Exhibit Overview Exhibit Summary All aboard to explore! Shrill whistles and the unmistakable clatter of wheels rolling over rails float across the pastoral landscape. Friendly chatter fills the air. It is a unique land that has held a special place in the hearts and imaginations of children for generations. Welcome to the Island of Sodor! In Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails children explore and interact with the familiar faces and sights from HIT Entertainment’s popular series. Designed for children 2 through 7 (and their adult caregivers) the exhibit combines exciting play opportunities with important concepts in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), and an emphasis on developing 21st century skills. These ideas are woven and layered throughout the exhibit, creating an experience that speaks to a diversity of interests, age groups, and learning styles. As they travel through the space, children help Thomas and his friends solve a variety of challenges. These interactive opportunities range from simple sorting and shape identification to more complicated engineering obstacles. As children confront new challenges and test their skills, the smiling faces of Thomas, Percy, and others are there to offer encouragement and remind children of how “useful” we all are. 6 Rationale “Lying in bed as a child I would hear a heavy goods train coming in and stopping at Box Station…There was no doubt in my mind that steam engines all had definite personalities. I would hear them snorting up the grade and little imagination was needed to hear in the puffings and pantings of the two engines the conversations they were having with one another: "I can't do it! I can't do it!" "Yes you can! Yes you can!" -Rev. A.W. Awdry What started in a young boy’s imagination evolved into bedtime stories, a long running book series, one of the most successful children’s television programs of all time, and now, for the first time, a traveling children’s exhibition. As of 2014, Thomas & Friends regularly reaches 110 million households across the United States and an even larger audience through internet streaming, DVDs, and toys. With Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails, Minnesota Children’s Museum is excited to continue expanding that audience and delight existing fans across North America with this engaging and educational exhibit. Along with its enduring popularity, the lessons of Thomas & Friends make it an attractive topic for a children’s museum exhibit. The show’s characters confront everyday obstacles and overcome them through cooperation and creative problem-solving, learning about fair play and friendship along the way. These lessons are relatable and important in children’s early years. They also lend themselves to the types of play experiences championed by Minnesota Children’s Museum, providing inspiration to the activities and interactives throughout the exhibit. With all of the series’ major characters being trains, cars, or other modes of transportation, the world of Thomas is a natural launchpad for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) exploration. Children’s STEM learning happens every day in all kinds of environments. It doesn’t require microscopes, math worksheets, or digital screens. Young children’s STEM-based learning is made visible as they identify problems, ask questions, seek answers, and explore tools and materials. The exhibit integrates STEM-based activities seamlessly into the locations and characters of the show. Selling tickets and fixing the train schedule require math skills. Building train routes around the train table uses problem-solving and engineering skills. Fixing Percy’s wobbly wheels and loading him with coal get children thinking about the technology behind steam engines. The exhibit’s combination of STEM-based learning and timeless lessons—bolstered by the series’ enduring popularity—calls upon and nurtures children’s growth in 21st century skills that lay the foundation for future success in school, work, and life. Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails provides visitors with fun and engaging educational activities that support the Museum’s mission of sparking children’s learning through play. 7 Design Approach & Criteria The exhibit is designed to transport visitors to the Island of Sodor, surrounding them with places and faces they recognize from the show. The exhibit and its components include a mix of scales while being cognizant of the HIT style guide in order to include as much of the Island of Sodor as possible, as well as more characters. The exhibit utilizes a mix of three-dimensional and two- dimensional techniques, as well as audio, to create an immersive, multi-sensory experience that can fit inside a variety of spaces and accommodate different size constraints. The following criteria were used throughout the design process: Audience Considerations Target an audience of children ages 2 through 7 years Encourage and accommodate family learning Support multiple entry points and varied learning styles Accommodate users with varied physical and cognitive abilities Welcome visitors of all genders, races, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, and physical abilities Present instructional and explanatory text and media in both English and Spanish Physical Considerations Present interactive devices in meaningful contexts Function effectively with minimal facilitation by staff or volunteers Support the developmental and ergonomic needs of the target audience Fit within a 1,500 square feet in floor plan and allow for low ceiling height of 9 feet Structures and components to be free-standing, adaptable to layout in a variety of space configurations, and presentable on all sides Use scenic backdrops to enhance environments and increase flexibility of exhibit layout Allow for the free flow of visitors in and out of the space Be of solid and durable construction to withstand 10+ years of travel to 30 venues Be easily installed by four people and require no preparatory Exhibit Goals By transporting children to the mythical Island of Sodor, the exhibit provides opportunities to: engage with fun, active, constructive and meaningful STEM experiences, harnessing children’s innate curiously and eagerness to explore foster and promote experiences with peers that showcase the powerful result of teamwork; and elevate and expose children’s thinking for adults and reinforce the adult’s vital role throughout the learning process 8 Exhibit Walkthrough Area 1.0 Entry Visitor Experience As visitors approach the exhibit gallery, they see the familiar windmill and other island scenes framing the exhibit entrance. The entry builds and encourages visitor excitement, along with identifying the exhibit and welcoming guests. It is a portal to the Island of Sodor and the world of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends! 1.1 Entry Sign With bright colors and recognizable sights, the exhibit’s entry signage welcomes visitors and provides space for the exhibit title and sponsorship information. The scene on the sign is similar to the opening of the television series, showing the windmill, curving railway line, and puffy white clouds commonly seen across the island. 1.2 Toy Train Return Located on the back of the entry sign, the toy train return is a helpful reminder that the exhibit’s toys need to remain in the gallery. To grab people’s attention, a large collection of trains are displayed in an artful pattern around the toy return. Area 2.0 All Aboard Thomas! Visitor Experience The first thing visitors see when they go through the entry is the star of the show: Thomas the Tank Engine! With his iconic blue body and winning smile, the scaled model of the beloved train fills the center of the room. It anchors the entire space and serves as the exhibit’s centerpiece. Families excitedly gather in front of Thomas to have their photos taken. Children climb inside his cab to manipulate levers and valves and pretend to drive Thomas along the tracks of Sodor. 9 2.1 Thomas Model From his buffers back to his coal bin, from his funnel all the way down to his wheel arches, this large model captures nearly all of Thomas’ details. Children climb into the cab and explore the engine’s inner workings. The model is equipped with levers and other moveable parts that trigger train noises such as breaking, whistles, and steam. Learning Objectives: Collaborate with peers engaged in play and connect through a shared enthusiasm for Thomas Refine physical abilities such as eye-hand coordination by pulling the levers and balance by going up and down the step Make observations and discoveries into the working components of a steam engine 2.2 Photo Kiosk Visitors gather to have their picture taken and turned into a digital postcard. A photo kiosk and display lets visitors have their picture taken next to a mural of Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt, and email it to friends and family. Visitors enter their email address, or that of a friend or family member, and the postcard is sent to their inbox with special promotional material. Area 3.0 Knapford Station Visitor Experience Rising up behind the Thomas model is the glass and steel roof of Knapford Station. Just as the station on the show is full of hustling and bustling people and engines, the exhibit’s station is busy with excited children and adults enjoying interactive activities throughout the area. Children on the station platform sort freight and baggage on to train cars, making sure everything gets loaded securely. Across the way, visitors put on a conductor’s uniform and role-play around the ticket booth, selling train tickets and fixing the train schedule. 3.1 Station Environment The partial recreation of Knapford Station is scaled to fit inside the exhibit, yet large enough to accommodate a number of activities and create an immersive experience 10 for visitors. It includes two glass atriums, the platform, and a section of the station building.