventure and fun, including swimming, crafts
with friends, showcasing their skills, and
playing their favorite games.
villasport.com/beaverton/family/camps/
summer-camp
HORSES & FARM
Ekone Ranch Summer Camp
At Ekone, days are spent outside, doing projects,
and exploring the forests & canyons, and
building community with humans & animals.
Kids come home feeling confident, supported,
and ready to tackle new things! Programs
offered in horses, art, cooking, music, leadership,
and hands-on skill-building.
ekone.org
INDOOR SPORTS
Stronger Skatepark
Skateboard, scooter and roller skate
camps for kids ages 6+. Inclusive, fun, and
open to all ability levels. Rental gear and
aftercare available.
strongerskatepark.com/camps
18 | NW Kids Magazine

LANGUAGE
Alliance Française de Portland
Paris comes to Portland with summer camp
at the Alliance Française! Learning French is
FUN with theater games, arts & crafts, plenty
of movement, and interactive lessons. All
levels of French welcome!
afportland.org
German International School
Join GIS this summer for their German or
Mandarin language immersion summer camps.
They offer students from preschool – 8th
grade the opportunity to experience handson
learning through a variety of exciting,
innovative and entertaining themes.
gspdx.org
International School of
Portland Language Immersion
Summer Camp
It’s a world of fun at the International School
of Portland’s award-winning summer camp!
Chinese, Spanish, or Japanese language and
culture come to life through hands-on projects,
games, outdoor fun, and more! Learn a new
language or practice one that you know!
intlschool.org/summer
Scuola Italiana di Portland
Their Summer Camp 2025 is called Pasaporto
Per L’Italia. It is an Italy inspired, immersive
language and cultural adventure ages 3-11.
Students will receive “passports” for each Italian
inspired art and cultural activity - play, learning,
art, and cultural inspiration.
raccoon-leopard-lf3k.squarespace.com/
general-2
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MUSIC
Summer Sing
(ORS Youth Choir)
Summer Sing campers will dance, play
instruments, make arts and crafts, listen and
write stories, make friends, and, of course,
SING! Each Summer Sing camp culminates
with a final performance to showcase the
creativity and music created during the
week. Financial Aid Available!
orsingers.org/youth-choir/summer-sing
NATURE
Bird Alliance of Oregon
Bird Alliance of Oregon offers truly amazing,
nature-based adventures combining art,
science experiments and games with
explorations of their beautiful Nature Sanctuary
and the greater Portland area.
birdallianceoregon.org/our-work/learn/
youth-programs/camps-for-kids
Friends of Tryon Creek
Grow, learn, and have fun outdoors! Observe
the forest hiking tree-lined trails and crossing
bridges over Tryon Creek. Hone your nature
science knowledge. Express your creativity
through arts and crafts. Play games, build
forts, and make friends.
tryonfriends.org/forest-adventures
OUTDOOR SPORTS
BaxterSports Camps
Looking for a place to unplug and play?
Established in Portland in 2008, BaxterSports
offers a holistic approach to teaching and
coaching. Their award winning K-8 camps are
fun, active, and engaging no matter your child’s
experience or skill level.
baxtersports.com
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i9 Sports
Nike Kids Camps powered by i9 Sports
provides an unforgettable summer camp
experience! All skill levels are welcome and
every young athlete grows and glows. The
earlier you register, the more money you save!
i9sports.com
One With Heart
Join at Woodstock Park for One With Heart’s
summer camps! Kids will learn martial arts
with skilled instructors from the OWH
community. Their camps are packed with
adventure & excitement and suitable for
martial artists of all skill levels.
onewithheartfightingarts.com/summercamps
Parkour Visions
Kids are thrilled to explore nature with
Parkour Visions! Focusing on creativity, every
jump, obstacle, and game helps children to
build mental, emotional, and social skills!
Embark on one of the PNW’s greatest
adventure movements for kids!
parkourvisions.org/summer-camps
PTFC Camps
PTFC Camps offers options for all
experience levels! With locations across
the Portland Metro area, there’s a camp for
everyone. Join PTFC to take your soccer
skills to the next level!
ptfccamps.com
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Skate Like a Girl Portland
Join Skate Like a Girl’s All-Gender Skate Camp
for kids ages 5-13! Our camps provide a safe,
inclusive space to build confidence, make
friends, and level up their skills. Campers gain
confidence, teamwork, and perseverance in a
fun, supportive environment.
Half-day camps: 9 AM - 12 PM
skatelikeagirl.com/pdx
OVERNIGHT
Big Lake Youth Camp
Youth camps (ages 7-17) are 6 days of
adventure, learning, and new friends! Activities:
archery, canoeing, art, horsemanship, wake
sports, ceramics/pottery, robots, rockets, & more.
Family camps are 4 days, open to all ages!
biglake.org
PERFORMING ARTS
Acting for Kids & Teens
Portland’s Acting for Kids & Teens offers
dynamic summer camps for all levels where
young performers explore improv, voiceover,
scene study, and filmmaking. Led by industry
pros, each camp builds confidence, creativity, &
acting skills in a fun and safe environment.
actingforkidsandteens.com
All American Magic
Theater Camp
Parents say this is the best camp their kids
have ever attended! A week of magic they’ll
never forget. Kids 7-13 learn up-close and
in-person from professional magicians in a
real magic theater! They’ll gain confidence,
creativity, and coordination.
nwmagiccamp.com
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Imagine Theatre
Hello! Imagine Theatre is excited to offer
camps, intensives, and workshops this
summer for youth ages 7-18! Whether this
is your kiddos 1st or 30th experience with
theatre, Imagine is excited to partner with
them as they explore the theatrical arts.
imaginetheatre.org/summer
Northwest Children’s Theater
Hang with Hagrid, swim with Nemo and
defy gravity with Elphaba! Half-day and
full-day camps are offered all summer long
across 5 locations in Portland, Beaverton and
Sherwood. Choose from 30+ camp titles, like
Peter Pan, Tangled and more! Ages 4-14.
nwcts.org/summer-camp-25
Portland Drama Club
Offering K-8 student’s summer camp and
after school performance opportunities,
Portland Drama Club teach Portland’s youth
the power in themselves through play,
practice, and performance.
portlanddramaclub.org
STEAM
Brainbox Science
Brainbox Science STEAM camps offer a
user’s guide for the human mind. Kids play
games, design experiments, solve mysteries,
and tackle inventive challenges that inspire
creativity. Dive into discovery in NE PDX!
Extended care, AC, and easy parking!
brainboxscience.com
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Mr. David’s School of Film
Mr. David’s School of Film offers Lego
Animation and Movie-Making Camps
where kids explore animation, make friends,
and learn new skills in a fun, creative
environment. With flexible scheduling, it’s
the perfect summer adventure for young
storytellers!
mrdavidfilm.com
Saturday Academy
Saturday Academy’s Next Generation Summer
Programs offer immersive and dynamic
learning experiences, diving into different
worlds of S.T.E.A.M., while developing unique
skill sets each week through hands-on projects
for grades K-8.
saturdayacademy.org
Check out our full camp guide
at nwkidsmagazine.com
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Portland Jewish Academy provides a well-rounded education
infused with Jewish values that emphasizes collaboration,
critical thinking, social-emotional learning, and character
development for kids from early childhood through 8th grade.
We’ve invited writers from PJA’s middle school to join our team
for a series that gives you a glimpse into thoughts and life -
from their perspective. Explore PJA at pjaproud.org.
Buried in Blue
by Rose
A light-blue sky with the design of clouds
White lines mix with blue
A gem in god’s necklace
One sun made just to outshine the other
A sea of emotion with gears that turn
Cracks in the heart, like broken ice
Sharp but soft, like a human, with tears that can be happy and sad
A way to make blue happy
Eleanor is a current sixth-grader at PJA. In addition to
writing, she enjoys reading novels, listening to pop music,
and hanging out with her friends.
Rose is a current sixth-grader at PJA. In addition to writing,
she enjoys running, spending time with her friends and
family, and being a Girl Scout.
30 | NW Kids Magazine

Where Have Our Angels Gone?
by Eleanor
inspired by Amanda Gorman’s poem, “Smoldering Dawn”
Where have our angels gone?
All this fighting and crying and dying
It’s keeping our hopes from flying
We’ve been through troubles forever
“When will this hate stop?”
Probably never
I try to forget
Then the news comes on
“Forever will this go on”
We always mourn
Our hearts burn
Happiness is for what our souls yearn
Others say they’re hurting
But they don’t know how we’ve been
feeling
Our guts have been twisting and turning
With anger
With sadness
With hope
With madness
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®
magazine
Saturday, April 5, 2025
10am - 5pm
at OMSI
1945 SE Water Ave, Portland
Join us for a "one-stop shop" opportunity to learn about all of
the best summer camps in the Portland Metro area. With over
30 different camps represented, you are sure to find the perfect
fit for your family. Make this your kids' best summer yet!
ADMISSION TO THE EXPO IS FREE!
For more information visit
nwkidsmagazine.com
Portland's
Original
Camp Expo
since 2011
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