MANSFIELD – Imaginations will “grow” at the Little Buckeye Children Museum’s newest exhibit.
The museum, at 44 W. 4th St. Mansfield, opened its Kingwood Center Garden themed exhibit to dozens of excited children Friday afternoon following a short ribbon cutting ceremony.
“How often do you get to play with a plant as a little kid?” executive director Fed Boll said. “You’re not allowed to touch the plants, but here you get to pot the plants, play with the plants.”
The exhibit features a giant caterpillar tunnel, rubber ducks with a table painted to look like a pond, some stuffed peacocks and several planters where children can plant artificial flowers.
Boll explained the items in the exhibit were chosen based on his experience with children.
“I talk to children, which is sometimes an interesting conversation. Then, I watch children play – see what they like to do,” he said. “Kids like to use their imagination, so we try to provide the stuff and let the kids make up their own play.”
The space looks a little like Kingwood, too, thanks to local artist Orie Rush, who painted the exhibit walls and the duck pond.
The Kingwood Garden Center and the Little Buckeye Children’s Museum have been collaborating for several projects since last year, and this was a continuation of that relationship. Kingwood sponsored the museum’s previous gardening exhibit, allowing it to be renovated.
“I loved it,” Kingwood visitor services manager Holly Williams said. “Kingwood needs to do more of this outreach, and this was a perfect opportunity to do so.”
She mentioned that a “Big Bug” exhibit will be available at Kingwood later this year. It will feature giant bug sculptures through the gardens, much like last year’s Ribbit the Exhibit.”
