Things to do in downtown Portland, OR with small kids?

Adorably Confused. The zoo is a big hit and so is the children's museum. At that time of the year, maybe the children's musuem might be better. Check to see if it's open over the holidays though. Powell's bookstore is amazing and they often have kid events.
More suggestions from Trekaroo families:
http://www.trekaroo.com/places/portland-metro-oregon/activities

OMSI is great for kids and adults! They have an indoor play area for little kids and you can see the Polar Express in the IMAX theatre over the holidays.

I highly recommend taking a short drive over to the Oregon Zoo for Zoolights. The zoo is decked out in holiday lights and displays. It's lots of fun for the whole family. Another fun place to explore Christmas lights is Peacock Lane. www.peacocklane.net. It is a really cute neighborhood that puts on a fabulous holiday display with lights and scenes. There is usually hot chocolate for purchase, often you will find carolers and horse drawn carriages. It is a lovely stroll and easy for kids. It runs through the 31st. If you want to stay downtown you should check out Pioneer Courthouse Square. The Portland Christmas tree is there. The Square is refered to as "Portland's livingroom". Another suggestion is to take the kids for a ride on MAX our light rail system. Kids love trains! You should definitely visit Powell's City of Books. It is amazing! They have everything and often you can buy books used which is a bit cheaper. Fun to just explore. It is great to sit down in the kids area and look at books together. Have a great trip to our wonderful city!

People have covered most of the big spots to see (Zoo, OMSI, Childrens Museum). Out near the zoo and Childrens Museum is the World Forestry Center. We go here a lot with folks who come to visit. They have all sorts of fun stuff for kids of all ages (and adults) to play with.

I would also throw in Finnegan's Toy Store for a little fun. On rainy days we like to hit toy stores as a dry activity. For nice places to eat with kids, Mother's does a really nice breakfast (as well as other meals) and they have a little play corner for the kids (they are super kid friendly and super tasty too!). Other places we like are Piazza Italia (call for a reservation though!), Typhoon, and there are loads of good places in the Pearl and on 21st/23rd streets.

I have been told good things about the Pittock Mansion too. They decorate the place for the holidays, so you can check that out if you are interested:
http://pittockmansion.org/events/tinsel-trees-traditions-150-years-of-christmas/

My guy is train-obessed, so rides on the street car or MAX are a hit for us. The street car will take you through many of the main areas of the immediate downtown area that have been mentioned and the MAX will get you out to the zoo really easily (and you won't have to pay $2 for parking and have the hassle of the crowds). If you like libraries, Portland has a really nice one downtown. If the weather is at all clear, a fun thing to do is the OHSU tram. If the weather isn't nice, it usually isn't worth the money. And if it is rainy and cold and you just need a place for the 2.5 year old to run, you can check out Pioneer Place. It is an indoor shopping mall with lots of levels and space!

Enjoy Portland!

Those are wonderful suggestions, thank you all so much! We're so excited about our upcoming trip. We visit the Portland area often, but usually are at my grandmother's place in Oregon City and haven't gotten to spend anytime in downtown Portland in years!

Adorablyconfused,

I had been wanting to put a list together of 'things to do on rainy days in Portland', and you inspired me to get on it. Many of the suggestions listed above are also on the list, so that could make it easier for you.

If you have ideas of fun things to do in December and January in Seattle, we will be passing through. We love to see seasonal things and we usually head to the Pacific Science Center and what not (would like to try something new).

Thanks!
As for my suggestions- if you click on my profile, you should be able to see my suggested list for fun holiday activities in Seattle in December. If you're here in January- I'd say things like Children's Museum and Museum of Flight, but those are pretty typical activities, so you may have already checked them out...January is way slower around here than December :)