Best Budget-Friendly Summer Activities for Kids in Portland 2025

Portland

May 1

Summer is coming up! I can’t even believe how quickly the school year has passed. If you’re like me and don’t need full day camps for your kids, but like to have things for them to do to switch it up a bit then this list is perfect for you! I searched far and wide for options that were more budget-friendly, especially if you’ve got more than one kid because it all adds up quick! I was able to find some budget-friendly things to do with kids in Portland this summer which I’ll share below.

Day camps
If you google “day camps in Portland” there is definitely no shortage of options. In fact, I was a little overwhelmed with how many I found. A lot of options were pretty pricey in my opinion (with three kids things add up fast!), but I was able to find some options that were more reasonable.
-Trackers PDX:
Grades/groups: K-1, 2-4, and 5-8 grades
Cost: $385-495 a week depending on kids’ ages
Time: M-F 9 am-3 pm
Good to know: These are outdoor camps or studio camps that teach skills like pottery, building a fire, archery, fishing, etc. This one isn’t reeeallly super budget-friendly, but it’s got lots of really good reviews so I included it anyway.
-Portland Parks and Recreation Camps:
Grades/groups: 1st-3rd grades, 3rd-5th grades
Cost: $225 a week
Time: M-F 9 am to 5 pm
Good to know: Registration opens May 15th for sessions running from June 23-July 25, or June 12th for sessions running July 28-Aug 2. They also have pre-k camps that are 3 hrs a day-they require your preschooler to be potty-trained.
-Portland Community Center Nature Day Camps:
Grades/groups: ages 5-12
Cost: $300 a week for 5 days, have 4-day and 3-day options as well.
Time: M-F 9-3:30
Good to know: These camps only go during A session (June 23-July 25), so they are not available in the second half of the summer. Registration opens May 15th.
-Multnomah Arts Center Day Camps:
Grades/groups: 1st-3rd grades, 4th-6th grades, 8th-10th grades
Cost: $110-130, a couple are $220
Time: M-F either 9 am to 1 pm, or 1 pm to 5 pm
Good to know: There are sooo many different options here! They have dance, art, theater, metal working, tye dye, sand castles, and on and on. They usually will have a PDF with summer programs, but it looks like they don’t have this year’s up yet. They still have their summer activities listed-it’ll take you to the Portland Parks and Recreation site so don’t get confused! Same May 15th registration.
Water Activities
-Splash Pads: Thankfully there are a LOT in Portland. They’re open 10 am-8 pm for the summer, and they open this year on June 14th and will be available until Labor Day. Here’s a master list of all the splash pads in the area.
-Swim Lessons: I feel like there’s a theme here; anything sponsored by the state is going to be a little less expensive. I’ve found that with swim lessons, you usually get what you pay for so keep that in mind. State lessons are for 2 weeks, 30 min a day and cost $65. Other places that were highly recommended were DolFun Swim Academy ($158.80 a month for one 30 min lesson/week) and the Northeast Community Center ($120 for six 30-min lessons that occur once a week). *Hot tip: If you know someone that could teach your kids but just don’t have a pool to do it, you can use swimply to rent a pool.
-Outdoor Beach Areas: Poet’s Beach, Audrey McCall’s Beach, and Tom McCall Bowl Beach at the waterfront.
Lessons & Classes
-Portland Parks and Rec has Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, and other sports. In the past they’ll have a short one-week camp where you go everyday. This year it looks like the program is a little over a month and practices are twice a week. Price varies, but it’s around $65-75 for most sports.
-There are a lot of 5ks May-Sept at different parks. Adults are $5, kids 17 & under are free. At that cost that would be a fun family summer activity, even if you walk the whole thing!
-Multnomah Arts Center also has individual classes as low as $17/class (click on programs once the summer catalog is up to see everything they have to offer).
Hot Tips
-While doing research I saw that Portland has an Access Pass for residents that can get you discounts on state sponsored activities. I didn’t look into it a ton, but the website to check it out is https://www.portland.gov/parks/discount
-In case you didn’t know, you can use your library card to get what they call a Discovery Pass to a lot of museums in the area, and even things like symphony performances. Here’s a list of activities available.

Alright, that’s it for today! Hopefully that gave you some good ideas and resources to keep your kids busy and having fun this summer. Have anything to add? Let me know in the comments!