Hellobee Boards

@elljay: Please Touch Museum is great! Tons for a 2 year old to do. Yes!! Go to the Macy's and Comcast Center light show. Both shows are located down town and last about 15 minutes each. Get there early to get a good spot. After you see the Macy's show go to there Charles Dicken's walk through on the third floor. Friendly's is always easy for a quick dinner with the kids. Also go to Franklin Square if you can! Great lights and playground and carousal for the kiddies. All links are below. If you make it downtown, there's tons to do between the light shows. Ice staking rink and tons of pop up shops selling things, including wine for the parents! Enjoy!!

http://www.visitphilly.com/museums-attractions/philadelphia/the-comcast-holiday-spectacular/

http://www.visitphilly.com/events/philadelphia/holiday-light-show-at-macys-center-city/

http://www.visitphilly.com/events/philadelphia/electrical-spectacle-holiday-light-show-at-franklin-square/

We did the Please Touch museum right before DD turned 2 and it was awesome! It's the best Children's Museum I've been to, and we have been to a ton of them, definitely worth the trip. It's also huge so you could easily spend a lot of time there!

Please Touch is great for kids that age, there are all sorts of activities.
Depending on the weather the Philly Zoo is a fun option and there are indoor habitats along with a tree-house play area.
In the city proper Reading Terminal Market can be a great lunch spot, there are many different stands offering all types of food, it can be loud and crowded though, it also happens to be just a few blocks from the Macy's that offers a great Christmas light show
Another Christmas offering is Christmas Village, its modeled after a German Christmas Village so its stalls with vendors and selling crafts and food, it might not hold a toddlers interest for too long but it can be fun to wander around.

Another vote for the Please Touch Museum - I liked it as a grown up too

Agree with Comcast light show, and the food court on the basement level is pretty decent. Academy of Natural Science (Drexel's dinosaur museum) is right around the corner and a favorite of ours. Also, Sister Cities Park is right there (18th and Parkway) which has a great foam play area. For a nicer but family-friendly restaurant in Center City, I reco Marathon Grill, there are a few of them and it's like elevated diner food with a full bar. And of course, Shake Shack!

If you head down to Independence Hall area (which is nice to just walk around) the Independence Seaport Museum is pretty good for toddlers. I would skip Museum of the American Revolution though. Franklin Square Park with a Carousel is around here. For food in that area, Jones, Pizzeria Stella, and Han Dynasty are good and fine with kids.

Slightly outside the city, Please Touch of course, the Zoo, or the Aquarium in Camden/Children's Garden there.