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DuPage Children's Museum's Storybook Festival Sept. 26 to explore sciences and the arts

The DuPage Children's Museum invites families to get lost in their own imaginations at the Storybook Festival.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., bookworms of all ages are encouraged to attend dressed as their favorite book character and enjoy this outdoor event full of fun, creativity, and adventure.

"We wanted to celebrate this impactful part of lifelong learning with fun activities that will have everyone using their imaginations and thinking together creatively," explains Cassie Coffey, senior guest experience manager, DuPage Children's Museum. "Stories and books help us expand our understanding of the world and take our minds on creative adventures. Literacy and language development are fundamental aspects of early childhood development."

The museum's parking lot will host different experiences, including an area to design puppets and put on a show, a Literature Laboratory where guests can dream up their own fantastic tales, improvise with Big Story Blocks, and a challenge to create and puzzle together pages of a giant storybook; also opportunities to enjoy socially-distanced story times with the museum and Naperville Public Library.

Families will also have the opportunity to paint BIG on supersized storyboards with local mural artist Jason Watts, the museum's current artist in residence. His work is a celebration of color and graphic themes that are designed to be memorable, iconic, fun, and visually stimulating. Watts strives to incorporate local themes into his work, from iconic buildings to bridges and signage that adds a local relevance and emotes a visual response.

Families can design, draw, and paint to incorporate their own unique creativity into this inspiring collaboration.

"Storybook Festival illustrates how STEM concepts and the arts come together. For example, puppet making is a great example of how math, art, and engineering intersect," Coffey said. "Children can learn about shapes and measurements as they design their own puppets, determine what is needed to hold their designs together, and execute their work creatively through color and other artistic elements."

This event is also serving as an opportunity to promote a children's book drive.

The DuPage Children's Museum has partnered with Bernie's Book Bank to collect new or gently used children's books for birth through sixth-grade reading levels. Since 2009, Bernie's Book Bank has distributed more than 18.6 million free quality books to underserved children throughout the Chicago area. Their mission is to empower children to read their way to a better life through book ownership.

Each year, 275,000 children, from birth through sixth grade, receive 12 books annually from Bernie's Book Bank through 900-plus partners including schools, early childhood programs, food banks and more.

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, Bernie's Book Bank has distributed 800,000-plus free, quality books to children affected by COVID-19.

Attendance will be limited and preregistered, timed-entry tickets are required for this event; there will be no on-site ticket sales. Guests, age 2 or older, must wear a mask over their mouth and nose. Please note: the museum building is closed.

Tickets for Storybook Festival are $8 per person for museum members and $14 per person for nonmembers; it's free for children under the age of one year.

Visit dupagechildrens.org/storybook-festival to learn more and register today!

This event is partially supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

About DuPage Children's Museum

The museum helps develop curiosity, creativity, thinking, and problem solving in young children through its mission: "DuPage Children's Museum ignites the potential of all children to learn through hands-on exploration by integrating art, math, and science." Interactive exhibits and programs make learning fun for children and adults playing together. The museum serves over 300,000 visitors annually representing all 50 states and 575 ZIP codes in Illinois. Its reach and support represent well beyond the Chicago area. The museum's impact extends across cultural, financial, and educational boundaries. It touches the lives of children from all regions, providing the building blocks for success in school and life. The museum is located at 301 N. Washington St. in Naperville, www.dupagechildrens.org or call (630) 637-8000.

Muralist Jason Watts will be at Storybook Festival on Saturday, Sept. 26, to paint BIG with attending families. He collaborated on this community mural located at 1400 W. Monroe in Chicago. Children sent in art that he incorporated into the design. Courtesy of DuPage Children's Museum
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