Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood coming to DuPage Children's Museum

Naperville's DuPage Children's Museum will unveil its newest display next month when it opens Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit.

The exhibit, which will run from Jan. 19 through May 12 at 301 N. Washington St., will bring to life the themes presented in the award-winning PBS Kids television series created by The Fred Rogers Company that follows the adventures of 4-year-old Daniel Tiger and his friends.

Through immersive experiences, visitors can collaborate to solve problems, use their imaginations to transform their surroundings and play along with Daniel's singable strategies as they learn life's little lessons.

Created by Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, in partnership with The Fred Rogers Company, the exhibit focuses on themes such as community, communication and emotions, which enable young children to understand their feelings and those of their neighbors.

Visitors can walk the paths and hear the sounds of Daniel's world as they encounter the meaning of empathy, gratitude, sharing and diversity in an environment of creative and interactive play. Through music, kids also can sing along with Daniel, work together to solve problems and even experience the contagious nature of kindness.

"This exhibit provides a wonderful opportunity for adults to support and engage young children in developing social-emotional skills and the critical coping strategies that will guide them throughout their lives," said Thomas Sullivan, director of education and programs at the DuPage Children's Museum.

"At our museum, we are huge proponents of engaging children and their adults as partners in child-led play experiences that encourage curiosity, exploration and collaboration. We see Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit as the perfect invitation for that interaction."

"Daniel speaks directly to children, and he is their age," said Paul Siefken, president and chief executive officer with The Fred Rogers Company.

"Because of that, they see him as their friend, and he goes through a lot of the challenges that they face, whether it's dealing with mad feelings or learning how to share."

Along with the emotional lessons gleaned in the Neighborhood, visitors can:

• Transform into a favorite character with masks and costumes;

• Compose a song or play along with one-of-a-kind instruments;

• Visit the post office and sort, deliver and receive packages and letters;

• Create stories through the Movable Character Mural;

• Step inside the Clock Factory to play with a variety of clocks;

• Identify spots in one's own neighborhood on the interactive world map;

• Write or draw thank-you notes and put them on the Thank You Tree;

• Cozy up with a good book in O the Owl's Reading Nest;

• Stroll with a Trolley along the path and ring the bell upon arrival.

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood was made possible through local sponsorship by the DuPage Medical Group. It continues its multiyear run as a traveling exhibit in Naperville and is scheduled to appear in two more North American cities through the summer of 2019.

Admission to DuPage Children's Museum is $12 for adults and children ages 1 and older, and $10 for seniors; free for members and children younger than 1.