Please Touch Museum turns 40: Celebrate with toys through the decades

The Please Touch Museum hasn't been a kid for a while: This weekend, the children's museum will celebrate its 40th birthday. Of course, there will be a party.

On Sunday, museumgoers will get 40 percent off regular admission to the Fairmount kiddie paradise. In addition, Mayor Kenney will wish the museum well, tunes will be provided by Steve Pullara and the Cool Beans Band, and choreographer Roger Lee will lead a dance party.

But what's a birthday bash without a gift bag? The museum gift shop will feature toys from each of the Please Touch Museum's four decades, like the Simon memory game ($24.99), Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots ($29.99), Pogo Balls ($24.99), and the La La Loopsy Dool ($14.99).

If you're going to go home with something, it should be the inflatable, remote-controlled R2D2 ($59.99), because every budding nerd needs to start somewhere with her Star Wars memorabilia collection.

The museum gift shop will undergo a renovation come November so that it's more in line with the mission of the museum: learning while playing.

- Molly Eichel
R2D2, $59.99, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic, 215-581-3181, pleasetouchmuseum.org.