Ever heard of the Bike Farm? Read about this northeast Portland nonprofit collective dedicated to educating people of all ages about cycling, including safe riding and bike maintenance on our Family Fun pages! How about the Tillamook Forest Center? We’ve got the scoop on how to get there, what to do once you’re there and what ages will enjoy it most. Even though summer is winding down, that’s no reason to stop exploring the Portland metro area with your kids. Check out our reviews of Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Bishop’s Close and Whitaker Ponds, then plan your next weekend or day-off-of-school adventure!

We really want these pages to provide all the information you might need to make the most of the family-friendly attractions and activities in the Portland area – and all at the click of a mouse! Please check them out and let us know what you think, what you’d like to see and read there, and any ideas you might have for fabulous family fun in and around the Portland metro area!

As we head back into the school year, our September issue also offers advice for raising kids who are scientifically literate at every age and stage. It’s not that we want them all to end up with careers in science, it’s just that we want them to grow up enthusiastic about exploration and discovery. We also explore childhood speech disorders, shedding light on the different types of speech disorders children can experience, the warning signs we should all learn to recognize, and how to get help as early as possible if you think your child might need it.

You’ll find all your favorite regular features, too, including a Viewpoint offering an update on autism research presented by specialists from Oregon Health & Science University’s Center for Spoken Language Understanding; an Angels Among Us column introducing you to the Native American Youth and Family Center; a late summer party in the park in Going Places with Ramona; and a review of Pizzicato Pizza, a delicious treat for you and your school, in our Family Fare column. Of course our Family Calendar is filled to the brim with exciting activities every day of the month.

While we think you’ll find the best of the Portland metro area in every issue of Metro Parent, this issue in particular reminds us of how lucky we are to live – and to raise our children! – in the Portland metro area! Pick up your copy today, or read it online beginning September 1.

ALL WEEKEND

Oregon State Fair. There’s nothing like the state fair! Where else can you find concerts, magic shows, animals, acrobats, a reptile show, an interactive circus and a huge carnival midway? There are LOTS of new additions this year, too! Plus, check out the amazing Days of the Dinosaur exhibit! Opens this weekend; runs through Sept. 6. (Check Web site for schedule and special events.) $11 ages 12 to 64, $6 ages 6 to 12, 5 and under; midway rides, some concerts extra charge; Days of Dinosaur additional $3 children, $5 adults. Free parking. 2330 17th St NE, Salem. 503-947-3247. www.oregonstatefair.org.

Festa Italiana. Italian entertainment plus marionettes, pizza toss, grape stomp and more. Friday noon to midnight, Saturday noon to 11 pm. Admission is FREE; vendors charge. Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 SW 6th Ave. festa-italiana.org.

Mt. Hood Huckleberry Festival and Barlow Trail Days. Music, crafts, trial tours/hikes, model trains, scavenger hunt and more. Friday and Saturday 8 am to 10 pm; Sunday Aug. 29. FREE; vendors charge. Mt. Hood Village, 65000 E Hwy. 26. 503-622-4798. cgs-mthood.tripod.com/huck_festival.htm.

SATURDAY

BugFest. Celebrate invertebrates with discovery stations, crafts, games, entertainment and more. Get a bug identified by an expert. 11 am to 4 pm. $2/person. Tualatin Hills Nature Park, 15655 SW Millikan Way, Beaverton. 503-629-6350. thprd.org.

Chili on the Green. Music, chili cook off, kids’ carnival with inflatables, rock climbing, games and more. 10 am to 8 pm. FREE; vendors charge. Fairview Community Park, 1300 NE Village St., Fairview. 503-674-6202. fairview.or.us.

Falls Hike. Join the Sierra Club for a 5.4 mile hike to see Multnomah and Wahkeena falls. 9 am to 4 pm. Meet at Multnomah Falls. 360-852-8375. oregon.sierraclub.org/outings/.

SUNDAY

Salsa en la Calle PDX. Salsa lessons for all ages, children’s art tent (noon to 6 pm), dancing and more. 11 am to 11 pm. $15, free ages 12 and under. East Bank Festival Plaza, SE Main/Water. 503-314-2639. salsaenlacallepdx.com.

How have you and your kids explored the world this summer? Stargazing? Bird and/or bug watching? Cooking? Gardening? It’s all summer science!

There’s still time for more! If you need inspiration, check out these three Summer Science Experiments from Mad Science of Portland and Vancouver. And if you have any fun family science activities your family loves, please share them below!

You’ll find all your old favorites — big-time entertainers, 4-H and FFA exhibits, crafts and baked goods and midway rides galore — but you’ll also find plenty of new attractions to excite even the most experienced fair goer!

Back this year are ATV Safety Rides, the Bi-Mart Monster Truck Experience, a BMX demo and riding area, the Cherry City Roller Derby Girls, mountain biking, rock climbing, a skate park and more. New to the fair are sand sculpting, an outdoor aquarium, flat track dirt racing, the Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center, bowling, Volcanoes baseball, Air Soft shooting and several other intriguing additions. And don’t miss Days of the Dinosaur, featuring more than 35 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, skeleton replicas, a fossil dig, 3-D cinema, a little dino ride and other big time dino fun!

ENTER HERE BY NOON ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, FOR A CHANCE TO WIN.

PLEASE NOTE: We’ll be mailing the tickets on Saturday afternoon, so plan to visit the fair between August 31 and September 6.

What’s your best memory from — or favorite attraction at — the Oregon State Fair?

ALL WEEKEND

Glendi. Greek festival with entertainment, pony rides, face painting, crafts and more. Friday and Saturday 11 am to 10 pm. FREE; charge for food and children’s activities. St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 14485 SW Walker Rd., Beaverton. 503-644-7444. glendipdx.com.

FRIDAY

Summer Nights! Talented teens from the Northwest Children’s Theatre and School perform a song and dance revue. Ages 8 and older. Friday and Saturday 7 pm; Saturday and Sunday 2 pm. $10 adults, $5 students. NW Neighborhood Cultural Center, 1819 NW Everett St. 503-222-4480. nwcts.org.

Family Fun Night. Unlimited go karts, mini golf, bumper boats, laser tag and more. 5 to 10 pm. $25. Wilsonville Family Fun Center, 29111 SW Town Center Loop. 503-685-5000 xt. 21. fun-center.com.

SATURDAY

Multnomah Day. Enjoy a parade at 10 am, then a street fair with entertainment, kid’s play area and more. 8 am to 6 pm. FREE; vendors charge. Multnomah Village, SW 33d and SW 36th on Capitol Hwy. 503-244-9683. multnomahvillage.org.

Vintage Baseball. See an 1860′s gloveless game. 6 pm. FREE. Fort Vancouver parade ground, 1101 Officers Row. 360-816-6230. fortvan.org.

Soberiha. A Russian-American cultural festival in the style of a traditional Russian folk carnival with American music. FREE. Noon to 6 pm. Esther Short Park, W Columbia/8th St., Vancouver, Wash. 360-907-4876. cityofvancouver.us.

SUNDAY

Samudra’s Birthday Party. Inflatables and elephant-themed activities to celebrate. 10 am to 3 pm. Most activities free with zoo admission. Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road. 503-226-1561. oregonzoo.org.

Celebrando la Familia A Latino Summer Resource Fair with information on health, education, legal and other topics along with entertainment and more. 1 to 5 pm. FREE. Esther Short Park, W Columbia/8th St., Vancouver, Wash. 360-907-4876. cityofvancouver.us.

A survey conducted recently by Money Management International (MMI), the nation’s largest nonprofit credit counseling agency, supports our finding, revealing that kids today are being exposed to financial education far more often than their parents were as children. According to the MMI report, “nearly five times as many parents did not learn about money until they were adults compared to their kids.”

“It’s never too early to start teaching the next generation the financial skills they need for life” says Cate Williams, vice president of financial literacy for MMI. “Being exposed to financial education at a young age prepares youth to have financially successful futures.”

Key findings from MMI’s 2010 Kids and Money survey include:

• Kids are starting to bank younger these days. Three times as many children under 10 have bank accounts than their parents did when they were that age.
• Piggy bank popularity is increasing. Nearly twice as many parents use the piggy bank as a learning tool for their kids compared to how many used it themselves as kids.
• Kids are learning how to raise money. Nearly 7 in 10 American kids participate in fundraisers for their school or organization. Parents are using these fundraisers as an opportunity to teach financial lessons – two-thirds of parents teach financial responsibility or basic math skills, roughly half of parents surveyed teach goal setting or basic business skills, and 4 in 10 use fundraisers to teach about budgeting or charitable giving.
• Some kids have control over their money, others don’t. When it comes to controlling the money kids receive, parents are roughly evenly split on who gets to control their children’s money – 49 percent say that they either give their children the total decision or most of the decision while 51 percent of parents say they give kids pretty free rein or put their money directly into savings.
• Kids mostly spend their money on wants. Almost half (49 percent) of parents report that their children primarily spend their money on things they want, such as ice cream, video games, etc. Twenty-seven percent of parents say that kids save their money. Nearly 20 percent said their children spend their money on things they need, like new clothing, school supplies, etc.

Have you started teaching your kids about money management?

What’s worked for your family?

What have you tried that might not have worked as well?

For tips on teaching kids good money management skills, check out the resources on MoneyManagement.org.

For tips on saving for college, no matter how old your kids are today, read Savings & Loans in our August issue.

• Visit the school with your child during the summer. Play on the playground. Look into classrooms, walk down the halls and check out the cafeteria if you can.
• Get together with other families whose children will attend the new school. If your child sees a few familiar faces on his first day, he’ll feel more at home there.
• If your child is starting middle school, find out if you can walk around the school and find her locker and classes prior to the first day. That will alleviate the anxiety of trying to navigate unfamiliar halls crowded with excited teens and ‘tweens.
• If your child is interested in sports, music, dance or theater, find out if he or she can get involved in school activities during the summer. Many organized clubs and teams begin practicing before school begins.
• Talk with your child about what to expect – what will be similar to what they’re used to and what will be different. Acknowledge their concerns and remind them that everyone feels a little nervous on the first day. Show them you have confidence in them and in their ability to succeed in their new school.

For more tips about smoothing the transition to a new school, read Smooth Moves in our August issue.

ALL WEEKEND

Arts Festival in the Forest. Performances and an art show. Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 5 pm. FREE. 503-557-4700. Off Hwy. 43. West Linn. artsfestivalintheforest.com.

Washington Park Summer Festival. Bring a picnic and enjoy some great entertainment. Friday: Do Jump! Saturday: Felicidades. 6 pm. FREE. 503-823-play. portlandonline.com/parks/.

urbanMamas/Activistas Garage Sale. Buy some fabulour gently-used treasures to benefit Family Forward Oregon. Friday and Saturday 9 am to 4 pm. NE 47th & Siskiyou. www.activistas.us.

OMSI Free Days. FREE admission to OMSI all weekend, thanks to the Fred Meyer Fund.
omsi.edu/fredmeyersciencedays.

SATURDAY

Central Library Block Party. Outdoor fun with music and more. Noon to 3 pm. FREE. SW Taylor between SW 10th/11th. 503-988-5123. events.multcolib.org.

Fire in the Park. Games, entertainment and firefighter challenges. 11 am to 9 pm. FREE. Esther Short Park, W Columbia/8th St., Vancouver. 360-907-4876. cityofvancouver.us.

Rookie Rides. Portland Wheelmen host family bike rides. Helmets required. 10 am Aug. 14 along Springwater on the Willamette. 7 miles. Departs east side Hawthorne Bridge. 503-961-4184. pwtc.com.

SUNDAY

Sunday Parkways. Walk, bike, blade or skip on 6-mile 2-loop route connecting Laurelhurst, Colonel Summers, Sunnyside parks and the Hawthorne Street Fair. Roads closed with activities and music along the route. 10 am to 3 pm. FREE. 503-823-5358. portlandsundayparkways.org.

Hawthorne Street Fair. Music, kids’ activities and more. 11 am to 5 pm. FREE; vendors charge. Along SE Hawthorne 30th to 43rd Aves. 503-775-7633. thinkhawthorne.com.

India Festival. Music, dancing, food and entertainment from India.
11 am to 9 pm. FREE; vendors charge. Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 SW 6th Ave. 503-645-7902. icaportland.org.

Here’s the scoop: Every year during July and August we ask our readers to tell us about their favorite family-friendly destinations and businesses. You let us know where your family loves to eat, shop, hike, celebrate, exercise and more. As a reward, one lucky voter, chosen at random, wins a Family Fun Package including a $50 gift card to the winning restaurant (the “Happy Highchair” winner!), the books “Out & About with Kids Portland” and “Best Hikes with Kids Oregon,” and the DVD “Portland at Play.”

Don’t keep those wonderful local businesses a secret! Cast your votes today! We’ll reveal the winners in our September issue.