‘Children’s Entrepreneur Market’ encourages Portland area kids to embrace creative side

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) - The Portland metro area plays host to a wide variety of food and craft markets. There’s First Thursday, the Portland Night Market, and street fairs in various neighborhoods. Now comes the Children’s Entrepreneur Market.

Most people, at one time or another in our childhood, had the urge to open up a lemonade stand. The Children’s Entrepreneur Market takes that energy and curiosity to a whole new level.

From a distance it might look like any other craft market, but it features products made and sold by kids. The kids show up with items as widely varied as their imaginations.

The Children’s Entrepreneur Market sets up shop in communities throughout the region. The program started in 2017 in Utah, sold out for five years straight, and now has plans to expand to all 50 U.S. states by the end of this year.

“Great way for kids to get involved in community to kind of get outside their comfort zone. A lot of work they have to put on the backend, which I feel like maybe kids aren’t getting that much experience of having to put in work, so just so much value the kids get out of it,” said Mikayla Wannamaker with the Children’s Entrepreneur Market.

Parents are asked to take a back seat so that kids ages 5 to 17 years old, can learned about entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership.

“I honestly think it’s great because it’s fun to watch you know, see what they do,” said parent Cristina Grimmer. “It’s very cool because they get to express their own art and then sell it and do it the way they want to do it.”

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During a time when passive media consumption can take up a whole lot of kids’ time, the market hopes to provide experiences that build their abilities and confidence.

“Well I did learn how to deal money,” said one kid.

“Just learning how to talk to people or to strangers mostly,” another kid said.

Market organizers say the community has been welcoming, nurturing and supportive, showing up in large numbers to buy items from the kids.

It costs about $25 to rent a booth space and most kids are taking home a profit.

“It’s just a really good time for them to get some experience some real world experience and have some fun,” said Wannamaker.

More information about the Children’s Entrepreneur Market can be found here.