As visitors pass by the Lighthouse and arrive on
Birdwell Island, they will discover the world of Clifford, Emily Elizabeth and
their friends. The exhibit's design draws specifically from existing art that
has been created for the PBS KIDS® series Clifford The Big Red Dog and
incorporates a variety of textures and materials. A group of easily identifiable
places from the series transports visitors to the home of Clifford and his friends
on Birdwell Island. Kids get up close and hands-on with a nine-foot tall Clifford
and a tail to slide down. Children work together to feed Clifford by filling
his giant dog bowl with bones, try their hand at "steering" the ferry
and pull up a stool at Samuel's Fish and Chips Shack to place their order. Dressed
in Cleo, T-Bone or Clifford costumes, visitors choose a Clifford The Big Red
Dog video backdrop and put on a show. Toddlers will dig Cleo's Backyard where
they crawl through a tunnel, sort shapes in Cleo's doghouse and more. Visitors
browse the Norman Bridwell Art Retrospective to see 40 years (that's 280 dog-years!)
of Clifford The Big Red Dog artwork and stories.
Target Audience: Children ages two through eight,
families and groups.
Languages: Text graphics are in English and Spanish.
Goals:
The goal of this exhibit is to provide museum visitors
with a greater understanding of the social and emotional challenges children
face every day. This goal will be met through the following objectives:
- Create immersive exhibit environments where visitors become part of Clifford's
world.
- Provide opportunities for museum visitors to practice developmentally appropriate
challenges through layful exhibit interactives.
- Foster positive social skills and feelings of success by creating open-ended
and self-correcting activities throughout the exhibit.
- Promote adult/child dialogue about Clifford's 10 Big Ideas
- Simple life lessons to help young children navigate their world.
Clifford's Big Ideas:
- Share
- Play Fair
- Have Respect
- Work Together
- Be Responsible
- Be Truthful
- Be Kind
- Believe in Yourself
- Be a Good Friend
- Help Others
Support:
Marketing, publicity and educational materials,
installation guide and on-call site support are provided.
Hosts of the exhibit have received a 17 percent
average increase in attendance over the year prior!