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Traveling Exhibit Introduces Children to Math, Science and Engineering Concepts Through Adventure, Exploration and Curiosity

NEW YORK, NY May 31– The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) announced today the opening of Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious! a traveling educational exhibit that introduces young children to the world of the beloved little monkey and leads families on an adventure filled with fun, interactive math, science and engineering-based adventures. Based on the familiar characters in H.A. and Margret Rey’s classic stories published by Houghton Mifflin, Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious! will be open from from June 11 – September 25.

“Many children lose ground academically over the summer months without adequate emphasis on learning,” said Andrew Ackerman, Executive Director of CMOM. “The Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious! exhibit is the perfect way to engage kids in reading, science and math concepts in a fun, hands-on learning environment.”

The interactive exhibit piques curiosity of young children as they explore early science, math and engineering through hands-on interactive play. The immersive exhibit environment takes place in the neighborhood where Curious George lives with his friend, The Man with the Yellow Hat. Families will recognize familiar characters and places featured in the classic stories and the television series produced by Imagine Entertainment, WGBH Boston and Universal Studios Family Productions that airs on PBS KIDS.

The exhibit’s content is based on educational standards developed by Minnesota Children’s Museum and an expert advisory panel to the PBS KIDS series, as well as national science and math standards for young children.

Designed, developed and built by Minnesota Children’s Museum in partnership with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group, Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious! began a five-year, 20-city tour of children’s museums across the country in September 2007. Minnesota Children’s Museum is a national leader in interactive learning and educational programming for children’s museums. The Museum has designed and built numerous exhibits including Adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog™, The Amazing Castle™, Go Figure™ and Geo-Zoooom™ that travel to children’s museums and libraries throughout North America. The Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious! exhibit is sponsored by 3M.

Inside the Exhibit

Apartment Building
Operate wheels to move George on pulleys from window to window. Climb the fire escape and climb inside to play with color, light and shadow.

Sidewalk Produce Stand
Play customer or salesperson and explore shape, sorting, weighing and counting with fruit and vegetables.

Construction Site
Climb into the construction trailer and design a building, then make use of a bounty of building materials and get to work constructing different structures and using machines to move materials.

City Park
Enjoy the urban green space: rest or give a hug to a full-size George and take a picture!
Our youngest visitors will enjoy our busy wall activities for babies and toddlers.

Mini Golf
Use pipes, ramps, funnels, turntables, bumpers and force to experiment with physics and engineering as you putt through three holes of mini golf.

Space Rocket
Climb into the rocket Curious George took on his space adventure! Catch a glimpse of George in his space suit then take a picture from the control station and email it home.

Farm
Take a vacation to the country and visit the farm. Experience cause and effect and use wind power to move yard art like whirligigs, windmills, windsocks, and wind chimes. Build your own whirligig and care for the farm animals.

Museum Within the Museum
Learn new things about George when you visit the Museum within the Museum. Follow H.A. and Margaret Rey’s work, the escape from France to safety during World War II that saved the Curious George manuscript, and Curious George throughout the years.

About Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Founded in 1973, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan is New York City’s leading cultural institution dedicated solely to children and families. CMOM inspires children and their families to learn about themselves and a culturally diverse world through unique interactive exhibitions. CMOM presents a full range of activities, exhibits and special performances that stimulate children of all ages. Through multidimensional programs that reach deep into the community, the Museum serves New Yorkers from all backgrounds. For details on all of CMOM’s programs, please visit www.cmom.org.

About Minnesota Children’s Museum
Minnesota Children’s Museum is a non-profit community organization committed to sparking children’s learning through play. Infants through children age 10 discover their world through hands-on exhibits in five permanent galleries and two special galleries that offer exciting traveling exhibits from around the world. Fun, interactive activities such as Story Time and Big Fun! take place daily. Minnesota Children’s Museum has been providing children and adults with a fun, educational environment for more than 25 years. The Museum is located at Seventh and Wabasha streets in downtown St. Paul. For 24-hour information, visit www.MCM.org or call 651-225-6000.

About Universal Studios Consumer Products Group
Universal Studios Consumer Products Group is responsible for global licensing and retail strategies as well as building brand recognition of the extensive catalogue of Universal properties. Universal Studios Consumer Products Group is a unit of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.

About Houghton Mifflin Company
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Company is one of the leading educational publishers in the United States, with more than $1 billion in sales. Houghton Mifflin publishes textbooks, instructional technology, assessments and other educational materials for elementary and secondary schools and colleges. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers. With its origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. The company’s web site can be found at www.hmco.com.

About Houghton Mifflin Trade and Reference Division
Houghton Mifflin’s Trade and Reference Division publishes adult, juvenile, and reference books. Its adult titles encompass literary fiction and a broad spectrum of nonfiction. Houghton Mifflin’s children’s lists include numerous Newberry and Caldecott Medal winners and constitute one of the richest backlists of children’s literature in the industry.