The Clay Studio

Clay inspires the budding artist in kids of ALL ages. Start with a piece of clay and end up with a box for precious jewels, or a castle for a prince and his dragon, or maybe just a very special blob creature.

For younger children, squishing and pounding the clay keeps them engaged while older children design and sculpt. For a small fee, take home what you make or leave it for firing in one of our kilns.

Check the calendar for special activities such as glazing, using the pottery wheel, experimenting with Raku firing techniques, and collaborative projects.

The Garage

Join us in our recycled arts studio for drilling, gluing and building earth-friendly construction projects! Children age 5+ become designers as they select materials and create unique objects to take home.

The Garage is open for ages 5+ on Wednesday and Friday, 1pm-4pm, Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm, and on school holidays.

Check the calendar for our new program, Garage Junior created just for ages 2-5.

Water Works

Crank, funnel, pour, squirt, measure, float! Water Works features a 12-foot high waterfall, a hand-cranked "conveyor belt" that carries water in whimsical recycled objects, a twirling bouquet of kitchen mops and an array of instruments that kids play by spraying the water cannon. Smocks and dryers provided!

Sponsored by: The Standard & Bank of America

Dig Pit

This Pit is filled with rubber gravel plus plenty of buckets, shovels, dump trucks and a conveyor belt. Let your kids dig into the fun while you enjoy the Caterpillar Cafe annex!

Sponsored by: Associated General Contractors Oregon-Columbia Chapter Foundation

The Baby's Garden

Explore a multi-sensory, magical space designed just for our youngest visitors, birth to three years. Let your baby explore the trickling water stream, rest on the new lilypad waterbed, visit with the fish in the new aquarium and climb into the tree and slide down! .

Vroom Room

Our vehicle room is a perennial favorite. Complete with a track and train set, soft building blocks and even a TriMet bus to "drive," this is also a space for caregivers to watch while kids learn the meaning of sharing time "at the wheel."

The Dorothea Lensch Play It Again Theater

This theater is never "dark!" Between performances by storytellers, musicians and puppeteers, the kids direct all the action. Spend any time in this theater and children who have never met are staging plays, singing, acting and sometimes just hamming it up!

There is a real ticket booth, stage props, costumes, lights and a sound board. Seating for 110 on carpeted risers make this a comfortable spot for watching the creative energy unfold.

Sponsored By: Dorthea Lensch Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, Spirit Mountain Community Fund, Juan Young Trust, PGE

Wonder Corner

The Wonder Corner is a studio space dedicated to experimentation and creative play where children invent stories, share memories, imagine, design, build and wonder. Children delight in the beautiful and luminous qualities provided by a collection of backlit play tables. As they explore elements of light, shadow, transparency and color, children engage in collaborative and creative moments of joyful discovery. Caregivers are encouraged to observe the tremendous creative capacities of the children at play.

"The light goes through like dancing." Guila, 5 yrs.

Playopolis

Inside and out, Playopolis is a celebration of art and play with a twist of summer squeezed all around! From Tuesday Munch & Music festivals, to tie-dying and painting Art the Car, our donated Camaro, you never know what is happening this summer at PCM.

The indoor "park" features fort building among the "trees," an Astroturf playing field for soft ballgames, giant Lincoln logs to build a summer cabin, and huge games like checkers! Each week features guests from BodyVox to steel-drum bands, the Timbers soccer team and special visits from some animal friends at the Zoo. Play on!

Grasshopper Grocery & Butterfly Bistro

Who’s next in line at this one “hop” shop? Wander the store and fill up carts that are just your size full of fresh “fruit” and frozen entrees. Once the shopping is complete, ring up goodies on a cash register and hear the beep when items are scanned. Then, flutter on over to the Butterfly Bistro to create sandwiches for your hungry grown-ups at the counter.

Sponsored by: The Fred Meyer Fund of the Kroger Foundation

Kids Care

Just like a doctor’s office, this area is bustling with activities for you to try! Come to the rescue in a mini-ambulance, or operate the emergency dispatch center.  Pull on scrubs and feed, bathe and clothe the babies in the nursery, or role-play over the operation table puzzle.  Everyone has their best features and here you can take a picture of yours, print it on the computer and then write or draw about why your features are so splendid!

Sponsored by: Providence Health & Services, with additional support from MetroWest Ambulance

Treehouse Adventure

Every day, our Storytime tradition continues. Without fail, or power outage, stories are read at 11am & 2pm in Treehouse Adventure. When kids are not spellbound by the latest tale, they can climb into the giant tree or fallen limb, bring pillows with them, and create a fort of fun!

Building Bridgetown

Grab a tool belt and hard hat to join the crew! In our 17-foot-high, two-story house, kids can panel a wall, connect plumbing fixtures, take measurements, work the "button and latch" board, and build with blocks on our custom-designed building table. Don't forget to go upstairs to play with the giant magnetic board and to climb into the secret crawl space!

Twilight Trail and so much more...

Take a stroll through our enchanted forest of trees filled with puppet animals, light tables and shadow walls.

The slice of moon above and the sounds of the forest complete your journey to the ever-popular Face Painting station, or back into Orientation Hall where the fun goes in all directions!

You can:

• Brush Wally the Gator's HUGE teeth!
• Have your photo taken inside our giant pasta picture frame.
• Enter Bridgetown: home of the Grasshopper Grocery & Butterfly Bistro, Building Bridgetown’s two-story house, the PCM Cruiser Ship, the Vacuum Thinga-ma-jiggy, Kids Care and the Baby's Garden.
• Visit our lobby for a refreshment break at the real Caterpillar Café.
• Shop for the perfect gift at the Museum store.
• Admire the giant butterflies swooping down as you book a birthday party.
• Enjoy the animal art mask exhibit surrounding our front desk, and make new friends with our fabulous customer service staff!

Kangaroo Crossing

Where else can you bring to life the hands-on adventures of the “Land Down Under?” Grab a flight to Australia’s outback and Great Barrier Reef through the exhibit Kangaroo Crossing and learn about the Aussie ways without having to jump the equator.

You can:

• Climb the Eucalyptus Tree: With branches that are six feet or higher, play with Aussie animal puppets and learn what a didgeridoo can do!
• Marsupial Match: Help the mother marsupials find their babies by fitting the baby in the correct pouch. Visitors can challenge friends to see who can jump as far as a Kangaroo!
• Banana Bender - The Queensland Supermarket: Find out what children in Australia can buy at a store!
• Natural Wonder - The Great Barrier Reef: Learn about Australia's water life and the world's largest coral reef.
• Termitaria: Play on a termite hill that is over five feet tall. Crawl inside to find out how large termite and ant homes are in Australia.