My Favorite Kid-Friendly Spaces
Indoor Play Spaces
The Point in South Portland - free, large indoor play structure and turf with balls
Sunflower Community Playspace and Cafe in Gorham - $12 for 1 child, $6 for siblings, $6 for children ages 6-12 months, free for adults and babies under 6 months
Raise Indoor Playspace in Scarborough - indoor playspace best suited for ages 0-5, $20 for 1 child and 2 adults, $10 for siblings, non-crawling babies are free
The PlayLot in Biddeford - $18 for crawlers and walkers, non-crawlers play for free. This space also offers classes and a mother’s support group weekly. Check their website for more deets!
Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine in Portland - $20 for children 1-17, $20 for adults 18- 59, kiddos under 1 play for free, theatre tickets from $15-$20
The Rumpus Room in Brunswick - $15 per kiddo for unlimited play, babies 10 months and under and adults are free
Growing Littles in Cumberland - Variable pricing for classes and memberships
Birth Roots in Portland - variable pricing as they offer different childbirth classes, postpartum groups, nature camps, and music classes
Falmouth Memorial Library - free, catch a storytime or just take the kiddos to play in their children’s area! I think it’s the best suited for children crawling to age 4! Note - You really can't go wrong with any of our local libraries! We also enjoy the Prince Memorial Library in Cumberland, the South Portland Library, the Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth, and the Merrill Memorial Library in Yarmouth!
Westbrook Community Center - they have a great and inexpensive indoor playspace complete with a bouncy house inside, so you don’t go stir-crazy on those yucky days!
L.L. Bean Freeport Flagship Store - the flagship store just got a face-lift and just got a whole lot more kid-friendly! The play camping set up, the fish pond and tanks, taxidermy, and chalk?! You are going to be able to make some fun memories here. Around Christmas time, L.L. Bean just becomes an absolute wonderland. We love watching the train, meeting Santa and the reindeer, and getting to see all the Christmas lights.
Outdoor Play Spaces & Activities
Payson Park in Portland - awesome playground with ninja course for big kids or toddler-sized equipment for littles, right next to Back Cove trail and close to Back Cove books (excellent children’s section) and Coveside Coffee (delicious lattes). In the wintertime, you can take sleds or tubes down the big hill there!
Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth - a lighthouse to view and a children’s garden with a rock slide! There is also a food truck typically here that serves lobster rolls!
Willard Beach in South Portland - there is an amazing playground on the beach (they are redoing it over winter of 2026/2027, but it will be back in Spring 2027) here, and it is within walking distance to Scratch Bakery (serves delicious bagels, pastries, and coffee)
Deering Oaks Playground and Splash Pad in Portland - enough said... but there's more! In the summer and fall, there is a farmers' market that runs in this park on Wednesday and Saturday mornings with music!
Eastern Promenade in Portland - there is a great playground here at the top of the hill where you can watch the Narrow Gauge Train! (You can also purchase tickets to ride by walking down the trail by the beach, and it’s at the end of the trail.) At the bottom of the hill is a paved walking trail perfect for strollers, scooters and bikes, food trucks, and a beach!
Outlet Beach in New Gloucester - While it’s a 30-minute drive from Portland and there is limited parking, this has become one of our favorite summer spots. You have to bring cash to enter and grab Bresca and the Honeybee Ice Cream on the way out (thank me later 😉 ). There is a water slide in the lake, and you can rent tubes to float!
York Wild Kingdom Zoo in York - I recently discovered this gem this summer. While it can be a little pricey, it was so much fun with the three kiddos I was nannying. They absolutely loved it.
Greenbelt Walkway in South Portland - A paved pathway great for strollers, scooters, and bikes from Wainwright Athletic Field to Bug Light Park. This path is about 5.6 miles one way, but we like to enter near Dock’s Seafood and it makes the walk a bit shorter!
Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal - This is a great kid-friendly hike. I did it with a three-year-old, six year old, and eight year old with no complaints or carrying. At the base of the mountain, there are a few playgrounds, potties, and water fountains! This spot is also super dog friendly, and you can camp there in the summer!
Town Landing Playground and Beach in Falmouth - You can park at their new playground and play, and then walk towards Town Landing Market for breakfast and lunch on the way down to the beach. In the warmer seasons, there are countless hermit crabs to catch, observe, and release! A few years ago, we found a horseshoe crab and were able to observe these super cool critters before releasing it back to the ocean.
Sandy Point Beach in Yarmouth - This beach is a little less crowded and it makes it such an enjoyable experience with littles. You're able to stretch out more and build castles or dig without worrying about your little people giving someone else a face full of sand! (been there, done that!😬)
Mackworth Island in Falmouth - This is another super easy hike to do with kiddos. There is a beach on the island, a few bench swings, and a space to make fairy houses!
Nan Jones Kimball Playground in Yarmouth - We LOVE this playground. Lots to do for big kids and a huge sandbox with different trucks for little kids! One of my older nanny kids was obsessed with baseball and was so excited to stand at the top of the playground equipment and catch the little league games going on at the nearby fields!
Sunsets at Thompson’s Point in Portland - This has got to be hands down one of my favorite things to do with kiddos during the summer months! It is free to enter, it’s pet-friendly, there are food trucks, live music, and lots and lots of happy kiddos dancing. We bring a picnic blanket and camp chairs, and typically enjoy dinner from the food trucks and jam out! Check their website for dates!
Casco Bay Lines in Portland - Take a trip to Peaks Island and play at the beach, or just take a ferry ride to one of the little islands! It is so neat to watch your kiddos check everything out from the deck of the boat on a nice day!
Wolfe's Neck Farm in Freeport - Exploring the farm and campus is free and absolutely stunning. I took my 23 month old nanny kiddo here and we attended the Farmyard Story-time! It could not have been better. It was absolutely adorable (also free, we just registered on their website) and my little buddy was so engaged with the educator. I highly highly recommend checking it out.
Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook - $10 per person to enter, but you're going to have a great time. They have so many animals to look at, a petting zoo, a wooden train, a truck and construction vehicles to check out and play on! They also have a cafe and farm store on the grounds where you can get ice cream or lunch after your visit with the animals!
Pineland Farms in New Gloucester -$6 per person to enter. Pineland is hands down, easily one of my favorite places to take kiddos. The farmyard is so much fun, and you can book Friday Farmers to help care for the animals or Farmyard Storytime (so much fun.) In the fall, they have a corn maze to check out, and year-round, you can stop by their market on the way in or out and enjoy their delicious pastries, sweets, sandwiches, soup, and mac and cheese.
Riverbank Playground in Westbrook - This is a super cute playground with a nearby river where there are always ducks to watch. Across the way is Wakie Wakies, a super cute breakfast spot, and down the street is Roots Cafe with some really great gluten-free options and coffee! Kassa is a mobile coffee truck also typically parked by Riverbank and if you are a coffee or matcha lover, trust me when I say you won't regret stopping by.
Kid-Friendly Restaurants
Allagash Brewing Company in Portland - This one truly shocked me. I came here on one of my off-days to meet up with some family and enjoy a bite and some drinks and was blown away. First of all, Bite Into Maine is on this campus with their food truck and their food was phenomenal. They have n/a options as well as alcoholic options, but the big kicker here is that there is an entire fenced in section, away from kid-free adults, just for families. This spot is complete with wood chips, a chalkboard covered barrel, sandbox, construction vehicle toys and mud-kitchen. They also offer a Nursing Nook for a quiet and private space to pump and nurse. Seriously above and beyond!
Double Rodeo Cafe in South Portland - there is a playground right around the corner and crayons and puzzles in-house for littles to enjoy while you drink your coffee or tea!
Brickyard Hollow in Freeport - management here is incredible! On a day trip with our nanny kids, management turned on “Penguins of Madagascar” for them to watch while they ate their pizza, and we all were able to relax and enjoy each other’s company!
Maine Beer Company in Freeport - there is a super cool fountain in the middle and lots of space to move your body!
Cheese Louise in Portland - Their food is sooo good, but they also have lots of board games for older children to enjoy while you eat!
The Friendly Toast in Portland - Great gluten-free options and kids’ menu, friendly staff, and a fenced-in patio so your littles can move without judgement!
Sinful Kitchen in Portland - this is another one of our favorites! They have crayons and brown paper tablecloths for all the drawing of your heart’s desires! They also have really great gluten-free options for our gluten-free friends.
Yosaku in Portland - this is a super awesome, chill environment and a sushi boat meal for kids!
El Rayo in Scarborough - there are arcade games and yard games on their patio (and the most delicious shrimp burritos)
Buck’s Naked BBQ in Freeport - they have a kids’ playhouse, toys, chalkboard, and a great menu for kiddos!
Flatbread Company in Portland - serves delicious pizza and can supply paper and crayons, potentially able to make it onto the front page of their menus!
Wilson County BBQ in Portland - beautiful patio with twinkle lights and live music! The food is great and the staff is so lovely!
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