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Free Lunch + Play
Where kids have fun in the sun and share a meal together!
Free Lunch + Play, part of Portland Parks & Recreation, is supported by the Portland Parks Levy. This year, Free Lunch + Play, formerly known as the Summer Playground Program, celebrated 120 years of providing recreation, free meals, arts + crafts, play, and community building!
In partnership with our USDA nutrition partners, including Portland Public Schools, Centennial, David Douglas, and Parkrose School Districts, Free Lunch + Play provides free lunch, drop-in games, crafts, and recreation for youth ages 18 and under. The program is held late June through mid-August, Monday through Friday from 10 am to 2 pm every summer.
Park sites are selected with respective school districts in areas where 50% or more students qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, are not serviced by another organization providing meals in the approximate vicinity and is approved by the Oregon Department of Education.
Summer 2026 Highlights
- 53,000 Meals Served
- 4,100 hours of Free Lunch + Play drop-in fun
- 367 Free Program Partner Activities
- 23 Sites including Home Forward and Rosewood Initiative
- 105 local youth hired as Counselors/Lead Counselors including 60 returning staff
- Favorite Activities: Bubbles, Slime, Plastic Lacing, Break the Ice, Guess Who, and Soccer
Favorite Quotes at Free Lunch + Play This Summer
We are so thankful to the 73,000+ youth and adults that visited Free Lunch + Play this summer. Here's a small sampling of what our staff heard all summer long!
From Caregivers
- We voted yes on the Parks Levy specifically because of how much we need and love Free Lunch + Play. Thanks for being here again. - Caregiver
- You guys make the park a life-changing experience. Thank you! - Grandparent
- Me and my son have been coming here for the past few years, and we really appreciate your team of staff. They're always smiling and kind. - Rachel, caregiver
- Thank you for being out here every summer with this amazing program. - Chelsey, caregiver
- It's great what you guys do. Thank you for keeping our community space alive. - Grandparent
- This is a really nice program. I've never seen anything like it. - Caregiver
- Thank you for serving lunches even in the heat and smoke, this makes such an impact. - Caregiver
- This is freedom for me and the children to enjoy themselves and go interact with other children. I like that they provide healthy lunches for the kids too. - Noble, grandmother
- We love PP&R because of Free Lunch + Play. - Caregiver, Henley's dad
From Youth
- This morning I said to my parents: Wake up, I want to go to lunch + play! - Andre, 9
- This is the best day ever! - Jasper, 5
- My summer is good because you guys are here! - Samuel, 14
- Thank you for always playing fun games with me! - Leyla, 8
- This is my favorite part of the day. - Sonny, 3
- I want to play here every day. - Wylan, 6
- Today is such a beautiful day for bubbles. - Cora, 11
- You make summer so much better. - Logan, 7
- This is a great program. I hope it goes on forever; I love this park. - Ashley, 7
- Look mommy, there's someone who works for Lunch + Play. Let's say hi! - 4-year-old
- The lunch today was super yummy. - Diva, 6
- I love the people in the purple Free Lunch shirts. - Miles, 5
- This has been the highlight of our summer! - Jacob, 10
2026 Free Lunch + Play Partners
Thank you to our Program Partners at Free Lunch + Play who provided 367 enrichment activities during mealtimes. Free enrichment activities were provided in the areas of Arts + Culture, Recreation, Literacy, Education, and Nutrition.
| PROGRAM PARTNERS | ||
| Arts in the Parks - Clay | Arts in the Parks - Mixed Media | Independent Publishing Resource Center |
| Oregon Ballet Theater | Portland Opera | Multnomah County Library Storytime |
| SMART Reading | PPS Safe Routes to School | Portland Water Bureau |
| PP&R Environmental Education | Portland Backpack | RIP City Hoops |
| Rose City Rollers | Multnomah County Preschool For All | Girl Scouts |
| NUTRITION PARTNERS | ||
| Centennial School District | David Douglas School District | Parkrose School District |
| Portland Public School District | ||
| ADDITIONAL PARTNERS | ||
| K'Ching | Lilac Meadows | Blanchet House |
| Rosewood Initiative | Home Forward | |
2026 Free Lunch + Play Sponsors
- Adventist Health
- Portland Parks Foundation
Free Lunch + Play video
Click on the video below to get a taste of the Summer Free For All's Free Lunch + Play program!
Commonly asked questions
Question: Who do I contact to receive translated versions of the Summer Free For All Schedule?
Answer: The Free Lunch + Play schedule is available online in early/mid-May. To be added to our distribution list, please email Alicia.Hammock@PortlandOregon.gov and include what languages you are interested in.
Question: How old do you have to be to get a free meal?
Answer: Free meals are given to those aged 18 and under.
Question: Can I take the free lunch and leave the Free Lunch + Play area to eat it?
Answer: Per USDA federal guidelines, Free Lunch and play meals must be eaten on-site in the designated Free Lunch and play area.
Question: Do you have to be present to receive a meal?
Answer: Yes, youth 18 and under must be present to receive a meal unless a grab and go meal waiver has been approved by the Oregon Department of Education during extreme heat conditions. This means they must wash and dry their hands, receive the meal in person, and eat lunch at the site.
Question: Can I pick up lunch before or after the stated mealtime for the park?
Answer: Lunches may only be distributed by staff during the designated mealtimes for the site approved by the Oregon Department of Education and adhere to the Oregon Health Authority rules for safe food practices.
Question: Can my child take two lunches?
Answer: No, per USDA Federal guidelines, each child may receive one lunch. Sites will have a "No Thank You Table" with parts of lunches that people don't want, and youth can take what they want from that space during the mealtime service hours for the site.
Question: Why do the mealtimes for the Free Lunch + Play Program vary from park to park, and are they not all at the same time?
Answer: Free Lunch + Play partners with four school districts for the USDA Summer Meal Program. Logistically, it is impossible to deliver and serve all the meals simultaneously at over 20 sites daily. Staggered mealtimes provide families with options to attend at a time that works for their family.
Question: Can an adult buy a meal?
Answer: No.
For media inquiries
For media inquiries, please reach out to Portland Parks & Recreation Public Information Officer Mark Ross:
Email: Mark.Ross@PortlandOregon.gov
Phone: 503-823-5300