entertainment

Clifford The Big Red Dog Coming to The Woodlands Children’s Museum

By Susan Love Fitts | January 4, 2019

THE WOODLANDS, TX – A big red opening will take place at The Woodlands Children’s Museum Friday, January 18, for an exhibit featuring a big red dog named Clifford! Board the Birdwell Island ferry and journey to the world of Clifford™, America’s beloved big red dog with a heart to match. See Emily Elizabeth™ and many of the residents of Birdwell Island.

Adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog opens at The Woodlands Children’s Museum, 4775 W. Panther Creek Drive, Suite 280, The Woodlands, Texas 77381, on Friday, January 18, and runs through Sunday, May 12, 2019. The museum will be closed Sunday, January 13 through Thursday, January 17, while this special exhibit is installed.

Inspired by Scholastic Entertainment’s TV show, Clifford The Big Red Dog® on PBS KIDS®, the exhibit offers numerous immersive “paws-on” adventures that reinforce “Clifford’s Big Ideas” – 10 simple tangible life lessons designed to help young children navigate their world. They are: Share, Play Fair, Have Respect, Work Together, Be Responsible, Be Truthful, Be Kind, Believe in Yourself, Be a Good Friend and Help Others.

Adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog opens at The Woodlands Children’s Museum on Friday, January 18, and runs through Sunday, May 12, 2019.

Children can visit a colossal 9-foot tall Clifford with a tail to slide down, just like Emily Elizabeth does on the television show. Little visitors also can help fill Clifford’s big bowl with bones using a conveyor belt and find “bone”-ified treasures at T-Bone’s Beach.

“We’re thrilled to have an opportunity to bring this wonderful exhibit to The Woodlands community,” said Angela Colton, Executive Director of the museum. “Adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog exemplifies the magic and joy that reading brings to a child’s world. We encourage families to visit the museum for special, exhibit-related events, including A Big Red Valentine’s Party and Meet and Greet with Clifford The Big Red Dog!”

Clifford was the runt of the litter when Emily Elizabeth adopted him. Much to everyone’s surprise, Clifford outgrew all the other dogs because of Emily Elizabeth’s limitless love. The Howards left the city and moved to Birdwell Island, where they made new friends, including Cleo, T-Bone and Mac.

Visitors enter Adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog by passing Birdwell Island’s lighthouse and boarding the ferry. Children and adults can join “Victor” and “Pedro” in the pilot house and try their hand at steering the ferry. Visitors hear the sounds of seagulls and ocean waves roaring as they navigate their way to Birdwell Island with the help of a three-dimensional map of the island. Children can move tourists around the map and visit Samuel’s Fish and Chips Shack, the Post Office, Cleo’s Backyard and all of Clifford’s favorite places on Birdwell Island.

Say hello to Samuel and his son Charley, pull up a stool at Samuel’s Fish and Chips Shack on the pier, and place your order. Children and adults can enter Samuel’s Fish and Chips Shack and role-play restaurant employees working together to restock the shelves, cook, clean, and serve. Children can grab an order pad to take their family and friends’ orders and total their bill at the cash register.

Photo courtesy of Scholastic Entertainment, Inc.

No island is complete without a beach! T-Bone welcomes children and adults to a bone-shaped “beach” where children can follow Clifford’s Big Ideas and “Play Fair” by taking turns hunting for seashells.

A 9-foot Clifford greets guests in his backyard outside his doghouse. Children can take a seat next to Emily Elizabeth on the giant paws of her big red best friend and slide down Clifford’s tail. Children can “Be Responsible” by helping fill Clifford’s giant dog bowl using a bone-shaped conveyor belt to keep the crimson canine healthy and growing.

Inside Clifford’s Doghouse, fans can create pictures, invitations, letters and more using paper, crayons, pencils, and other supplies. They can display their masterpieces in the doghouse, mail them to a Birdwell Island resident, or take them home to bring a smile to a family member or friend.

Adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog’s youngest visitors will dig Cleo’s Backyard, designed for tot safety with a soft floor and “stone” wall enclosure. Cleo encourages toddlers to crawl through a tunnel or play a shape-sorting activity at Cleo’s doghouse. At the stone wall, children can enjoy activities as they open the doors to T-Bone’s doghouse and are greeted by their reflection in a mirror; turn a crank to make Clifford go in and out of his doghouse; and spin two tumblers to match Birdwell Island characters to their homes.

Children can join “Mr. Carson” at the Birdwell Island Post Office and help sort and mail letters. Then they can deliver mail and pictures to the Birdwell Island residents’ mailboxes.

Take a break from all the action and cozy up for a reading adventure. “Ms. Lee” welcomes visitors to the library, which hosts a collection of Clifford books. Children can practice believing in themselves and building confidence (just like Clifford) as they share Clifford stories and play games.

Admission to the museum and to Adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog is $7 per person age 1 and older. The exhibit will be open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon – 5 p.m. Sundays. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. For more information, visit woodlandschildrensmuseum.org or call 281-465-0955.

The Woodlands Children’s Museum, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, was founded out of a desire to meet the community’s proven need for a positive environment where children and their families can learn, play and make special memories throughout the year. At the museum, fun and learning go hand in hand, whether children are creating art, singing along to a musical performance or conducting a science experiment. The museum also has made it a priority to bring children multi-ethnic and multicultural experiences that celebrate cultural and global differences and strengthen common bonds. Programs frequently are delivered in partnership with other nonprofit organizations, always with the goal of making a positive difference in the life of a child.

Adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog was created by Minnesota Children’s Museum in partnership with Scholastic Entertainment, Inc. ©2016 Scholastic and logos are trademarks of Scholastic Entertainment, Inc. Clifford, Emily Elizabeth, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and logos are trademarks of Norman Birdwell. All rights reserved.

Scholastic Entertainment is a leading producer of quality, family-oriented television programming, feature films, videos, and websites, and is a major licensor and marketer of children’s properties worldwide. For more information, visit Scholastic’s award-winning website at www.scholastic.com.