Smokey Bear & Woodsy Owl: Home Sweet Home
Feb. 11 - April 29, 2012

Two beloved American icons come to life in this interactive exhibit for children. The exhibit encourages families to spend time together outdoors and inspires children to discover and care for the natural resources that sustain our world - our home sweet home, as well as highlighting ways to reduce, reuse and recycle resources.

Geared for ages 2-8, the exhibit lets children explore the pretend forest, nature trail, ranger's station, campsite, bridge, urban forest and more through props. costumes, puppets and other open-ended play opportunities.

Smokey Bear is perhaps one of the most recognized symbols, by both children and adults, for his wildfire prevention message; while Woodsy Owl's message covers multiple areas of conservation.

The exhibit was created by the Betty Brinn Children's Museum in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service.

Exhibit Details

At Home in the Great Forest

Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl greet visitors under a leafy forest canopy where visitors will learn the story of the real Smokey Bear and how human activities can impact our natural environment. A ranger’s station and lookout tower, complete with a pretend two-way radio, interactive map, fire safety activity, computer workstation and sighting tube, encourage children to explore the roles of the forest ranger, cartographer and firefighter. Photos and video clips

provide views of real forests, reforestation and areas affected by wildfires. On the nature trail, children make their way over a tipsy bridge, through a hollow log, and across a rock climbing wall as they discover the sights, sounds and creatures that live in the forest. Along the way, children can create a performance at Woodsy’s puppet tree using audio effects, costumes and scripts that promote conservation messages. A pretend campfire and sing-along, stump seating,

tent, camping gear and first-aid supplies provide ways for children to experience the fun of outdoor recreation, while learning the importance of safety. A stop at Woodsy’s recycling station helps remind children to “leave no trace.”

At Home in the Urban Forest

A cityscape mural provides the backdrop for a pretend house with a small yard and garden shed that encourages visitors to explore the concept of urban ecology. Children can pretend to install green building materials, practice recycling and reducing water consumption, and discover the amount of energy it takes to power household appliances. In the yard, children can plant a tree sapling, turn the compost tumbler, and guide a pretend raindrop from the garden shed roof into a rain barrel that feeds a kid-sized plot of vegetables and flowers. Other backyard activities

include creating a pretend picnic, assembling a birdhouse made of recycled materials, and enjoying a variety of related reading materials.

The Bridge Home

A pretend bridge and stream provide a transition between the forest and urban settings, helping introduce the concepts of interdependence and our responsibility for protecting the environment. In and along the pretend stream, children can guide a pretend raindrop around rocks and logs to a beaver’s dam, follow animal tracks, compare the differences in the urban and forest shorelines, learn about water safety, and pretend to fish from a kid-sized rowboat. A directional signpost provides information about local outdoor recreation venues.

The exhibit is sponsored locally by:

Smokey Bear & Woodsy Owl: Home Sweet Home was created by the Betty Brinn Children's Museum in collaboration with the US Forest Service. Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl are protected by Congressional law and are used with permission from the US Forest Service. All Rights Reserved.

BETTY BRINN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

The Betty Brinn Children’s Museum is a private, nonprofit organization in Milwaukee, WI, dedicated to providing educational resources that promote the healthy development of children in their formative years – from birth to age 10.

U.S. FOREST SERVICE

The U.S. Forest Service is an agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with a mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land and is the largest forestry research organization in the world.