Fun Learning Inspiration Play

Multicultural children’s museums in the Portland Metropolitan Area!

Upcoming Events

Our mobile exhibits will be featured at the following community events!

Our Reach in July and August

26

Events

3,778

Children, Teens and Adults

112

Hours of Play

Highlights (We are growing fast!)

  • Event Frequency: In just two months (July-August 2024), FLIP completed 26 events.

  • Community Reach: We’ve reached 3,778 children, teens, and adults in the first two months of this year, surpassing last year’s total of 3,218 attendees.

  • Growth in Engagement: This year, within just two months, we’ve seen a significant surge in engagement, with a 17% increase in the number of participants compared to last year’s total attendance.

Our Mobile Exhibit Initiative

  • Food Cart Mobile Exhibit

  • Healthy and diverse food options

    Healthy and diverse food options

  • Kids love it.

  • How much is a bento box?

  • Adults placing order

  • It's oh so fun!

  • Mobile Wind Tunnel

  • Big Blocks

  • Big Blocks

  • Mobile Magnet Wall

  • Indoor big blocks playing

  • Outdoor setup in a parking lot

  • A ship made out of cardboard is resting on the ground. The cardboard pieces are folded together and secured using a blue screw.

    Cardboard ship

  • A child is playing with a wooden train set

    Train Exhibit

  • Two girls are playing with acrylic blocks on top of a light table.

    Light lab

What People Are Saying

“Having the FLIP museum at our Early Intervention park event was extremely helpful! They provided access to equipment and toys that enriched the experience for all. It was especially fun to see the little ones playing side by side and across from each other at the train table. The scarf tunnel was a great distraction for a little guy who became upset and needed to shift his attention to a different activity. It was also great to have the opportunity to share with families about the FLIP museum in hopes of getting the word out! Thank you so much for your help in motivating families to get out and experience fun opportunities in the community with their children who experience neurodiversity.

— Community Partner

The two FLIP Museum visits have been amazing opportunities for children to leave their small hotel rooms and build community with other children in our shelter. They were thrilled with the opportunity to explore, problem solve, and just have fun. A fond memory is the excitement the kids expressed at learning the museum would visit the very next week. They enthusiastically helped cleanup with the knowledge they would be playing again soon.

—- Community Partner

The cardboard activity provided children with essential skills such as critical thinking, compassion, interaction, teamwork, and creativity, which are crucial for overcoming challenges.

One of the Youth Group participants, reflected, “Even though our project didn’t turn out as planned, we had a great time working on it. I’ve learned that while some things are beyond your control, what’s important is enjoying the process.”

Additionally, the activity fostered a sense of community and resilience among the children. They learned the value of collaboration and how to adapt to unexpected outcomes. Despite the project’s outcome, the children remained positive and supportive of one another, demonstrating the true spirit of teamwork and perseverance. This experience not only helped them develop practical skills but also instilled a sense of joy and fulfillment in working together towards a common goal.

—— Community Partner

BACKGROUND

Play is how children learn and develop into happy, healthy members of the community. Research in early childhood development has shown the positive impact of play for years. Encouragingly, some schools in the Greater Portland Metropolitan Area are beginning to integrate more play-based learning into their curriculum. But schools can’t fix our play deficit alone – and they aren’t the only ones playing a critical role in the development of our children. 

FLIP imagines a children’s museum that is adaptable in its delivery and inclusive in its reach. We recognize the need for locations that are equitably accessible. We aim to build an experience that captures the heart of our community and that is relevant and sustainable for future generations.

WHO WE ARE

The FLIP Museum is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization (Tax ID: 87-3605707). Our governing board is a team of local community advocates who care deeply about equitable learning opportunities for children and families in our community. We volunteer our time, expertise, and skills to launch this effort. 

The strength in FLIP will lie in its ongoing commitment to lift up voices from throughout the community. We enthusiastically welcome volunteers from all backgrounds and abilities to get in touch and get involved.

Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants, queer, trans, non-binary, disabled, neurodivergent, and anyone who has experienced systemic oppression are particularly encouraged to apply.

Please email melissa.hong @flipmuseum.org for more information.