Most museums tend to be boring for children — they have to be quiet, they may not be interested in the exhibits and they can’t touch anything. At the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, kids are encouraged to run around, play and have fun while learning. The beloved museum will safely reopen in 2021 for kids and families to run, play and touch exhibits as they used to, and now is a great time to plan a visit next year.
Already a membership holder? No problem, they are frozen until the museum is open for business. In the meantime, here are a few ways you can plan future play in the kid-friendly museum.
The goal of the museum is to engage children and adults in discovering the world around them through a variety of educational opportunities and activities. The museum offers two floors of interactive fun, encouraging children to explore and follow their curiosity.
Start on the main floor at River Adventures and Roadside Attractions and let the children discover the properties of water while playing in a pint-sized Schuylkill River; explore the shrunken streets of Philadelphia all while working on fine motor skills, creative thinking, collaboration and decision making — these exhibits are made to encourage children to work together.
Get away from the city and explore nature on a camping adventure. Roast marshmallows and enjoy the starry night sky, all while learning communication skills. Next, head to the Rocket Room and learn all about our solar system and the properties of flight while in mission command, using fine motor skills.
While in the camping mood, head over to Adventure Camp and get in touch with science. Before checking out the downstairs, make sure to stop at the Imagination Playground, filled with blue foam blocks. Encourage your kids to collaborate and explore their creative side while building different structures.
Once you’ve explored the Main Level, head downstairs for more fun. Healthy Me offers a kid-sized city for role-playing and decision-making through things like picking out groceries at the food store, playing with hospital machines and more. Next, take a trip down the rabbit hole to Wonderland! Have the kids navigate through the hedge maze on their way to the Mad Hatter’s tea party and travel into the pages of classic children’s stories. Then, head to Centennial Hall to dive deep into U.S. history.
While the educational, interactive fun the museum is known for may look a little different in 2021, families will feel secure knowing the Please Touch Museum spent its temporary closure building a safe, clean and even more innovative world of play.
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