Portland Outdoor Explorers

Owls, like many animals, cannot process bones or fur, so they cough up little balls of fluff, bones, and other debris (kind of like cats coughing up hairballs). Sometimes if they're fresh enough, or if you're lucky, you can "disect" the pellets to find the tiny bones of the animal the owl had for dinner.
It was exciting having the opportunity to discuss owl digestion, and the explorers were all delightfully aware of and comfortable with the cycle of life!

Welcome Nefertiti to The Mossy Rock!
Nefertit (aka Nef, aka Bearded Lemon) is our new room pet! She is a 9 year old bearded dragon. Her presence provides us additional opportunities to offer explorers chances to learn about uncommon pets and their care, as well as cleanliness necessary for reptiles (avoiding germ transfer, etc.)
Nef also provides an opportunity to learn and practice responsibility, kindness, and self-regulation (it would be difficult to care for something else when you cannot care for yourself, after all).
If you'd like to meet Nef, join us at The Mossy Rock (our indoor location) during our indoor days for after school programming!
The adventure doesn't stop there!

Register today at pdxoutdoorexplorers.com!

Questions? Email us at [email protected]!

Tomorrow (2/22) is our annual Hobbit Feast in honor of Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins birthday. We'll be enjoying foods reminiscent of those served in chapter 1 of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, "The Unexpected Party."
Explorers are welcome to dress up if they wish! We will also have our dramatic play costumes available for those who are undecided or wish to add a bit more to their existing costume.
If you are interested in donated any food items, or if your explorer has any dietary restrictions, please reach out to is at [email protected]

Sometimes, a day inside away from the frightful weather is just what's needed to make the magic happen. Whether it's building forts, spinning Beyblades, playing games together, sewing cloaks for our stuffed friends, or going fishing, there's always something amazing happening at P.O.E.
Register today for year round indoor and outdoor adventures for your student(s)! We offer a discount for siblings!!
To learn more, go to pdxoutdoorexplorers.com

Ever since we got an indoor space, the explorers have been asking us to get a classroom pet. Now, we'll be introducing this beautiful bearded dragon to our room, and while there is a lot for us to teach the explorers about how to care for her, the first thing we'll need to do is give her a name!
What should it be???

Rose City Park: our beloved playground 💚
The adventure doesn't stop there!

Register today at pdxoutdoorexplorers.com!

Questions? Email us at [email protected]!

Friday, September 25th is National Comic Book Day! In addition to chapter books, P.O.E. is a huge fan of comics, both classic and modern.
Class will be in session this day, however, explorers are invited to bring their favorite comic book(s) and manga with them to after-school programming to read and share.
Staff will be doing the same, so even if your explorer doesn’t have a favorite comic, they’ll have plenty of chances to see what other friends are reading and to find a favorite comic book of their own!

Tuesday, September 22nd is the birthday of one Bilbo Baggins (and a Mr. Frodo Baggins) and P.O.E. intends to celebrate with a feast fit for a hobbit!School will be in session this day, but we’ll have an after-school program full of all our explorers’ favorite hobbit foods as well as many foods described in chapter 1 of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, “An Unexpected Party.”
There is no special or separate registration process for the Hobbit Feast Day, however, explorers are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Lord of the Rings characters, or in their Renaissance Faire costumes if they have any. If such a thing wont fit in their backpacks, or are unavailable, there’s no worries! We’ll have our dramatic play costumes at the ready for any explorers who wish to dress up or adorn their existing costumes. Do you have any ideas for what kind of foods we should provide for a day of such magnificence? Please email us at [email protected] with subject line, “Hobbit Feast,” and let us know your thoughts. As always, we will avoid common allergens as much as possible, but please reach out if your explorer has any dietary restrictions so they don’t have to miss out on any of the fun!

Portland Public Schools will be closed on Monday, September 7th in observance of Labor Day.P.O.E. will be hosting a full day of camp from 8:30am to 5:30pm at Rose City Park at the corner of NE 62nd Ave and NE Thompson St. While we cannot use this day to travel to a bookstore, in honor of this doubling as world “Buy a Book” day, we will be taking a neighborhood walk to the various Little Free Libraries within walking distance.
Explorers are also encouraged to bring their own books to read or exchange at the Little Free Libraries. We are looking forward to a beautiful outdoor day full of reading, sharing stories, and perhaps even writing some of our own! Even if your explorer doesn’t have a chance to join us for the full day camp on the 7th, we’ll be encouraging reading on September 8th, which is International Literacy Day!One of the things P.O.E. dedicates itself to is fighting back against the declining literacy rates of the US by encouraging reading and the development of critical reading skills. While we have a good number of books for each elementary reading level and beyond, if you would like to donate any books to help us, we will happily accept! Please email us at [email protected] with the subject line, “Book Donation,” to coordinate with P.O.E. staff.

Register for the full day camp on 9/7/26 by heading to the POE website today!

Friday, September 18th, is our next Guardians' Night Off! We'll be watching Titan A.E., an exciting animated film about one man’s journey to recreating a destroyed Earth in the far, far flung future. As always, explorers are invited to bring their stuffies, pajamas, pillows, blankets, and whatever else will help them feel comfortable for our movie night. Our menu has yet to be determined, so if you have any suggestions, please feel free to let us know. As always, if your explorer(s) have any dietary restrictions, please reach out to us at [email protected]! with subject line: “GNO”
Ready to register? Head on over to our website at pdxoutdoorexplorers.com!