Please Touch Museum

Last week, my family celebrated my daughter's 2nd birthday at the Please Touch Museum.  The Please Touch Museum is located in Memorial Hall in Farimount Park.

My children (ages 2, 5 and 7) all enjoyed the museum.  The museum is broken out into different zones, making it easy for young kids to stay focused and keep their attention.  We started our day in the River Adventures exhibit.  My kids donned smocks and splashed in water tables filled with boats and rubber duckies.  Everything at the Please Touch Museum is kid-sized.  The kids could splash and play independently and "make things work" all by themselves.  It's a great feeling for 2 year old to be independent.  You could see the pride in her face!

Not to miss at the Please Touch Museum is the Dentzel Carousel.  This beautiful carousel was built in Philadelphia in 1908.  There is a seperate admission charge for the carousel.  We were lucky enough to purchase our tickets through a deal on Rue La La, which included carousel rides.  Even if you choose not to ride the carousel, it's nice to see  that something more than 100 years old looks new and fresh and remains in Philadelphia.  The PTM website offers pictures and some history on the restoration of this carousel.

After the carousel, my kids were eager to visit Wonderland.  This area explores the world of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.  My kids enjoyed dressing up for a tea party with the Mad Hatter and painting the roses red.  Just like the Wonderland Alice explored in the story, this area is filled with many optical illusions.

Just outside of Wonderland, we spent some time playing in Fairytale Garden, one of a few play areas designed for families with children under age 3.  Although my 2 year old enjoyed playing throughout the museum, it was nice to have a small, quiet area that was less busy and crowded than other areas.  It was nice to have a few minutes of "down time" without actually sitting out from all the fun.

I was surprised when my kids were interested in the Centennial Exploration exhibit.  Memorial Hall, home to the PTM, was  built in 1876 and served as an Art Gallery for the Centennial Exhibition.  After only being open for 6 months, President Ulysses S. Grant closed the fair.  Most of the buildings were taken down.  Memorial Hall is the only remaining building from the 1876 Centennial.  Anyhow, the Centennial Exploration Exhibit offers a model of the 1876 Exhibition Grounds.  Kids can catch a glimpse of what life was like in Philadelphia in 1876 and see some of the new inventions introduced that year including the telephone and typewriter (neither of which my kids recognized).  If you are interested in the history of the building and architecture of Memorial Hall, they offer "Grown-up Tours" of the building. 

Probably the highlight of the day for my kids was the City Capers exhibit.  This exhibit is actually made up of many small exhibits including a construction zone, a ShopRite supermarket, a hospital, McDonald's, a shoe store and more!  My kids enjoyed doing their own grocery shopping and working the cash register at ShopRite, making chicken nuggets at McDonald's, and taking care of newborn babies in the hospital exhibit.

The ShopRite area seemed to be very popular.  It was probably the most crowded exhibit we encountered, although it was never uncomfortable.  All the kids want to get a cart and shop around, not as many kids want to help put everything back where they found it.  There were a few PTM helpers in this area, constantly cleaning up after the kids.  I'm starting to wish I had a few of those helpers at home!

Our next stop was the Flight Fantasy exhibit.  This exhibit features activities that use your body to make things go.  My kids loved the "human hamster wheel".  Another fun highlight of this exhibit was making and launching rockets. 

Off to the side of the Flight Fantasy exhibit is the Program Room.  This room looks almost like a pre-school classroom.  There are books, blocks, and toys galore.  This is another great place to chill out for a while, while still enjoying the museum.  The Program Room offers art projects, which change monthly.  On a previous visit, the kids worked on easel paintings.  This visit, they made bubble wrap paintings.  Either way, I recommend visiting the Program Room early in your visit.  You can leave your projects to dry and come back for them later in the day, and then enjoy the rest of what the Program Room has to offer.

Our final stop for the day was the Roadside Attractions exhibit.  Here, kids can explore a SEPTA bus, drive a car, work in the body shop and even sit in a monorail. 

We spent a total of about 4 hours at the museum.  I can certainly see spending more time at the Please Touch Museum, but (1) this wasn't our first visit and (2) my kids were exhausted!  The museum is very clean and well-kept, offers plenty of restrooms, and even has an on-site cafe for lunch and snacks.

Although we just went and enjoyed playing together without giving it much thought, there is a LOT of learning going on without even realizing it.  The information on the PTM website explains how kids learn while they play and offers suggestions for parents and teachers.

Please Touch Museum offers a variety of discount programs towards museum admisison.  If you are new to the museum, you might want to try Target First Wednesday's which offer $2 admission from 5-7pm the first Wednesday of each month.  (That's coming up this week!)  This will give you a sneak-peek to the museum and can be a trial-run for your kids.

It's great to spend a fun, family day together.  Where do you like to go on your family outings?

One Stop Deal Shop

Here's a round-up of some of the ongoing deals you might have missed.

Lens Friends is offering a FREE sheet (up to 8x10) for being a "friend" of Deals and Daytrips.  If you missed my blogpost on Lens Friends this week, take a look here. 

Half off at Sonic.  Spend $10 to get 4-$5 gift certificates.  Valid at your choice of 5 locations, including Bensalem, Levittown and Feasterville.

Lee's Hoagies in Bensalem is offering a $20 certificate for only $10.  Please note that this deal is ONLY valid for the Bensalem location.

Receive a FREE graduation tote bag with any mall gift card purchase of $50 or more in any of these 9 local malls, including Willow Grove, Plymouth Meeting and Cherry Hill malls.

Half off at The Saloon in Newtown, PA.  Buy a $30 gift card for only $15.

$14 for 2 custom photo mugs from Mug on Mug.

Create a custom bobblehead to look just like your favorite loved one!  $30 gets you $60 towards a custome bobblehead.  Shipping is not included and most (if not all) bobbleheads will cost over $60.

$15 for $30 worth of tickets, tokens or bowling at Happy Tymes Family Fun Center in Warrington, PA.

Looking for invitations for an upcoming event?  Blogging friend Diary of a Paper Princess is offering 25% off any invitaion order from Lamb Desing and Starfish Art collections through 6/30.  Please let her know Deals and Daytrips sent you!

Lunch in Richboro....Fresh Works is offering $20 worth of hoagies, sandwiches, wraps and salads for only $10.  You will receive 4-$5 certificates.

$24 (plus $5 shipping) for 4 AMC Silver Experience tickets.  Even with shipping, it comes out to only $7.25 per ticket.

Register for the MEGA BLOKS Family Club and receive $25 in Mega Bloks coupons instantly via email.  They even let you choose which coupons you'd like to receive.

Create an 8x8 Snapfish Photo Book for 33% off.  Use code REVEAL14 by 6/20.

Color Your Summer Snapfish contest: Upload a photo each week in the featured color (this week's color is BLUE) and at the end of the 7 week contest, get a FREE 5x7 softcover book for participating in all 7 weeks. Other prizes selected by judges in each color category.



Take $10 off your $50 purchase at Famous Footwear, in-store or online, with this coupon.

Half off delicious dipped strawberries and more online at Shari's Berries.

Expiring 6/19!  30% off gift certificates from MyPublisher.  Enter code DADGIFT30 at checkout.

Only good on Father's Day....Take Dad to Ride the Ducks.  Dads receive FREE admission with another paid admission and this coupon.

Also for Father's Day....Take Dad out to dinner at Famous Dave's on Father's Day and he'll receive a FREE $15 gift card to use on his next visit.

Subscribe to Kiwi Magazine for as little as $4.  Discounts for 1st time Mamasource buyers with codes KIWI2OFF ($2 off 1 year) and KIWI4OFF ($4 off 2 years).

FREE popcorn at Regal, UA or Edwards Movie Theatres.  You must have a smartphone for this promotion.

Half off Laser Tag in Bensalem, PA.  $20 for 6 games of laser tag fun!

Don't miss FREE CHIP FRIDAYS at Subway all summer long.  Every Friday, get a free bag of chips when you buy a FOOTLONG™ sub and any drink—every Friday through Labor Day at participating restaurants.

Don't miss Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A restaurants on July 8th.  Dress like a cow and score FREE food.  Check the site for details.

$7 for 2 admissions to the National Liberty Museum.

$9 for $19 worth of bumper cars, krazy kars, mini golf and bowling at Arnold's Family Fun Center.

This week only (starts 6/19), get a great deal on a daytrip to HersheyPark.  Spend $75 on select Kraft and Pepsi products at Giant and get 2 FREE admissions to HersheyPark.  Spend $50 and receive 1 free ticket.  Check the store circulars for more details.  This promotion only runs this week, but you have until mid-August to use the tickets.  Giant is running a separate promotion offering FREE parking at HersheyPark if you purchase 2 discounted park admission tickets at Giant.  Parking voucher is only valid until 6/30.


Wow!  That list was a lot longer than I imagined it was going to be.  I hope you got some great deals this week.  I know I did! 

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!

A Friend of Lens Friends is a Friend of Mine

Have you heard of Lens Friends photo studio?  It's one of my new favorite places.  They are a DIY photo studio in Huntingdon Valley, PA.  What does this mean exactly?  The concept is new, but is so simple.  You gather your kids (or family, or even pets) and take them to the photo studio where you use their props, backgrounds and even their cameras to take your OWN pictures!

For a photo junkie like me, this is a lot of fun.  I took my three girls (ages 21 months, 5 and 7) there in March and we had so much fun!  The girls loved playing dress up and pretending to be models.  I loved that I could take pictures of my kids with Lens Friends' professional camera without anyone breathing down my throat telling me how many poses I had to take and how many sheets I had to buy. 

Lens Friends offers plenty of assistance with changing backgrounds, bringing out props, and even getting your kids to look at the camera.  They gave me some pointers on how to hold the camera and the best way to arrange my kids in the shot.  At the end of the shoot, my kids didn't want to leave.  They are still asking when they can go back again.  (Soon, kids, I promise!)

At the end of the photo shoot, you go home with all your photos on a high resolution CD.  You own all the copyrights to your own pictures, which is not cheap at other photo studios!  Lens Friends can even print your photos for you.  They can make photo gifts and collages and print up to 11x14 images.

SPECIAL:  Follow this blog AND like us on facebook for a great offer from Lens Friends.  See the Deals and Daytrips facebook page for the offer.  Thanks to the great folks at Lens Friends for offering this special promotion to the Deals and Daytrips family!

But, wait....there's MORE!  Lens Friends just announced an upcoming special event.  You can book a photo shoot with adorable Golden Retriever puppies!  Imagine the shots of your kids getting some puppy love!  This limited engagement is only available July 7th and 8th from 2-7pm.  You MUST call the studio to book your appointment for this event (no online bookings).

Do you have kids that want to get behind the camera?  Lens Friends is offering weeklong camps for ages 10-15 throughout the summer.  Campers will learn techniques such as camera basics, portraits, and basic Photoshop skills.

For the grown ups that need a little help behind the camera, Lens Friends is offering an Intro to Digital Photography class.  These classes are being held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month in June, July and August.  Not only will you learn photo techniques, but you'll get hands on training in the photo studio.  Space for all events is limited, so reserve quickly!

Need a unique spot for a birthday party?  Lens Friends is the place!  They offer a great party package for 6-10 partygoers.  Your party guests enjoy private studio time and each guest gets to take home a CD of all the photos taken at the party.

Studio time and birthday parties can be booked online or by calling the studio at 215-938-9801.  Reservations are always recommended.

Special tip from my 7 year old:  Don't dress in "busy" clothes.  Her plaid shirt (that I made her wear--yes, still hearing about that!) didn't match all the great props she wanted to be photographed with.  She recommends dressing in solid colors to coordinate with all the props in the studio.  :)

If you are dressing for a special occasion (graduation, dance costumes, etc.), consider bringing a change of clothes with you for additional pictures.

Have you been to Lens Friends?  If you have, please leave a comment below.  I'd love to hear about your experience.

You Belong in the Zoo

Today I took my family on a daytrip to the Philadelphia Zoo.  We have a membership there, so we try to go there on the off-chance we have a free weekend day.  Now that the weather is finally nice, we are trying to make a conscious effort to take some time to enjoy the zoo.

We seem to head in the same direction each time we visit the zoo.  We walk in, bear right, visit the Rare Animal Conservation Center, and make our way over to the primates and big cats.  Low and behold, at the end of our visit, we're always whizzing past the giraffes, zebras, bears and other animals on our way out the door, wondering why we NEVER get to see them.  So, today we set off on a new direction.  We didn't know where we were headed, but we knew we were going to see some animals that we don't usually see on our zoo visits.

I'll have to admit that I don't remember ever seeing the giraffes and zebras today, but we saw animals that we've never seen at the Philadelphia Zoo.  We've had a membership there for two years, and we had never seen otters there before.  The exhibit is somewhat hidden, but I'm glad we decided to take that path today.  My kids were so excited that the zoo had "new animals" this time, and my 7 year old was snap-happy with my camera trying to take photos of every one of them.

We also made a visit to the Small Mammal House.  Although we have been to that exhibit before, it's been so long that it was new to my kids.  Here, there is a nocturnal mammal area.  My kids loved watching "porcupines" walking around in the "night".  And, although they thought it was "stinky", they also enjoyed watching the meerkats skatter around their exhibit.

The zoo usually has some type of temporary exhibit each year to keep things new and fresh.  This year, they have a program called X-tink-shun, a wild puppet x-perience. X-tink-shun is an organization of endangered (and one extinct) animals that have come together to teach zoo visitors about the importance of  animal conservation.  It's taken me more than one zoo visit to fully understand what X-tink-shun is, so let me make it easier for you. 





Igor the Tiger performs in X-tink-shun


• There are 7 animals in the X-tink-shun cast.  They "perform" at various stages set up throughout the zoo.  Each performance lasts about 15 minutes and repeats throughout the day.  Each animal (puppet) teaches kids (and, adults, too!) about where they live (or lived), why they are endangered and what we can do to help animal conservation.  The kids can interact with the animals and are free to ask questions. 
• The X-tink-shun parade performs daily.  Check for showtimes when you arrive because I think they vary depending on the day of the week.  During this small parade, visitors are invited to march around Bird Lake, carrying self-made paper bag hand puppets and signs promoting your efforts in animal conservation.  You can make the puppets and signs at a table set up near the lake.  I marched around the lake with my 3 kids carrying signs that read "Extinction Stinks" and "Hail the Creatures".  Although the kids had fun marching and chanting "Extinction Stinks", this is not the kind of parade you line up to watch like you would in a theme park.  It's more of a participatory activity for the kids.  It was quick, it was something new to do, and it's only at the zoo for a limited time.
• In addition to these performances, there is a new X-tink-shun 3-minute movie in the Big Cat Falls theater.
• The X-tink-shun exhibits will be ongoing at the zoo through October 31st.

Even though we took a different route today, we made an effort to make some of our more regular stops as well.  We watched gorillas chase each other around the Primate Preserve, we took a ride on the Amazon Rainforest Carousel, and we made a visit to the Children's Zoo.  We had a fun time in the Children's Zoo petting goats, riding ponies and looking at just-hatched chicks.  But, we are very much looking forward to the brand NEW Children's Zoo that is currently under construction.  Although we love our zoo and all that it has to offer, it's nice to be surprised to find new things from time to time.



Brushing goats and sheep in the Children's Zoo



Dutch Wonderland....A Kingdom for Kids

This weekend I'm heading on a daytrip to Dutch Wonderland with my daughter's Brownie Troop.  If you have young kids, and have never been to Dutch Wonderland, make plans to go. 

Dutch Wonderland calls itself a "Kingdom for Kids" where "firsts happen".  It's a theme park in Lancaster, PA with over 30 rides, including 2 roller coasters and a water play area.  It's a great place for your child's first roller coaster ride, first water slide, or first sky bucket ride.  They have live entertainment (don't miss The Adventures of the Frog Prince water diving show!) and you can even see Thomas the Train!

Dutch Wonderland's season runs through mid-October, but they also have special Halloween events and a Winter Wonderland.  Opening late May, they have Duke's Lagoon, a water play area with kid-sized slides.

Dutch Wonderland offers a combination ticket with nearby HersheyPark.  The parks are about 30 minutes apart from one another.  This would be a great overnight trip, especially if you have kids of varying ages in your family. 

Celebrating a birthday during your visit?  Kids of all ages can stop by Guest Relations and get a special button to wear so everyone in the Kingdom can acknowledge your special day!

Dutch Wonderland is a family friendly, fun place to visit.  I hope Mother Nature gives us a little break and holds the rain off until the end of our visit, but I look forward to spending a fun day with my family, as well as our Girl Scout "family".

Ready or Not, Mother's Day is Here!

There's only one more day before Mother's Day.  In case you haven't made plans for the day, I thought I'd recap some of the deals being offered.

Take a daytrip to the Adventure Aquarium.  NBC 10 is teaming up with the aquarium to offer $10 admission tickets on Mother's Day.  You must buy these tickets in advance, online. 


Order Mom a FREE photo collage from Walgreens.  This offer expires at midnight on Saturday, May 7th.  You can pick it up at your local Walgreens Sunday on your way to visit Mom.  Use code FREECOLLAGE.


Head to Neshaminy Mall for their gift certificate deal.  Shop Saturday May 7th.  Take your receipts totalling $75 or more to the redemption counter and receive a FREE $10 mall gift card.

Ride the Ducks is offering moms a free ticket on Mother's Day with the purchase of another ticket.  Must present this coupon.

Go to Famous Dave's for some BBQ.  Mom will receive a card for her next meal FREE.  More details here.

Bring dinner home.  Boston Market is offering FREE family size dessert with a family meal purchase.  Valid through May 8th.

Take the family to Sahara Sam's Oasis, Indoor Water Park.  Moms splash FREE with another paid admission.  More details here.

Need to send MOM a gift?  Better late than never!  Check out some photo gift ideas here.

Whatever you do, have a great Mother's Day!

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