Looking for a way to entertain young children and stay out of the heat? Try visiting a new neighborhood… Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit that is! This free exhibit at Crown Center provides immersive experiences that give kids reasons to use their imaginations and try new things.
The exhibit is based on the award-winning “Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood” PBS KIDS television series, created by Fred Rogers Productions, that follows the adventures of 4-year-old Daniel Tiger. Walking into the exhibit feels like stepping into the world of Daniel Tiger and his friends.
Children 2 to 6 years old are the perfect age for this exhibit. Most families spend 30 minutes to 1 hour in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit, but visitors are welcome to stay and play as long as they’d like.
Neighborly Things To Do
Children can engage in some of the preschool-appropriate activities that Daniel and his
friends love, such as playing dress up and making music. They can put on costumes
of community helpers such as a police officer or doctor, wear handheld masks of the various Neighborhood characters, and don a wearable vehicle or sit in a small-scale trolley.
The exhibit also focuses on core social and emotional skills that young children are learning, helping them prepare for interactions with their peers, such as sharing, listening, taking turns, and gaining confidence.
Strategies that the television series teaches complement the exhibit activities, including:
- “You can take a turn, and then I’ll get it back.”
- “When you pretend, you can do anything!”
- “Work together! If you can’t do it alone; work together!”
- “When you feel so mad that you want to ROAR… take a deep breath and count to four.”
Other activities in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibitinclude:
- Compose a song or play along with one-of-a-kind instruments
- Visit the Post Office and sort, deliver, and receive letters
- Create stories through the Movable Character Mural
- Step inside the Clock Factory to play with a variety of clocks
- Write or draw thank-you notes and put them on the Thank You Tree
- Stroll with a Trolley along the path, and ring the bell upon arrival
Through these creative experiences, children and parents will work together to solve problems, engage their imaginations, and use Daniel Tiger’s singable strategies to learn life’s little lessons.
Explore the Crown Center Neighborhood
After you play for a while, roam the levels of the Crown Center Shops to explore shops with kid appeal like Toy Time and Crayola® Kansas City. Grab lunch at Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant, Burnt End BBQ, or La Fuente – all with kid-friendly meal options. Or enjoy a treat like frozen custard from Sheridan’s, popcorn from Topsy’s, or sweets from Chip’s Chocolate Factory.
Experience Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit now through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2, in the Crown Center Showplace on Level 1 of the Crown Center Shops.
Exhibit hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. (Holiday hours for Labor Day are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Admission is FREE.
Find more details at CrownCenter.com or call 816-274-8444.
Created by Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh in partnership with Fred Rogers Productions.
DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD ©2012 The Fred Rogers Company. All Rights Reserved.
