Bend Family Loop: Week of Apr. 6-9

Hi there,

I hope your family found a fun way to get out and enjoy this gorgeous weekend! We got a little bike riding in, sipped on a smoothie while playing in the sand at Active Culture, and spent time in the yard building forts.

There’s a fun week ahead, so let’s jump right in!

–Megan

Save the Date! The Environmental Center is thrilled to host our annual Earth Day Fair and Celebration on Saturday, April 25th, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Alpenglow Park in Bend.

This family-friendly outdoor event celebrates our community with music and dance performances, local food vendors, regional businesses and nonprofits, and an activity zone for all ages. There will be a parade featuring animal costumes that all kids and adults will be encouraged to join. 

So many of you have said you’re interested in finding more ways to get outdoors with your littles! With the change in seasons, we’re going to start including a weekly spotlight on family-friendly ways to get outside.

Think of these as mini-field guides with the details you need to know to set your family up for a successful outing, without the trial and error (I’ll take care of that myself 😉)

Here’s what’s happening this week!

🫟 Toddler Time: Messy Monday!
9am–12pm • Ages 5 & under • More info
📍Mountain Air (20495 Murray Rd. #150)

A perfect combo of big movement and hands-on fun, with open jump time at the trampoline park followed by sensory play in the activity room.

🤸 Toddlers & Tots Play
9am-11am • Ages 1-5 • More info
📍Cascade Indoor Sports (20775 High Desert Ln.)

Enjoy climbing and sliding in the Bigger Play Thing without the “big kid” energy during this toddler-friendly open play time. There will also be Strider bikes, balloons, soccer balls, and more available for play.

🐟 Backpack Explorers: Fish Friends!
10am–11am • Ages 3–5 • Register
📍 High Desert Museum (59800 US-97)

This week, dive into the world of fish! This hands-on preschool program blends storytime, crafts, and meeting the fish of the high desert, led by museum educators.

📚 Preschool Story Time
10:30am–11am • Ages 3–5 • Free
📍 Deschutes Historical Museum (129 NW Idaho Ave)

A lively storytime packed with stories, songs, and rhymes to get little ones excited about reading and build early literacy skills.

🤖 Kids Robot Painting
3pm–4:30pm • Ages 6–11 • Register
📍 Bend TEAL (1024 NW Bond St)

Kids design and paint their very own robot in this STEAM-inspired art workshop blending creative and analytical thinking.

✍️ Collage Poetry for Teens
4pm–5:30pm • Ages 13–18 • Register
📍 Open Arts Center (999 NE 2nd St)

Kick off National Poetry Month by crafting collage poems from found words and images, digging through books and magazines to create something surprising and original in this fun, creative poetry workshop!

🦸 SPRING Into Action! Super Heroes
10:30am–11:30am • All ages • Free • More info
📍 Sunriver Library (57100 Beaver Dr, Sunriver)

Spring into action at the library with superhero-themed stretching, crafts, super science, and more, plus every kid creates their own superhero costume accessories to take outside and play!

📚 Baby Story Time
10:30am-10:45am • Ages 0–18 • Free
📍Deschutes Children's Foundation (2125 NE Daggett Ln)

A short and sweet storytime for parents and babies. Read, sing, and enjoy the community that comes from a room full of babies and parents!

🐴 Sisters Farm School
11am–12:30pm • All ages • More info
📍 Sisters Farm School

Get to know the farm animals, experience a short pony ride lesson, and have fun with outdoor play and arts & crafts on the farm!

🎶 Bilingual Stories & Songs
11:30am–12pm • All ages • Free • More info
📍 Deschutes Children’s Foundation (2125 NE Daggett Ln)

Stories and songs in both English and Spanish. A welcoming, joyful session for multilingual families and anyone who loves music and language.

📖 Youth Novel Idea Book Discussion & Pizza Party
5pm–6pm • Ages 6–13 • Free • More info
📍 Deschutes Historical Society (129 NW Idaho Ave)

An elementary & middle school aged gathering to discuss Hope in the Valley by Mitali Perkins, a novel about a twelve-year-old navigating grief, friendship, and a community housing crisis over a slice and some great conversation.

🪴 With A Child: Garden Mobile
5:30pm–7pm • Ages 6–15 • Register
📍 Samara Learning Center (230 NE 9th St)

A parent-child craft workshop where you'll build a hanging mobile inspired by the garden.

🏃 Slow Season Run Club
9:30am • Ages 6 mo+ • Free • RSVP
📍 The Commons (875 NW Brooks St.)

Bring the stroller and join other parents on a morning run, following a beginner-friendly 5k training program with walking and running intervals and the Happy Girls 5k as a fun, no-pressure goal.

📚 Toddler Story Time
10:30am–10:55am • Ages 18–36 months • Free
📍Deschutes Children’s Foundation (2125 NE Daggett Ln)

A short, sweet storytime perfectly tuned for toddler attention spans with songs, a story, and movement to keep everyone engaged.

📚 Hello! Storytime "Alphabet!"
10:30am–11am • Ages 0–5 • Free
📍 Roundabout Books (900 NW Mt. Washington Dr)

Hello! Storytime with Ms. Kathy explores the alphabet this week with books, songs, and movement.

🐦‍⬛ Nature Kids: Sky Explorers!
2:30pm–4pm • Ages 5–10 • Free • RSVP required
📍 Sawyer Park (62999 O.B. Riley Rd)

Join Karen Walsh and the Deschutes Land Trust for Nature Kids, a guided family nature walk (1 mile, easy rating) exploring the world of birds! Practice using binoculars, learn how birds communicate, and discover Central Oregon's natural world together.

🎨 Connection Through Creativity Art Workshop
2:30pm–4:30pm • Ages 6–13 • Free • Register
📍 FREAK'N ART (1265 NW Wall St)

Create a heartfelt art piece honoring someone meaningful in your life, using a photo transfer technique to craft a beautiful portrait with no drawing skill required. Bring a photo and any meaningful mementos. All other materials provided.

🐆 Rainforests and Jaguars
1pm-4pm • Ages 5-11 • Register
📍 Let’s Paint @ Tower Theater (835 NW Wall)

Kids paint gorgeous jaguars on canvas and masks, then dive into rainforest science with hands-on humidity-in-a-bag experiments in this interactive early-release day art class.

🎨 Family Art Play
4pm–5pm • Ages 0–6 • Register
📍 Two Suns Art Studio (70 SW Century Dr.)

Get creative with the whole family through open-ended paint and sensory stations (and skip the messy cleanup after!).

🤸 Toddler Time Storytime & Crafts
11am–12pm • Ages 0-5 • More info
📍Mountain Air (20495 Murray Rd. #150)

An hour long storytime and craft during toddler jump time. Get some energy out starting at 9am, then put on those listening ears for interactive stories and creativity with Ms. Meredith.

🎨 Storytime Art
1pm–2:30pm • Ages 3–6 • Register
📍 Two Suns Art Studio (70 SW Century Dr.)

Learn about different artists and artistic styles in this play-based art class. Using stories and a little bit of teacher guidance, kids will create both individual and communal creative projects as well as have time to engage in open-ended exploration stations.

🫧 Toddler Open Play — Bubble Party!
9am–12pm • Ages 10 mo–5 yr • More info
📍 Free Spirit (320 SW Powerhouse Dr)

Climb, jump, and slide during this open play time with obstacle courses, climbing walls, and chasing bubbles!

🎨 OAC Teen Open Art Hours
3pm–7pm • Ages 13–18 • Free • RSVP
📍 Open Arts Center Teen Studio (999 NE 2nd St)

Open studio time for teens to create, all supplies provided, all mediums welcome. Just show up with an idea and make something great!

🎵 Music for Kids
5pm–6:30pm • Family friendly • Free
📍 Craft Kitchen and Brewery (62988 Layton Ave)

Kid-friendly live music and kids open mic night! Come and share any and all musical talents, or simply come out for some good vibes and a fun family evening.

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