Kids will have no reason to be bored over winter break thanks to an exciting opportunity at Beloit Public Library (BPL).
From December 27-January 7, BPL will be the first stop in the country for a travelling Donkey Hodie exhibit – an interactive, hands-on, children’s museum-style installation featuring characters from the popular PBS KIDS show. Throughout the two weeks, the exhibit will be open daily from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 3:00-7:00 p.m.
It will include six activity stations:
• Hoof Dancing with Donkey Hodie
• 3-2-1 Blast Off! with Purple Panda
• Make Your Own Puppet with Harriett Elizabeth Cow
• Bob-stacle Course with Bob Dog
• Treasure Chest with Duck Duck
• Fastest Path with Duck Duck
The travelling Donkey Hodie exhibit is on loan from Fred Rogers Productions (FRP) following a successful pilot at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh in the hometown of FRP. It is ideal for children in preschool through early elementary. It is free and open to the public with take-home activities available for participating children.
“We are excited to host this exhibit over the holiday break to give area residents a free, family-friendly activity they can do together,” said Amy Mitchell, marketing and communications coordinator at BPL. “It’s not always easy for parents to find things to do with their young children that doesn’t take them out of the community or cost an arm and a leg. This one allows our families to stay right here in Beloit. With two time slots available each day of the exhibit – including evenings and Saturdays – we are hoping to accommodate as many families as possible. We’re also hoping families visit again and again.”
The exhibit will be staffed by BPL staff members and volunteers throughout the day in the library’s Riverside Room.
Due to an ongoing relationship between BPL and PBS Wisconsin, PBS staff connected BPL with FRP for the opportunity to be the exhibit’s first host.
“We dream big—just like Donkey Hodie and our partners at the Beloit Public Library,” said Alyssa Tsagong, chief curiosity officer for PBS Wisconsin Education. “This exhibit provides opportunities for families to play, learn, and laugh themselves silly in the Land of Someplace Else.”
Donkey Hodie is a musical television series on PBS KIDS that features live-action puppets inspired by the quirky, funny side of Fred Rogers. It stars the characters that Rogers created and featured on his show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Its second season is set to premier in the spring of 2023.
Throughout the show, Donkey Hodie and her puppet pals help kids navigate the frustrations and challenges of childhood, dream big and overcome obstacles in their own lives, work hard and persevere in the face of failure, be resourceful and discover that they are capable of solving problems on their own, and to laugh themselves silly all along the way. The exhibit aims to achieve those same goals.
