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I am not a scaredy cat. I love to hike and wade in mountain streams.  I love to go to places I’ve never been and see things I’ve never seen. I like to watch documentaries on foods from other countries and want to visit those countries one day. I like to make new recipes! I’ll…

Jenny Hilborne

Today I have the most super awesome Jenny Hilborne on my blog.

Here is an interesting story about Jenny. I met her on twitter a few years ago. I don’t think I’d been on twitter very long. I was very new to publishing world and that came with it. At the time I didn’t even have anything published. She was one of the first authors who followed me back. She also talked to me. I’m not sure if Jenny ever knew how much that meant to me. How excited I got over some friendly tweets. I mean… I called my mom to tell her about this amazing mystery author who actually talked to me.

Needless to say, Jenny is not only an amazing author, but an amazing person too. If you haven’t checked out her books yet, I highly recommend you do!

On to the crazy fun questions!

If you were a superhero (or villain!) what would your power be? Would you wear a cape?
Villain or hero, I would fly, especially if I lived in California, so I could beat traffic. I would wear a rocking cape, but I draw the line at tights.

Chocolate, Strawberry or Vanilla?
Strawberry if it’s ice-cream. Anything else – chocolate.

The light side or the dark side?
I’d like to say light, but I’m always drawn to the dark.

Do you have deep dark secret? How about a shallow grey one?
Nope. I’m not that intriguing.

What sort of coffee would you order? Simple coffee, complicated soy-non-fat-extra-espresso-half-caff-nightmare?
I’d order Early Grey tea.

Have you ever given someone who asked for decaf, regular coffee just to see what would happen?
No, but I brewed a pot of decaf at work in the regular coffee pot, just to see what would happen. That stunt got me banned from making the office coffee.

Is there any food you refuse to eat? (Other than brussel sprouts because NO ONE likes them)
I LOVE brussels – they are my favorite vegetable. I refuse to eat olives, avocado and salmon to name a few. Dislike them all.

What is your favorite breakfast cereal? Are you opposed to those brands with tiny marshmallows in them?
I’m not a cereal lover or a breakfast lover. In fact, I wish I could take 1 nutrition pill a day and be done with it.

If you could live off of chocolate would you? What kind?
No. I tried it for 2 days as a kid (not my choice) and it’s not as fun as you’d think.

What do you think the coolest pet to have would be?
One that do the vacuuming, washing up and laundry.

If you could visit any world (real or imagined) where would you go?
Certainly not one of my own creation. I’m happy to stay planted in this one.

Have you ever done anything really crazy? Do you regret it?
No, but I’m about to. I’d rather regret the things I do than the things I don’t.

What kind of person drives you nuts? (personality trait)
Ooh, this is tempting to name the individual who immediately springs to mind. I dislike arrogance and self-absorbed people. Those are the ugliest traits in a hum

Jenny Hilborne

Today I have the most super awesome Jenny Hilborne on my blog.

Here is an interesting story about Jenny. I met her on twitter a few years ago. I don’t think I’d been on twitter very long. I was very new to publishing world and that came with it. At the time I didn’t even have anything published. She was one of the first authors who followed me back. She also talked to me. I’m not sure if Jenny ever knew how much that meant to me. How excited I got over some friendly tweets. I mean… I called my mom to tell her about this amazing mystery author who actually talked to me.

Needless to say, Jenny is not only an amazing author, but an amazing person too. If you haven’t checked out her books yet, I highly recommend you do!

On to the crazy fun questions!

If you were a superhero (or villain!) what would your power be? Would you wear a cape?
Villain or hero, I would fly, especially if I lived in California, so I could beat traffic. I would wear a rocking cape, but I draw the line at tights.

Chocolate, Strawberry or Vanilla?
Strawberry if it’s ice-cream. Anything else – chocolate.

The light side or the dark side?
I’d like to say light, but I’m always drawn to the dark.

Do you have deep dark secret? How about a shallow grey one?
Nope. I’m not that intriguing.

What sort of coffee would you order? Simple coffee, complicated soy-non-fat-extra-espresso-half-caff-nightmare?
I’d order Early Grey tea.

Have you ever given someone who asked for decaf, regular coffee just to see what would happen?
No, but I brewed a pot of decaf at work in the regular coffee pot, just to see what would happen. That stunt got me banned from making the office coffee.

Is there any food you refuse to eat? (Other than brussel sprouts because NO ONE likes them)
I LOVE brussels – they are my favorite vegetable. I refuse to eat olives, avocado and salmon to name a few. Dislike them all.

What is your favorite breakfast cereal? Are you opposed to those brands with tiny marshmallows in them?
I’m not a cereal lover or a breakfast lover. In fact, I wish I could take 1 nutrition pill a day and be done with it.

If you could live off of chocolate would you? What kind?
No. I tried it for 2 days as a kid (not my choice) and it’s not as fun as you’d think.

What do you think the coolest pet to have would be?
One that do the vacuuming, washing up and laundry.

If you could visit any world (real or imagined) where would you go?
Certainly not one of my own creation. I’m happy to stay planted in this one.

Have you ever done anything really crazy? Do you regret it?
No, but I’m about to. I’d rather regret the things I do than the things I don’t.

What kind of person drives you nuts? (personality trait)
Ooh, this is tempting to name the individual who immediately springs to mind. I dislike arrogance and self-absorbed people. Those are the ugliest traits in a hum

“…Five, six, pick-up sticks!” This week’s collections object is a set of Pixie Pic-Up Sticks! Manufactured by Steven Manufacturing Company between 1940-1960, the classic game tests the players ability to keep a steady hand while trying to pick up a stick without disturbing the rest.

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! And while you are looking high and low, don’t forget to encourage curiosity by asking open-ended questions and engaging your child in the conversation. For example: How many sticks do you think you could pick up? Or simply play a quick game of pick-up sticks at home!

The Ladders are easy to climb, but watch out for those Chutes! Did you know that Milton Bradley's Chutes and Ladders is based on the English game Snakes and Ladders? Milton Bradley first introduced this game of rewards and consequences to the United States in 1943. As players travel through the game they encounter both ladders, allowing them to advance or chutes, sending them sliding backwards.


Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! And while you are looking high and low, don't forget to encourage curiosity by asking open-ended questions and engaging your child in the conversation. For example: What's your favorite board game? Would you rather climb a ladder or slide down a chute? Or simply go home and play a game of Chutes and Ladders.

This week’s collections object is the game of Cootie! This bug inspired game was first introduced by the W.H. Schaper Manufacturing Company in 1948. Each game set included enough cootie parts (bodies, heads, legs, antennae and mouths) to construct four complete Cooties. The first player to completely assembly their Cootie win!

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! And while you are looking high and low, don’t forget to encourage curiosity by asking open-ended questions and engaging your child in the conversation. For example: What is your favorite bug? How does a spider crawl? Or simply go outside and see how many bugs you can find!

This week’s collections object is a Etch A Sketch! This mechanical drawing toy works by using a two knobs to control the vertical and horizontal movement of a stylus across a field of aluminum powder. The very first Etch A Sketch rolled off of the Ohio Art Co. production line on July 12, 1960! Over the past 50 years, there have been several versions of the Etch A Sketch, including the Animator, but none have been able to reach the popularity of the classic Etch A Sketch.

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! And while you are looking high and low, don’t forget to encourage curiosity by asking open-ended questions and engaging your child in the conversation.

For example: What would you draw on a Etch A Sketch? How big is the biggest Etch a Sketch? Or simply tell your child your favorite Etch A Sketch story from growing up.

This week’s collections object is The Comet electric train! Produced by A.C. Gilbert Co. in the late 1930s as part of the American Flyer series of model trains. This toy train was a scale version of the actual Comet, built in 1935 by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Company for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! And while you are looking high and low, don’t forget to encourage curiosity by asking open-ended questions and engaging your child in the conversation. For example: What sound does a train make? Where would take a train ride to? Or simply tell your child the story of your first train ride.

This week’s collections object is a set of Flintstone Interlocking Building Boulders! Produced by Kenner in the early 1960s, these blocks were modeled after those used in the Hanna-Barbera Productions cartoon series, The Flintstones. Unlike the boulders Pebbles played with, these “boulders” are made out of Styrofoam.


Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! And while you are looking high and low, don’t forget to encourage curiosity by asking open-ended questions and engaging your child in the conversation. For example: How heavy are the boulders? What would you build with them?

This week's collections object is the Fisher Price Cuddly Cub!

Manufactured throughout the 1970s, this bear is the perfect combination teddy bear and chime ball, two childhood favorites. With a rounded chime ball base, Cuddly Cub simply rocks and chimes when pushed.

But Cuddly Cub isn't the only Teddy Bear hiding out in our collections cases. Teddy Bear Faire is fast approaching (Friday, May 28th to Monday, May 31st) and everyday there seems to be more and more teddy bears hiding throughout the museum.

So keep your eyes peeled and see how many bears you can find on your next visit! And while you are finding all those bears, don't forget to encourage curiosity by asking open-ended questions and including your child in the conversation. For example: What is your favorite teddy bear? How old do you think this teddy bear is? What games do you think this teddy likes to play?

This week’s Collections object is a pair of Hustler Speed King Roller Skates! These metal skates used leather ankle straps and a skate key to size the skate to fit the skater’s shoe size. Manufactured by the Frantz Manufacturing Co. from the late 1930s to the early 1970s, Hustler Speed King Roller Skates were sold in large department stores across the country and were one of the leading brands of roller skates.

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! For more info about Hide and Seek of the Week, click here.

This week's Collections object is a set of Kindergarten Building Blocks!

These embossed ABC blocks were first patented on June 20, 1876 by the Hyatt Brothers of Albany, New York. Manufactured by The Embossing Company, each wooden block featured a slightly raised image, number or letter on each side.

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! For more info about Hide and Seek of the Week, click here.

This week's Collections object is a Diego action figure!

Extreme Rainforest Rescue Diego, especially designed for toddlers, comes ready for adventure with his snap on backpack. This Diego action figure is based on the character from the Nick Jr. television show Go Diego Go! The animated television series was a spin-off from the wildly popular Dora the Explorer, a bilingual cartoon geared towards preschoolers.

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! For more info about Hide and Seek of the Week, click here.

Starting tomorrow with Earth Day (April 22) and all the way through Arbor Day (April 30), Please Touch Museum will be celebrating Earth Week with the goal of promoting environmental awareness and stewardship. By building for their own futures and understanding their role or place in the world, children grow to care for nature and learn about individual responsibility.

Join us for Earth Week themed Story Times in the Story Castle where families will receive "Creative Re-Use and Play for Everyday!" booklets, which are filled with wonderful ideas on how they can be "green" while playing with their children and having fun. The booklets are printed on recycled paper and offer tips on how to support environmental awareness by using recycled materials, reducing waste and learning to practice creative re-use at home. In addition, Earth Day Kits donated by Plan Toys will be given out tomorrow, April 22, specifically for Earth Day. Be sure to get yours!

Check out this list of educational programming:

• Recycled print making and 'decorate the museum' with high school ACES students in the Program Room on Saturday, April 24 by creating recycled collages on chairs to be used in front of the Kids Store.
• March, move, shake, rattle and roll using recycled musical instruments at the End of the Day Parades.
• Hide and Seek out author Dan Lipow's Original Prints from "I Love Our Earth" (pictured above and below).
• Take a trip to the great outdoors without even leaving the Program Room during the Creative Dramatics Camping Kids Playtime.
• Join the silly Chefs Charlene, Sean and Sheldon at the Kooky Cooks Recycling Show in the Supermarket as they discover how to renew, reuse, and remake using everyday household items, a little imagination, a very special cooking pot, and lot of laughs!
• Look for appearances from Corny the Acorn Puppet: Corny is often seen in the Exploring Trees: Inside and Out exhibit, making sure visitors are doing “Oak-Kay” while they play and learn about trees and nature.

Looking for ways to celebrate Earth Week at home?

• Read Dr. Suess’ book "Lorax" and Dan Lipow's "I Love Our Earth"
• Plant flowers
• Sign up for a park or community clean-up
• Create a family tree, literally! Get together with your family to spend the day outside and plant a tree. You will be able to watch it grow as your family grows!
• Enjoy the outdoors by taking a nature walk through Fairmount Park

This week's Collections object is the book I Love Our Earth!

Written by Bill Martin, Jr. and Michael Sampson, this poetic book celebrates the picturesque beauty of people and places all over the world. Each page features one of the many photos taken by photographer Dan Lipow on his travels across five continents.

In 2007, I Love Our Earth received Please Touch Museum's Book Award for children 4 to 7! The book also fits perfectly into Please Touch Museum's "Earth Week" programming, which kicks off this Thursday, April 22 for Earth Day and continues all the way through Arbor Day on April 30 in hopes of promoting environmental awareness and stewardship.

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! For more info about Hide and Seek of the Week, click here.

This week's Collections object is a Mechanical Aquaplane! This tin lithograph wind-up airplane with pontoons was produced by J. Chein & Co. in 1932. When the wind-up key on top of the plane was turned, the plane’s large yellow propeller would spin around and around!

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! For more info about Hide and Seek of the Week, click here.

This week's Collections object is a Philadelphia Phillies Mr. Potato Head!

Manufactured in 2005 by Hasbro, this Mr. Potato Head includes a Phillies uniform, baseball cap, batting helmet and other baseball related accessories.

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! For more info about Hide and Seek of the Week, click here.

Of course, this Collections item is the perfect match, as we celebrated the kick-off of the Phillies' Paint the Town Red Week yesterday here at Please Touch Museum! Check out the picture below of the 20 Phanatic statues that were unveiled, and be sure to swing by soon to take your picture with our very own "Mad Hatter Phanatic" painted by Lorna Kent!

This week's Collections object is a Centennial Goblet! This glass goblet was produced by Gillinder Glass Factory in Philadelphia during the 1876 Centennial Exhibition and could be purchased as a souvenir. It features the raised image of the Liberty Bell!

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! For more info about Hide and Seek of the Week, click here.

This week's Collections object is the Fisher Price Music Box Record Player! Introduced in 1971, this pint sized phonograph allowed young music lovers to play records just like their grown-ups. This wind-up record player came with 5 brightly colored double sized records that played childhood favorites like "London bridge" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!"

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! For more info about Hide and Seek of the Week, click here.

This week's Collections object is the Hercules Jazz Band!

This stamped tin "one man band" was manufactured by J. Chien and Co. in New Jersey, during the early part of the twentieth century. Our well-loved version of the Hercules Jazz Band includes a large bass drum with foot pedal, snare drum and cymbal. It originally had two additional cymbals, a triangle and cowbell!

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! For more info about Hide and Seek of the Week, click here.

This week's Collections object is a Dorothy and Toto doll! Produced in 1974 by Mego, Dorothy and Toto were the first in a line of Wizard of Oz dolls and accessories. Dressed in her iconic blue and white gingham dress and ruby red shoes and carrying Toto in her basket, Dorothy is ready to set out to find the Emerald City. In addition to Dorothy and Toto, Mego also released The Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion, Wicked Witch and Glinda the Good Witch dolls and an Emerald City playset.

Put on your looking eyes and see if you can find it during your next visit! For more info about Hide and Seek of the Week, click here.

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and got to ring in 2010 with lots of fun!

To kick off the new year, here's a great new collections item for our "Hide & Seek of the Week:" An old-school box of 24 Crayola Crayons!

Crayola Crayons were first introduced to young artists in 1903 by cousins Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith. The name Crayola was created by combining the French words for chalk and oily. The Crayola factory has been located in Easton, PA since the early 1900s.

Put on your looking eyes and be sure to search for this fun collection item as you make your first visit of 2010 to Please Touch Museum! For more info on Hide & Seek of the Week, click here.

One of my sister's family's favorite activities in their lovely, little cemetery is to play Hide and Seek, believe it or not. :-)


(and while there is no video to accompany it, you really should listen to Toni Child's "The Dead are Dancing" while you peruse...)

Who ever is 'it' must count to 30...

...while the remaining players scatter through out the lot...

(some hiding places are more effective than others...)

Today's skeleton girl took to the trees...

Found you!