Finding kids’ activities
By Jennifer Carlson
The process of seeking out local kids’ activities can be daunting, exhausting, even overwhelming. This is especially true for parents who are new to the area, as many in Cedar Mill are. Years in, I feel like I’m still learning of new opportunities all the time. I’ve put together a list of kids’ activities that, from what I’ve learned, are not broadly known, not easy to find, or both. This is obviously not exhaustive. I hope you learn something new here—and maybe you have something to add for a future list, in which case I encourage you to let us know.
THPRD
Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District offers a number of indoor and outdoor programs in sports and the arts, ranging from archery, to cricket, to art classes for toddlers. THPRD also hosts workshops and camps over school breaks.
A variety of sports leagues can be explored here. A list of available classes at Cedar Hills Recreation Center, including those that have not started, can be found here.
Athletic clubs
The local, non-chain athletic clubs allow non-members to participate in certain kids’ activities, at a higher cost. Upcoming events include a Turkey Bowl sports and activities camp for elementary-aged children at Sunset Athletic Club in November, and a six-week basketball league for elementary and middle-school kids at Bethany Athletic Club in the spring.
Soccer
Milltown United Soccer Club serves as the entry point to soccer for many kids in the area. The longtime recreational league offers spring and fall programs for elementary and middle-school children (and a high school program in the fall). The teams are gender-and grade-based, and each season involves six weeks of play for micros (kindergarten and first-grade players) and eight weeks of play for children in Grade 3 and up. Soccer Shots is a weekly, hour-long class for children 2 to 8, focusing on the development of soccer skills, sportsmanship, fitness, and confidence. The nine-week program takes place on the field at Bethany Baptist Church. The spring 2024 program begins in March.
Lacrosse
The Sunset Lacrosse Youth Program introduces girls and boys in elementary and middle school to the sport of lacrosse. The recreation league focuses on sport fundamentals, sportsmanship, and team skills. There are also competitive teams for boys in fifth through eighth grades, for which athletes audition. The program takes place in the spring; there is a free fall clinic for new players November 16th.
Cross Country
Foot Traffic, the local running store, hosts track and cross-country clubs to introduce kids in grades 2 to 8 to the sport in a fun and educational way. The twice-weekly, 50-minute practices include games, group workouts, and sport fundamentals. Each program lasts six weeks and takes place at Terra Linda park. The track program begins at the end of February.
Parkour
For a less structured physical activity, parkour uses the built environment to learn to overcome obstacles and improve health and efficiency. Revolution Parkour Beaverton offers drop-in classes as well as four- and eight-packs of classes for 5-7-year-olds, and drop-in classes and memberships for ages 8 and up, while The Movement Park in Hillsboro hosts classes and camps for ages 3 and up via memberships.
Martial Arts
There are a number of martial arts programs around the area, and taekwondo is particularly popular. Cedar Mill alone has W1 Taekwondo and Cedar Mill World Class Taekwondo, both of which offer programs for kids of preschool age and up. Students attend two or more classes per week while working their way up to black belt and/or participating in competition teams.
Art
Village Gallery of Arts offers monthly classes that cover an array of art forms for kids aged 7 to 11. Rotating instructors focus on both artistic concepts and skills, using a variety of media.
Music
Portland Piano Performance Academy, based in Cedar Mill, is run by a highly accomplished performer, teacher, and adjudicator with 30 years of experience teaching kids as young as 3 (as well as adults). Deanne Howe holds a doctorate in musical arts, has performed with orchestras around the world, and has taught at prestigious universities and organizations across the United States. Hoffman Academy is a 17-year-old music school that uses a multi-sensory method to provide a fun and engaging, yet rigorous, musical education. Classes include piano (ages 5 and up), guitar (7 and up), and voice (9 and up). The Hoffman Method, developed by founder Joseph Hoffman, is now taught to thousands of students in 115 countries.
Cub Scouts
Formerly chartered through Cedar Mill Elementary School, Cub Scout Pack 207 continues at Cedar Hills Baptist Church. The group serves both girls and boys at Cedar Mill and Bonny Slope elementary schools, as well as other elementary-aged children in the Cedar Mill and Cedar Hills areas, fostering life skills. Scouts meet every other week on Tuesday evenings, rotating between pack and den (subgroups divided by grade level) meetings, and gather at least once per month for activities such as hiking, horseback riding, and visiting cultural attractions.
