Children's Museum gets Curious George
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A new interactive Curious George exhibit opens at the Pittsburgh Children's Museum on Saturday, June 19.
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Curious George has warmed the hearts and captured the imaginations of millions of children over the past 69 years, inspiring them to learn about the world by examining objects, asking questions and trying new things. What better way to learn like the little monkey than to step in his very shoes.
The traveling exhibit "Curious George: Let's Get Curious!" opens Saturday at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, where it will run through Oct. 3.
With curiosity and inquiry as their guides, children can explore the world of this favorite book character while learning fundamental concepts in science, math and engineering.
The exhibit will lead children on a fun, interactive adventure and encourage them to apply their natural curiosity to solve problems. Developed by Minnesota Children's Museum in partnership with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group, the exhibit is intended for ages 3 to 7.
"Just like Curious George, children are very curious, and curiosity happens to be the most important, fundamental scientific investigation of discovery," said Bill Schlageter, Children's Museum director of marketing.
Designed to mirror the environment and locations found in the "Curious George" book series and PBS television series, the exhibit features a city park, an apartment building, a farm, a skyrocket, a sidewalk produce stand, a construction site, minigolf and a museum within a museum.
When entering the exhibit, children will step onto an urban street and will then be transported to the neighborhood where Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat live. Supporting characters from Curious George will appear throughout the exhibit, providing context and take-home messages for adults that emphasize the critical role parents and caregivers play in developmental learning for their children.
The exhibit originated in Minneapolis and has traveled to Chicago; Rochester, N.Y.; St. Louis; San Jose, Calif.; and Boston.
The character, of course, is based on the popular children's book series written by Hans and Margret Rey, whose own adventures could rival that of their mischievous protagonist. Both German Jews, they escaped Paris on makeshift bicycles hours before the Nazi invasion during World War II, carrying with them a little food and the manuscript for Curious George. They eventually landed in New York City, where Houghton Mifflin published their first book in 1941. The books have sold more than 25 million copies.
As part of the exhibit, the Children's Museum and WQED Multimedia plan to launch a new partnership called GetCuriousPittsburgh.org which focuses on educating children in the Pittsburgh area about science and technology. Parents can sign up for the partnership while visiting the exhibit, which will provide educational information for their children,
"In this project, we hope that we can provide the tools necessary for parents to continue their children's path of curiosity which is the linchpin to many doors throughout learning and discovery," Mr. Schlageter said.
First Published June 17, 2010 12:00 am
