Beep Beep! KidsMobile is rollin’ into:
Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia is one special city.
- It’s home to the Liberty Bell & Ben Franklin.
- It’s where America’s independence was declared and where the American Constitution was written.
- It pioneered the first hospital, library, fire company, medical school, and university.
- It was the setting for the films Rocky and Twelve Monkeys.
- It is where all three founders of Trekaroo first met.
- It’s where Brennan and LiLing had their first date, got married, set up their first home and took their first jobs.
Needless to say, Philadelphia holds a very special place in our hearts.
Experiencing Philly with kids is pretty different from living there as a college student. So, we’ve gathered the recommendations of Trekaroo families who have the inside scoop on where to go with kids in this city steeped in American history.
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Trekaroo families have voted and this is where the cards fell for 2009:
Top Activities for Kids in Philadelphia – voted by parents
Best Kid-friendly Hotels in Philadelphia – voted by parents
Some of our star Philadelphia families are some fun-loving mom bloggers and they’ve assembled their list of recommendations that no visiting or local families should miss.
Mara brings you her list of Off the Beaten Path Kid Activities in Philadelphia. This mom got bit by the travel bug early in life and has not stopped traveling even after having two boys, now 4 and 7. In fact, when their eldest was just one, they visited 6 states, 3 countries and 2 continents. Read about their family’s adventures and admire her wonderful photos on Mother of all Trips
Lynn, a Philly mom of a tween and a teen, knows exactly where to head to keep them engaged and excited. Here’s her family’s list of favorite Teen-friendly Activities in Philadelphia. Lynn is the mom behind For Love Or Funny where she keeps a light-hearted view of life as a parent. Amidst her humor are some gems of wisdom.
Heading to Philly with young kids? Melissa is your go to mom with her list of Top 10 Things to Do in Philly with Young Kids. Melissa is the voice behind Girlymama where she brings us the inside scoop about products that young moms would be interested in. From shoes to food to places to visit, Girlymama will tell you what she thinks and give you opportunities to win some trendy fashion and gear.
Linda has a wonderful guide for visiting Historic Philadelphia by foot with Kids. This is a mom extraordinaire who has traveled through big and small towns all the country with her 4 kids. If you need advice about how to have a lifestyle of travel with a large family, she’s your go-to gal. Follow her adventures on her fantastic blog: Travels With Children
Amie O’Shaughnessy of Ciao Bambino brings us some Phildelphia: 5 Kids-friendly Activities. Ciao Bambino is a one of Trekaroo’s favorite partners because we share a common passion – inspiring families to travel. Ciao Bambino provides vetted reviews of the best accommodations when traveling with children of all ages around the world.
Other Philadelphia Resources:
Next stop, the city where the First Family resides - Washington DC.
The Trekaroo KidsMobile is a blog carnival with a twist. It’s designed to provide a unique opportunity for mom and dad bloggers to be featured on Trekaroo while
1) expressing their unique point of view
2) getting a web of link exchanges.
Join us for one of our next stopovers.
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LiLing Pang is a contributing author on Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.
Travel with kids to: CA | FL | HI | MA | NY | PA | TX | VA and now IL and WA
Philadelphia most famous for being the centerpiece of American History. While Philadelphia offers many opportunities to bring history alive for kids in a fun way, there’s so much more for them to explore. Philly is filled to the brim with activities that will engage your children whether they’re 2 or 22. Here are our parent’s top picks:
Best Museum for Kids under 5 – Please Touch Museum (#1 place to take kids in Philadelphia)
Roadside Attractions at the Please Touch Museum
If you’ve got kids under the age of 5, be sure to add the Please Touch Museum to your list. Take the location of the first World’s Fair in the US… fill it with hands-on activity centers for kids and voila… you’ve got one of the best children’s museum in this country. Favorites include shopping at the grocery store or collecting and dumping at the construction site in City Capers, building rockets and launching them in Flight Fantasy, and changing the tires at Roadside Attractions.
Best Museum for Kids over 5 – Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is the place to take kids in Philadelphia. The science center has more than enough to keep your kids busy for the whole day. From learning about the physics of air and flying to walking through the human heart, we were bummed when my 2 year old had to knock off to take a nap. For Love or Funny summed it up perfectly, “There are so many hands on activities, it’s hard to know where to start.”
Best Museum for Tweens and Teens – Mutter Museum
Your tweens and teens will be wide-eyed as they check out all the strange medical oddities spread throughout the Mutter Museum. “For kids who like a bit of gore, this museum is really fascinating. They’ll find jars filled with strange tumors, odd shaped skulls, and strange horns growing out of a person’s head.” (TravelPangs)
Grossest Museum in Philadelphia – Insectarium
If you’ve got kids who like to be grossed out, take them to the Insectarium. They won’t forget about all the creepy critters they see at Cockroach Kitchen and ,” the “glow-in-the-dark” scorpion, the live termite tunnel, or the tarantulas. It’s located in the Northeast section of the city, so a bit off-the-beaten path, but worth a visit if your kids like that kind of stuff.
Credit: Philly Duck Tours
Best Tour in Town – Ride the Ducks
The Ride the Ducks will make a trip through Philadelphia’s historical section a quacking good time with a nice 20 minute cruise around the Delaware River at the end. A fun way to enjoy Philadelphia without having to do a lot of walking.
Best Free Playspace – Smith Memorial Playground
Nestled in Fairmont Park, the Smith Memorial Playground is great for kids looking for some free outdoor fun. Here you’ll find a “40-foot-long giant slide, huge playground, and a giant 24,000 square foot playhouse! The basement has been turned into a small town – complete with stop light and parking meters, where kids can ride trikes. The playhouse is for ages 5 and under. Fun fun fun and free!!” (from girlymama)
Dutch Eating Place
Top Eatery for Families – Reading Terminal Market
With over 80 stands to choose from, this place is filled with food for any eater. It’s a great place for your kids to try some authentic Pennsylvania Dutch food from scrapple to whoopie pies. It can get crowded on the weekends, so be sure to hang on to your kids. Our favorite is savoring a plate of blueberry pancakes with a side of scrapple at the Dutch Eating Place for breakfast. YUM.
Must-see Historical Site to visit – Liberty Bell Center
Kids from preschoolers to high schoolers learn about the Liberty Bell. As Linda Kramer (aka minnemom) puts it, “This place has no interactive exhibits, but the fact that you’re seeing the actual Liberty Bell is impressive. Even if you’re 3. So take the kids, snap some photos by the Liberty Bell with Independence Hall in the background, and someday explain the rest of the history lesson to them. They’ll think it’s cool that they got to go there once upon a time.”
Which Hotels came up at the top?
Best Kid-friendly Hotels In Philadelphia – voted by parents
Other Resources for Philadelphia:
- Off the Beaten Path Kid Activities in Philadelphia – motherofalltrips
- Teen-friendly Activities in Philadelphia – ForLoveOrFunny
- Things to Do in Philly with Young Kids - Girlymama
- Historic Philadelphia by foot with Kids – Minnemom
- Phildelphia: 5 Kids-friendly Activities – CiaoBambino
- Best Attractions for Kids Who Love Trains in Pennsylvania – BryantFamily
Esther Lee is a contributing author on Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.
Travel with kids to: CA | FL | HI | MA | NY | PA | TX | VA and now IL and WA
