Queen Mother Blog

Friday, January 22 I had the privilege of attending a press event at The Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia.   The Please Touch Museum was unveiling the new traveling exhibit "Exploring Trees Inside and Out".  This interactive exhibit, sponsored by Doubletree Hotels & the Arbor Day Foundation, encourages visitors to explore trees, well, from the inside and out!


There were various activity stations which appeal to a variety of ages and learning styles:

• The "become a forest creature" area lets kids don costumes of birds, squirrels, butterflies, etc. in front of a green screen which projects them onto different backgrounds.  This was a big hit with the kiddos because who doesn't want to see themselves on tv?
• A giant acorn where you can help a seed grow (Rayna loved hiding in the acorn, it was like a private little house for someone her size)
• A station for smelling & guessing various tree-related scents and another for hearing & guessing tree-related sounds
• The coloring station--sit on mini acorn-shaped chairs and draw a picture of a tree (of course the simplest thing would be Rayna's favorite, right?)
• A little spot perfect for toddlers to make a "nest" out of soft twigs
• And of course a tunnel and slide area to let out some steam

This exhibit was designed for ages 2-10 & gives kids a multi-sensory way to learn more about the great outdoors.  It gave us a little taste of both spring and fall smack in the dead of winter.  Exploring Trees Inside and Out will be at the Please Touch Museum until May 2, 2010 & is included in the price of regular admission.


On an extra note, this was our first trip to the Please Touch Museum. I have always wanted to go, but I'm not a fan of driving into the city in general, especially with Rayna in tow. Sarah from Chester County Moms had mentioned this event & nothing motivates me like trying something for free. :)

We were able to check out the whole museum while we were there and Rayna had a blast. She is just about two years old, so she was thrilled with every little thing at Please Touch. It was larger than I imagined, with lots of areas to explore, such as a train station, an Alice in Wonderland area and the big hit, the ShopRite Supermarket.  It didn't take long for Rayna to "lose it" however, and we had to leave sooner than I would have liked, so I definitely want to go back soon.  In addition to all the different areas, there is also a carousel (which is not included in admission) & I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the Please Taste cafe, which had reasonably priced lunch items & lots of healthy options.

To learn more about the Please Touch Musuem, click here to visit their website. For more information about Exploring Trees Inside and Out, click here.

Disclosure:  I was granted free admission to the museum as part of the preview for this exhibit.  I was also given free parking and carousel tickets while I was there.  I was not under any obligation to write this post.  All opinions are mine.