Elevating play
The Please Touch Museum is committed to transforming the lives of children by introducing them to the transformative potential of learning through play. Every youngster is welcome at their Museum, which promotes an environment that fosters learning that lasts a lifetime and encourages curiosity.
Mission
Play is, without a doubt, the most vital activity that takes place throughout childhood. Learn more about Philadelphia.
The Museum’s motto is “Change a child’s life as they discover the power of learning through play,” and its mission statement reads as follows: To a greater extent than ever before, research demonstrates the importance of play in the intellectual, social, and emotional development of children. The mission of the Museum is to guarantee that visitors have exceptional experiences in a friendly setting that promotes learning through play. To this end, the Museum works hard to fulfill its mission.
“A world in which all children are creative, caring, confident, and inquisitive” is the realization of their goal. They are aware of the audacious nature of this goal, which is why they are committed to designing experiences that foster a curious spirit, bring people together, and are characterized by quality.
History
Please Touch Museum was established in 1976 by Montessori educator Portia Sperr as a 2,200-square-foot pilot project housed within the Academy of Natural Sciences on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. At the time, the Museum was situated among the skeletons of dinosaurs and woolly mammoths.
1978—By 1978, the Museum had developed into a full-fledged institution in its own right, moving to Cherry Street and increasing the number of hours it was open. During the following four years, the Museum solicited the advice of academics from a variety of fields to add intellectual depth to its displays. During this time, the Museum also established culturally diverse programming geared toward young audiences.
1983—In 1983, the Museum had already bought and remodeled a three-story building on North 21st Street in the middle of Philadelphia’s museum district. The structure had a total area of 30,000 square feet. Attendance and membership increased throughout the Museum’s tenure there as it became recognized as a leader in early childhood education. Between 1983 and 1992, the Museum received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, established the first publishing prize that celebrated books for young children, and bought the building next door to enhance the exhibit space.
2005—In 2005, the Museum took the courageous step of relocating to Memorial Hall, which had been initially built as an art gallery for the Centennial World’s Fair in 1876. The Museum first opened its doors at Memorial Hall in 2008, following an extensive renovation that took place there over three years. It continues to operate out of this location, where it is recognized as one of the most innovative and acclaimed children’s museums in the United States in the 21st century.
Programs
Play the game with a point.
Their guided multi-sensory programs and resources, as well as their experiential and play-based initiatives, connect the exhibits in their Museum to relevant themes and current events. These materials and events are intended to include adults and children in learning about the world around them.
Please touch
Even the youngest students may develop a passion for exploration and education via participation in their programs, which provide a warm and inviting introduction to the fascinating world of museums. Everything they do is based on the most recent research in informal learning, museum education, and early childhood education, as well as the best practices in those fields.
With the help of their programming, they want to:
- Boost the number of excellent early learning opportunities.
- As a child’s first teacher, include and assist families and educators.
- Support STEAM, the creative and performing arts, and literacy to promote more profound learning skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).
Exhibits
Children – can follow their curiosity and discover the wonders of the world around them and inside their imaginations thanks to two levels of entertaining, stimulating exhibitions.
Food and Family
Children can follow their curiosity and discover the wonders of the world around them and inside their imaginations thanks to two levels of entertaining, stimulating exhibitions.
Kids may explore an immersive, open-ended learning environment with three linked zones in this 3,650-square-foot GIANT display, including a market, a home and industrial kitchen, and a festival area.
Where does food originate from, and how do they find it? How are foods prepared? How are they going to eat together? They want kids to consider these SERIOUS questions when they visit their brand-new permanent exhibit.
Permanent Exhibits
Explore, play and learn!
Adventure Camp-As They tour PTM’s indoor tree house, SCIENCE and STEAM are the focus. Learn Morse code, see insects via a periscope, use magnetic gears to ring bells and switch on lights, and more!
Albert M. Greenfield Makerspace
The Creative Arts Studio and Centennial Innovations are on opposite sides of the building that houses the Albert M. Greenfield Makerspace, a designated area for free-form exploration and the creation of prototypes.
At Makerspace, young people are encouraged to see themselves as “inventors,” placing more emphasis on the creation process than the final product. Children learn through facilitated and self-directed experiences that the process of making, rather than the final product, is where the learning occurs.
The Makerspace was designed with STEM principles as the guiding force behind its construction. It is furnished with workbenches, industrial stools with adjustable heights, mobile storage units, and hanging peg boards to organize various tools, including hammers, screwdrivers, drills, saws, hot glue guns, wrenches, measuring tape, levels, and electrical wires.
A donation from The Albert M. Greenfield Foundation has made it feasible for the Please Touch Museum to open The Albert M. Greenfield Makerspace Studio.
Centennial Innovations
What kind of creation would you make if you had the power to alter the world? If you were to change, who would you become? What types of features may a new planet have? These are the key topics explored in Centennial Innovations, a brand-new, permanent, cutting-edge show at the PTM centered on the wonder and need for innovation. Centennial Innovations aims to reimagine how the 1876 Centennial World’s Fair is celebrated and understood by involving visitors through digital interactives, an illustrated mural, a stage where they can share their ideas, and the historic Centennial Fairgrounds Model that the City of Philadelphia created.
Cents and Sensibility
When you play Cents and Sensibility: Fun with Money, your questions will be answered to the brim! Children are invited to experiment with various monetary configurations using the Their Dollars and Cents Scale to locate the optimal equilibrium point. They can also play Investment Plinko, investigate the Money Maze, and discover how to spend, save, and distribute money. Will your youngster be able to make it to the exhibit’s conclusion without going over their spending limit, or will they spend, spend, and spend?
Creative Arts Studio
In the Creative Arts Studio, there is no shortage of imaginative ideas! This is a studio room that is devoted to the discovery and teaching of art. Here, children may participate in supported art-creating activities or use the materials and creativity to create a masterpiece!
You may reach them at (215)5813181 or visit their website to learn more.