There’s a dog on the loose in the Piety Hill neighborhood, Clifford the Big Red Dog that is. On April 15th, PBS Kids visited our Central Hub bringing with them a variety of activities and special guests.
When I arrived, the event was already underway. The living room was overflowing with kids and parents, all captivated by the Ms. Yolanda Eddins, Community Education Specialist at Detroit PBS, singing a song. As I put down my bag and found a place to watch the action, Yolanda got everyone on their feet for a rousing round of the Hokie Pokie led by Clifford. After the song and dance, Yolanda shared with parents that songs like the Hokie Pokie are one of many strategies they can use with their children to tire them out for bedtime.
Each activity that PBS Kids brought was both fun and had a deeper purpose. For example, a read aloud of Thank You Day by Daniel the Tiger emphasized the importance of gratitude to the youth visiting the hub. Yolanda told parents that “Children are like computers. If you don’t input the data, the data will not come out.” In other words, it is important to introduce children to concepts, such as different feelings, if you expect them to be articulate when you ask them how they feel. Yolanda asked the room to show various emotions, calling out “show me your surprised face. Ok, now let’s see excited.” The room reacted in kind with mouths agape or their hands in the air, eyebrows raised in shock.
To close out the visit, the kids had the opportunity to pose for a picture with Clifford while the theme song of Sesame Street played, simultaneously a nostalgic moment for the parents and one to remember for all the attending youth. While many attendees were Brilliant Detroit regulars, the event was also a great way to invite new families deeper into the fold. As the event let out, Central Hub manager Rhia circulated a sign up form and spoke with parents, encouraging them to join future programs.
Thank you to PBS Kids for visiting our Central hub and sharing fun techniques and valuable information for parents. Their visit was part of Detroit PBS Kids’ “In Your Neighborhood” initiative. It was a true treat for our children to meet Clifford, bringing a storybook character they know and love to life.
Would you like to attend programs at a Brilliant Detroit hub? Fill out our outreach form if you haven’t visited a hub before or check out our program calendar to see what is going on at your closest location.