The Man In The Yellow Hat Has Arrived

By Betsy Mikel in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 28, 2010 7:20PM

Can a 69-year-old monkey teach kids math and science? The Kohl Children’s Museum in Glenview thinks so. Earlier last week, the museum cut the red tape on a new exhibit titled Curious George: Let’s Get Curious! Based on the settings and timeless characters from H.A. and Margret Rey’s popular children’s series, originally written in French, the exhibit encourages interactive play to learn early math, science and engineering concepts. The exhibit targets families and groups with children aged three to seven and has text in both English and Spanish.

We’re not the only ones who have a special place in our heart for Curious George. Generations have read and loved the impish little monkey. We’re behind this exhibit because it brings parents and kids so they can learn and discover together. There are plenty of popular literary and television characters that help kids learn, but George is one of the few that helped kids’ parents learn, too.

At Curious George: Let’s Get Curious, kids step into George’s world and explore. At the apartment building, they can maneuver wheels and pulleys to move George around. At the sidewalk produce stand, kids can play store by shaping, sorting and counting fruits and vegetables. And at the construction site, kids get to build cool stuff.

Sheridan Turner, who is both the president and CEO of the Kohl Children’s Museum, said the Curious George exhibit aligns perfectly with the museum’s mission statement (to nurture the love of learning in children) because it has three important components: It’s age-appropriate, it’s rich in educational content, and the activities are very inviting to kids.

Curious George: Let’s Get Curious runs at the Kohl Children’s Museum until Feb. 11. George will be making appearances on Nov. 3, Nov. 18, Dec. 3 and Dec. 14. Admission for both adults and children is $8.50.