The Please Touch Museum

Title: The Waterworks
Year: ~2005
Material: Chlorinated water, plaster, metal and other building materials.
Creator: Please Touch Museum 
Collection: River Adventures


The Please Touch Museum features several themed areas where children can play while learning about subjects vital to understand for everyday life. One of these areas is the River Adventures exhibit. Here children can play in a model river (also called the Waterworks), controlling currents, waves, a water wheel, and an Archimedes screw to see how they affect the toy boats found in the river.  The Waterworks and River Adventures exhibit as a whole are designed to teach kids about the scientific properties of water, natural science, conservation, and some engineering/mechanics. The museum as a whole is aimed mostly at children ages three to seven, but the Waterworks is aimed at ages four and above.


The building of the exhibit was funded by Aqua America Inc., PNC N.A., and The Shea Family Foundation. The Waterworks is displayed in the center of the exhibit room, and next to it is the Nature Pond (for ages three and under). Behind it is the rainforest tree which grows up from the Rabbit Hole. The entrance to the Waterworks features an apron station where vinyl aprons are provided for kids to put on before taking part in water play. Above the Waterworks are a number of artistically sculpted cumulous clouds. Water showers down from one of them to model rain. Another cloud with a face blowing mylar strips out of its mouth is above the are where waves can be created to model how wind affects water.

The water works have few labels-- it is mostly reliant on children gathering their own understanding or being explained to by adults. However, handouts and information is available at the station as well as online for educators, parents, and caregivers to understand the focus of the importance of water to both humans and the environment. The handouts found at the apron station allow for further learning at home. It has suggestions for activities to do as well as simple 'field trips' the family can take to learn more about rivers and water in general. Older kids who are especially interested in the River Adventures exhibit may also wish to learn more about specific subjects such as boating, mechanics, nature studies, or conservation.

People who might not be interested in the waterworks may be parents worried about sanitation (or conversely the presence of chlorine chemicals), or their child getting wet. Children afraid of water may also not be interested in the Waterworks. Older visitors (kids, parents, or caregivers) may also not be interested if they do not have any previous interest in nature or conservation, as this is the most prominent focus of the exhibit. Those people may offer an opposing point of view about conservation, especially if they don't understand how man everyday technologies require water, the importance of water for life, or the fact that there actually is a limited supply of drinkable water on the planet. I would only hope that these people still allow their children to enjoy the waterworks or play themselves so that their eyes may be opened.