Learn a New Skill at a Family Class or Workshop
The Willamette Valley is awash in family fun—from museums and historic carousels to water parks and tree-climbing excursions. But what about learning a new skill while also having fun?
Around the region, several organizations offer classes and workshops that appeal to the whole family. Offerings range from hands-on, science-focused workshops to fun activities at local farms (often involving baby goats and other adorable animals). So as you get excited to visit the Willamette Valley, check out these ideas for new activities that you’ll cherish long after heading home.
Take a Family-Friendly Cooking Class
Want your teens to help out around the kitchen a bit more often? Eager for the whole family to learn a new skill? Either way, you’ll find memorable cooking classes for the whole crew at The Kitchen at Middleground Farms near Wilsonville.
Roughly once a month, The Kitchen hosts family-oriented classes in which adults and kids team for hands-on workshops—like making dumplings. Other classes are geared toward children and teenagers, and are designed to help young chefs gain confidence and improve their skills in a friendly environment. Check out upcoming classes at the Kitchen at Middleground Farms to see what might fit into your next visit.
Feed Baby Animals at Triskelee Farm
Triskelee Farm sits about six miles east of Wilsonville and a short drive from the beloved Canby Ferry.
Even though you’re not far from the hustle and bustle of the Portland metro area, you’ll feel a world away at the farm—whose offerings include baby lamb tours in March and April, as well as 40-minute farm tours that invite visitors to pet Triskelee’s alpacas and feed its ostriches, goats, and other animals. (There’s even time set aside to cuddle with the farm’s baby goats.) Each tour also includes insight on each animal and how it benefits local ecosystems, as well as information on what it takes to run a working farm. Afterward, stop by the on-site market that sells lamb and ostrich sliders, local beer and wine, and a variety of vintage-inspired knickknacks.
Learn Old-School Skills at Tarweed Folk School
In Corvallis, Tarweed Folk School takes a hands-on approach to traditional skills geared toward DIY enthusiasts and those looking to develop a closer connection to the land—and do so by offering regular classes and workshops across a variety of disciplines.
Classes at Tarweed, named for a bright yellow plant that grows around oak savannas in the Willamette Valley, are taught by skilled educators, craftspeople, and community members, each covering a unique topic. Courses change with the season, but recent classes have included gardening, wood carving, chocolate making, whisk broom building, and mending your jeans. Teens are generally welcome to enroll when their parents have registered for a specific class, but relevant age limits are listed on the registration page for each class.
Get Schooled in STEM at the Eugene Science Center
When classes let out for holidays and long weekends, No School Day Workshops at the Eugene Science Center are in session.
Each session covers a different topic under the broader umbrella of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)—and is open to kindergarten to fifth-grade students when local schools are closed. (That makes it a great opportunity to extend your trip.) Day-long workshops vary throughout the year but might cover paleontology, chemistry, coding, or astronomy. Away from the classes, museum attractions include planetarium shows and hands-on exhibits that detail biology, nanotechnology, and other science-related topics.
Pitch In at Leaping Lamb Farm & Farm Stay
Some 25 miles southwest of Corvallis, not far from the community of Alsea and in the Oregon Coast Range foothills, Leaping Lamb Farm & Farm Stay invites visitors to slow down and appreciate a more relaxed pace on their adventures through the Willamette Valley. It also encourages visitors to roll up their sleeves and help with farm chores.
Here's how it works. Start by booking Leaping Lamb's on-site farmhouse (which sleeps up to 12 across six bedrooms) or two-bedroom cottage. From there, you're more than welcome to pitch in and help with a number of activities that help you understand the daily routine of hard-working farmers—like feeding chickens, collecting eggs, distributing hay, picking produce, and even bottle feeding baby goats when necessary.
If you're not staying the night, book a weekday farm tour and day visit, which includes a one-hour guided tour and—potentially—opportunities to feed the animals and brush the horses. For more inspiration, check out our guide to spending a weekend in farm country around Corvallis.
