Calling all Super Readers to The Magic House! The Kirkwood children’s museum opened a new temporary exhibit this week in partnership with PBS KIDS based on PBS KIDS’ Super WHY! Included with general admission, the immersive experience is brimming with activations aimed at fostering literacy and a love of problem-solving. The exhibit will remain open through September 7.
The Experience
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Super Readers start their adventure at the Book Club, where they can grab a cape, create a mask, use the Super Duper Computer, and jump in a Why Flyer. From there, the journey is their own as they venture through the Storybrook Village and team up with favorite characters Super Why, Wonder Red, Princess Presto, Alpha Pig, and Woofster.
Kids are inspired to “harness the powers of reading” as they hop along the Alphabet Path, which early visitors have been affectionately calling “Giant Candyland,” says director of marketing Marissa Lorance. Little learners continue on to discover secret letters, use magnet words to complete phrases, search for hidden words and letter gems, use blocks to build words, dine at the Teapot Café, make pretend gingerbread cookies, and take a ride in Cinderella’s carriage.
The Concept
Recommended for ages 2 and up, the lesson behind both the show and exhibit is, “When you change a word, it changes the story.”
Lorance says the program partnership made a perfect fit for The Magic House’s emphasis on literacy. The museum’s most recently unveiled permanent exhibit, “Story Time Magic,” in which visitors can step inside life-size models of beloved children’s books, also places emphasis on early readers.
“The show and the exhibit are focusing on literacy skills, which have become such a priority for us here,” Lorance says. “But, like with all Magic House exhibits, kids are not just learning—they’re playing and problem-solving in a way that makes them forget they’re learning at all.”
As a mother of two who’s worked for The Magic House for 14 years, Lorance adds that the best thing about returning to the museum with kids is seeing how their play evolves. “To kids, it’s just playing, but how kids play with the same things changes as they get older,” she says. “As a parent, that development is so amazing to witness. As a Magic House employee, it just underlines how important what we do is—helping kids grow and learn.”
The Design
The design behind the Super WHY! exhibit was as thoughtful and purposeful as all of the team’s projects, Lorance explains. The exhibit was completely handcrafted by the team at The Magic House, which sustainably upcycled the carriage—complete with functioning lanterns—and the slide from the former “Once Upon a Time” exhibit, at the museum’s new off-site factory.
The layout of the exhibit is an imitation of the show’s Storybrook Village, with each main character’s homes represented. (Kids can even deliver mail to each of the characters’ mailboxes.) The first episode of the series plays on a loop on the Super Duper Computer. Surprises for fans of the show are also hidden throughout the exhibit, including the yo-yo table, where kids can create their own Super masks.
This exhibit marks the final installment of a five-year partnership with PBS Kids for The Magic House.
