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Kids’ Pick Awards Winners

The Kids’ Pick Awards are Greater Portland, Maine’s family-voted awards for kid-friendly businesses, created by Real Maine Mom in 2024. Local families nominate their favorite businesses in January and vote all of February, and winners are celebrated at a live awards event each spring. Below are the 2026 winners in all 44 categories, ranked first through third by family votes.

Results updated May 2026.

How Kids’ Pick Award winners are chosen

  • Nominations are open to the public every January. There are no paid nominations and no pay-to-play participation.
  • Voting runs all of February. Each person can vote once per business, per category.
  • The top three vote-getters in each category win. Ties are listed together.
  • In 2024, more than 13,000 verified votes were cast. In 2025, families cast 27,876 votes for more than 350 nominated businesses across 45 categories. In 2026, families cast more than 30,000 votes.

2026 Kids’ Pick Awards winners by category

Play and Family Activities

Planning ahead? See our full things to do with kids for more local options.

Indoor Play Place

  1. Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, Portland
  2. The playLOT, Biddeford
  3. 3 Way TIE: Sunflower Community Playspace & Cafe, Gorham, Raise Playspace, Scarborough & The Point Community Center, South Portland

Indoor Family Activity

  1. Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, Portland
  2. Mr. Drew & His Animals Too
  3. Happy Wheels Skate Center, Westbrook

Outdoor Family Activity

  1. Smiling Hill Farm
  2. Portland Sea Dogs
  3. Funtown Splashtown USA

Adventure Center

  1. Funtown Splashtown USA
  2. Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Center, South Portland
  3. Salt Pump Climbing Company, Scarborough

Animal Encounters

  1. Mr. Drew & His Animals Too, Poland
  2. Maine Wildlife Park, Gray
  3. Smiling Hill Farm, Westbrook

Apple Orchard

  1. Randall Orchards
  2. Libby’s U-Pick
  3. Wallingfords

Family Campground

  1. Acres of Wildlife, Standish
  2. Hermit Island, Phippsburg
  3. Mount Desert Campground

Fair or Festival

  1. Fryeburg Fair
  2. Cumberland Fair
  3. Common Ground Fair

Childcare and Early Learning

Daycare Center

  1. Kidz Go Eco Nature School, Saco
  2. Seedlings to Sunflowers Non-Profit Childcare & Family Center, Gorham
  3. TIE: Lil’ Folk Farm, Scarborough & The Learning Corner, Brunswick

Preschool

  1. Roselyn North Academy
  2. Kidz Go Eco Nature School, Saco
  3. Lil Folk Farm, Scarborough

After School Program

  1. Lil’ Folk Farm, Scarborough
  2. Kidz Go Eco Nature School, Saco
  3. Fiddlehead Center for the Arts, Scarborough

Parent & Baby Class

  1. Miss Ellie
  2. Baby Booty, Portland
  3. Birth Roots, Portland

Toddler Enrichment

  1. Miss Ellie
  2. Growing Littles, Cumberland
  3. The Little Gym, Scarborough

Toddler Physical Development Class

  1. The Little Gym, Scarborough
  2. Goldfish Swim School, Portland
  3. Scarborough Dance Center

Hands-On Activity (School-Aged)

  1. Mr. Drew & His Animals Too, Poland
  2. MePowered Pastries, Scarborough
  3. Color Me Mine, Portland

Summer Camps

Planning ahead? See our full summer camps list for more local options.

Summer Day Camp (Ages 3 to 7)

  1. Kidz Go Eco Nature School, Saco
  2. Lil’ Folk Farm, Scarborough
  3. The Salt Flat Dance Collaborative, Scarborough

Summer Day Camp (Ages 8 to 12)

  1. Ketcha Outdoors, Scarborough
  2. Wolfe’s Neck Farm Camp, Freeport
  3. Measuring Up Kitchen, Scarborough

Summer Overnight Camp

  1. Camp Sebago, Standish
  2. Camp Pondicherry, Bridgton
  3. Camp Kerith, Lyman

Classes and Lessons

Planning ahead? See our full dance schools list for more local options.

Gymnastics

  1. The Little Gym, Scarborough
  2. Maine Academy of Gymnastics, Westbrook
  3. Tumble Tikes Party + Play Gym, South Portland

Dance Studio

  1. Scarborough Dance Center, Scarborough
  2. Drouin Dance Center, Westbrook
  3. The Salt Flat Dance Collaborative, Scarborough

Swim Lessons

  1. Goldfish Swim School, Portland
  2. University of New England
  3. Little Waves Swim Academy

Martial Arts Dojo

  1. Dragon Fire Martial Arts, South Portland
  2. Fournier’s Leadership Karate, Westbrook
  3. Centerpoint Martial Arts, Falmouth

Music Lessons

  1. Kind Kids Music
  2. 317 Main, Yarmouth
  3. Fiddlehead Center for the Arts, Scarborough

Art Studios & Instruction

  1. Mill Studio Arts, Biddeford
  2. Color Me Mine, Portland
  3. Love Lab Studio, Portland

Birthdays and Parties

Planning ahead? See our full birthday party planning guide for more local options.

Birthday Party Venue (Baby to PreK)

  1. Tumble Tikes Party + Play Gym, South Portland
  2. The PlayLOT, Biddeford
  3. Sunflower Community Playspace & Cafe, Gorham

Birthday Party Venue (Gradeschool Age)

  1. The Salt Flat Dance Collaborative, Scarborough
  2. Mr. Drew & His Animals Too, Poland
  3. Goldfish Swim School, Portland

Birthday Cakes and Cupcakes

  1. MePowered Pastries, Scarborough
  2. European Bakery, Falmouth
  3. SeaSpray Confections, Saco

Party Entertainment & Experiences

  1. Mr. Drew & His Animals Too, Poland
  2. MePowered Pastries, Scarborough
  3. Castles in the Sky Events

Party Decor

  1. Castles in the Sky Events
  2. Maine Happy Glampers
  3. Maine Party Pop

Food and Treats

Planning ahead? See our full kid-friendly restaurants list for more local options.

Cookies

  1. The Cookie Jar, Cape Elizabeth
  2. Wild Oats Bakery & Cafe, Brunswick
  3. Scratch Baking Co., South Portland

Donuts

  1. The Holy Donut
  2. Tony’s Donut Shop, Portland
  3. Eighty-8 Donuts

Ice Cream Shop

  1. Smiling Hill Farm, Westbrook
  2. The Dairy Corner, Scarborough
  3. Fielder’s Choice, Old Orchard

Candy Store

  1. Len Libby Candies, Scarborough
  2. Wilbur’s of Maine, Freeport
  3. Dickinson’s Candy, Old Orchard

Pizza

  1. Pizza by Alex, Biddeford
  2. Flatbread Company, Portland
  3. OTTO

Family-Friendly Restaurant

  1. Flatbread Company
  2. The Great Lost Bear, Portland
  3. Junction Bowl, Gorham

Family-Friendly Cafe/Coffee Shop

  1. Cafe Luna
  2. Roots Cafe
  3. Swell Nitro Coffee

Shopping

Toy Shop

  1. Treehouse Toys
  2. Island Treasure Toys
  3. Rainbow Toys

Clothing Shop

  1. Lots for Tots
  2. L.L. Bean
  3. Sweet Repeats, Freeport

Health and Wellness

Pediatric Medical Practice

  1. Intermed Pediatrics
  2. Maine Medical Partners Pediatrics
  3. TIE: Mercy Northern Light & Stellar Pediatrics

Pediatric Therapy Services

  1. Sip Swallow Speech
  2. Saplings Occupational Therapy
  3. Port Therapy PT / Maine Mother + Company

Dentist Office

  1. Just for Kids Pediatric Dentistry, Scarborough
  2. Southern Maine Pediatric Dentistry, Portland
  3. 207 Pediatric Dentistry, Yarmouth

Community

Planning ahead? See our full family photographers list for more local options.

Family Photographer

  1. Meg Hatch Photography
  2. Carrie Pellerin Photography
  3. TIE: Love In Shutter Photography & Tide & True Photography

Maine Musician/Band

  1. Miss Ellie
  2. The Kind Kids Music Show
  3. Don Campbell Band

Kid-Focused Charity or Cause

  1. Maine Needs
  2. Mr. Drew & His Animals Too
  3. Make A Wish Maine

For winning businesses

2026 Greater Portland Kids’ Pick Awards badge, presented by Real Maine Mom

Congratulations to every 2026 winner. Winners can display an official Kids’ Pick Awards winner badge on their website and social media, linked back to this page so families can see the results. To request your badge, email lisa@realmainemom.com.

Sample 2026 Kids’ Pick Awards category winner badge for Greater Portland businesses
Sample winner badge. Each winning business receives its own.

Past Kids’ Pick Awards winners

Kids’ Pick Awards FAQ

When are Kids’ Pick Awards nominations?

Nominations open to the public every January at realmainemom.com/kidspickawards/nominate.

When is Kids’ Pick Awards voting?

Voting runs all of February. Each person can vote once per business, per category.

Can a business pay to be nominated or to win?

No. Every nomination and every vote comes from local families. Sponsors help fund the awards event, but sponsorship has no effect on nominations or results.

When are the winners announced?

Winners are celebrated at a live awards event each spring, usually in May, and the full results are posted on this page.

What area do the Kids’ Pick Awards cover?

Greater Portland, Maine and nearby towns, from Biddeford and Saco to Brunswick and Freeport.

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