We’ve covered some phenomenal children’s exhibits here. A favorite exhibit with the preschool set (and their parents) is making its way around the U.S., thanks in part to a grant from the WellPoint Foundation. It’s in the first year of a 5-year tour of some of the country’s best museums and science centers.
The traveling exhibit “Dora & Diego—Let’s Explore!” is currently delighting guests at the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama. The exhibit launched at the renowned Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Indianapolis partnered with Nickelodeon to create an interactive exhibit in which kids are able to play and learn with their favorite characters from Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go!, including Dora, Diego, Map, Backpack, Boots, and more.
These shows offer children the opportunity to learn skills and ideas alongside the characters. Each episode focuses on a different issue. The exhibit’s designers, in partnership with Nickelodeon, selected several key themes to focus on in “Let’s Explore.” These issues include active play to combat obesity, environmental and animal rights awareness, how to be a good friend, and basic Spanish skills.
Storytelling and interaction are used to teach very young audiences about these important themes in a hands-on manner. “Dora & Diego—Let’s Explore!” is a living, breathing episode of Dora the Explorer or Go, Diego, Go! As the “play along” theme begins to sound, children take a visit to Purple Planet. There they will find two purple houses which children can climb inside or play with miniature versions of their favorite characters from Dora the Explorer, along with their new Purple Planet friends. Here they explore issues of tolerance.
Upon leaving the Purple Planet, children are asked for help by Dora’s friends from outer space to get back home. They can then climb into the Rocketship, where they will dress up as astronauts and complete a number of educational activities on the quest to getting their friends from Purple Planet back home. Here visitors are able to practice active problem solving.
In the Pirate Ship, the Pirate Piggies crew invites preschoolers to dress like pirates and “steer” the ship towards treasure. Once it is found, children are asked to divide the treasure up amongst all of the piggies. It’s up to them to make sure that a fair share is received by everyone!
As the children move on to Dora and Diego’s rainforest, they will encounter an interactive climb and play area called the Rainforest Maze. Here preschoolers can climb Jaguar Mountain, hop across the river, crawl through a fallen log, and play on the Bobo Brothers’ monkey bars. They can then continue on to the Animal Rescue Center, where injured rainforest animals need their help. The preschoolers diagnose, treat, and brush their stuffed friends, making sure to give them the care that they need to return to the rainforest.
Lastly, children can end their visit with a trip to Isa’s Garden and Tico’s Tree and Car. Isa the iguana shows her friends how to take care of animals and nature, then invites them to tour her garden of flowers, birds, and butterflies. At Tico’s Tree and Car, Dora’s squirrel friend needs help picking nuts for a family picnic. That’s not all that nuts are good for, however – Tico’s car is in need of nuts, too! Once the young visitors have filled his car up with “fuel,” they wave goodbye now that Tico can continue on his journey.
“Dora & Diego—Let’s Explore!” has been wildly popular in the cities that it has visited so far and is highly anticipated in future locations. The exhibit is an excellent example of using age appropriate approaches to learning, interactive exhibits, and bite size quests to engage visitors. An overarching story takes visitors beyond a basic playground experience and into a convincing world of beloved characters.
Images source: The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis