I LOVE Halloween! It is one of my favorite times of the year, and I love taking every chance I get my hands on to make EVERY holiday special for my kids. I wanted to compile a list of family friendly Halloween activities for my readers in the local SW Washington/Portland Metro area. I am not a fan of gore, fake blood, and anything scary or designed to frighten children. Towards that end, I have found a list of activities in our area that are designed just for families. Several of these places are long-standing favorites for me, and some are new ideas that I can’t wait to try. I hope you will find one or two things on the list that seem like a good fit for your family this harvest season! Happy Halloween everyone!
Annual Squishing of the Squash at the Oregon Zoo
Location: Portland, OR
Dates: Friday, October 28th at 10:30 am
Cost: Free with Zoo Admission (Adults-$10.50 /Youth-$7.50/Under 3-Free)
Activity: Come and watch as the zoo elephants receive a GIANT pumpkin to squish, smash, and play with!
Location: Portland, OR
Dates: Saturday and Sunday, October 29th and 30th
Cost: Free with Zoo Admission (Adults-$10.50 /Youth-$7.50/Under 3-Free)
Activity: Come and enjoy a trick or treat scavenger hunt at the Oregon Zoo. Kids can come in their costume and go on an exciting scavenger hunt which will lead them to fun activity stations set up all around the zoo. Upon exiting the zoo, each child that turns in a completed hunt, will receive a goody bag filled with treats and prizes.
Rasmussen Farms Pumpkin Funland
Location: Hood River, OR
Dates: Daily, October 1st-Mid November, 9:00am – 6:00pm
Cost: Free Admission
Activity: Voted as one of the 11th best places for Halloween by NickJr.com and recognized by Sunset Magazine as a “must-see.” Each year, the folks at Rasmussen Farms create an elaborate themed pumpkin world for guests to enjoy. This year’s theme is “Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhymes.” Come and see fun pumpkin characters set up around the farm in fun and creative settings. There is also pumpkin bowling, and a decorated corn maze. You can also pick a pumpkin, visit Gourd Central, or visit the Halloween Hut.
Location:Helvetia, OR
Dates: Fridays-Sundays in October
Cost: Parking – $2 , Pay for Wagon Tours, pumpkins, and other attractions throughout the farm / General Admission is Free
Activity: If you’re a fan of Little People, Big World on TLC, you won’t want to miss the chance to meet the Roloff family and tour their pumpkin farm. Free activities include a hay pyramid, tee pee play zone, petting zoo, wild animal viewing, and a pumpkin fun house. There is also a giant slide, bouncy house, and face painting, as well as the wagon tours. There will be a 50th birthday party for Matt Roloff on the 7th-9th, a Native American event on the 15th, and a Pirate festival on the 29th!
Pumpkin Lane and the Pumpkin Patch at Pomeroy Living History Farm
Location: Yacolt, WA
Dates: Saturdays (10:00 am – 5:00 pm) and Sundays (1:00 pm – 5:00 pm) in October
Cost:Adults $6, Children 3-11 $4, 2 and under Free
Activity: 1 mile hay ride down decorated Pumpkin lane with a stop at the Pumpkin Patch, hay maze, petting zoo, pumpkin flume, antique tractor display, children’s games, and food available for purchase. Pomeroy Farms decorates and sets up charming pumpkin people throughout the farm and Pumpkin Lane to delight your kids as they experience the hay ride and activities.
Spooktacular Dance Jam at Firstenburg Center
Location: Vancouver, WA
Dates: Wednesday, October 28th 7:00pm-10:00pm
Cost: $9 per child
Activity: Dancing, a DJ, dance contests, games and dessert. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Halloween at the Kennedy School
Location: Portland, OR
Dates: Monday, October 31st (Times, see below)
Cost: Variety Show: Adults $11, Kids 2-12 $6 / Trick or Treating Free
Activity: “You Who” Kids Variety Show -1:00-2:00pm and trick or treating around the Kennedy School grounds from 4:30-6:30pm
Learning Palace Fall and Halloween Craft Day
Location: Clackamas Learning Palace (right by the mall)
Dates: Saturday, October 8th, from 11:30-2:30
Cost: Free
Activity: Make fun Halloween crafts! Turn an egg carton into a spooky bat, and many other wonderful crafts!
Location: Oregon City, OR
Dates: October 1st-3oth (every day except Sunday, October 2nd) 12pm-5pm and 7pm-10pm
Cost: Adults-$5 Children-$4
Activity: Take a Halloween walk through a lighted, wooded, “Fantasy Trail”, decorated with spooky sights and sounds. Walk through a 40 foot castle with Halloween scenes. Also, walk through a tunnel, maze, crooked house, suspension bridge and more.
The Pumpkin Patch at Sauvie Island
Location: Portland, OR (a bit past Portland)
Dates:Daily through October (farm and market open longer) 9:00 am – 6:00 pm (The Maize open on Fridays until 10 pm – *I do NOT recommend taking children to The Haunted Maize!)
Cost: Free Hayrides daily, Cow Train-$2 per ride, The Maize- 5 and under Free, 6-12 -$5, Adults – $7 , U-pick pumpkins
Activity: Visit THE pumpkin patch and Portland’s original corn”maize.” Free hay maze, hay pyramid, animal barn, and hay ride daily! Go on an adventure through The Maize! Follow fun clues and do activities to get your next clue through the maze. There is a market with fresh produce available as well. (And the most delicious apples I’ve ever had!)
Location:Woodland, WA
Dates: Daily, through October, 9 am – Dusk
Cost: No admission or parking fee. Click HERE for a full pricing sheet of produce/pumpkins available
Activity: Come check out the hay maze, pumpkin slingshot, or have your picture taken in the photo board. Come on the weekend and enjoy a hay ride! They also have a large selection of pumpkins (40 varieties), squash, gourds, corn, corn stalks and more! (*A Chasing Supermom reader helps to run this patch! Come on out and support her family!)
Location: Brush Prairie, WA
Dates: Weekends in October: Fridays-2pm-5:30pm, Saturdays and Sundays – 10am-5:30pm
Cost: $8 per person (2 and under free, but do not get a pumpkin) Pumpkins are 20 cents per pound. Friday and Saturday evenings from 6:00pm-9:30pm you can do the corn maze for $5.
Activity: With paid admission, enjoy one pumpkin, hayride, petting zoo, hay maze, hay pyramid, pumpkin launch, 1 hot drink, and more. If you have a child in Vancouver, they are nearly certain to come here for field trips. The weekend activities is a way for the whole family to experience the pumpkin patch together.
Vancouver Mall Trick or Treat
Location: Vancouver, WA
Dates: October 31st, 5:00-7:00pm
Cost: Free
Activity:Children 12 and under can trick or treat from shop to shop in a safe environment! (While supplies last.)
Great list! We are going to have to do some of these things this year 🙂
How about the Vancouver Pumpkin Patch at Velvet Acres Gardens? It’s local and a super fun, family out at the farm experience for all. Complete with hay rides, animals, hay bale maze and a family costume party / dixieland music concert. Their website is http://www.VancouverPumpkinPatch.com
Love this list and what you are doing here!
Thank you for letting me know about this Robert! This sounds like SO much fun! We will definitely be checking this out!