Oct. 7, 2022, SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — A favorite for families with young children, NEPM Kids Day! returns to downtown Springfield on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in a new location — Court Square. The event celebrates beloved PBS Kids characters and invites children to get ready for Halloween by attending in costume. Children who arrive in costume can be entered in a drawing to win a Sesame Street Lego set.
The first 500 families to register online will receive a free NEPM Kids Day T-shirt.
The stars of the event — Curious George, Daniel Tiger and Rosie — will meet, greet and take selfies with their avid young fans. Rosie, whose new PBS Kids show debuted on NEPM TV on Oct. 3, is a brand new friend. She’s a bilingual Mexican-American girl from suburban Texas who is just beginning to learn about the great, big, fascinating world around her. The new series aims to show kids ages 3-6 how they, as individuals, fit into their own community, as well as broader society.
Children and families will be able to watch a curated collection of episodes from Rosie’s Rules, Daniel Tiger and Curious George. Members of the NEPM Education team will be on hand to show parents and kids how to access the valuable educational resources that PBS Kids offers.
South Hadley’s Odyssey Bookshop will have a pop-up book shop and will present readings and book signings with local children’s book authors and illustrators Jane Dyer, Jeanne Birdsall and Leslea Newman. Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis will engage kids with delightful folktales from WBUR’s imaginative and inspiring Circle Round podcast.
Live entertainment will include performances by Zara Bode and Co., Springfield’s Youthful Expressions dance troupe, and Granby’s Bomba de Aquí. Zara Bode is known to many in the region as a member of the Sweet Back Sisters. At NEPM Kids Day, she will be performing songs for kids in both Spanish and English.
Curious George and musicians from the Community Music School of Springfield will lead everyone in a festive parade around Court Square.
At the heart of this event is a dynamic group of educational and cultural organizations who do tremendous and valuable work in our region. They will each host an activity station themed for a PBS Kids show and share the resources they bring to the community. Families will be able to enjoy fun and educational activities from the Springfield City Library, the Hispanic-American Library, the Community Music School of Springfield, the Springfield Education Association, the Springfield Federation of Para-professionals, the Springfield Symphony, the Children’s Learning and Development Lab at Amherst College, TickReport, Springfield College’s Arts in the Community, the UMass Amherst Center at Springfield's Healthy Development Initiative, Springfield Cultural Partnership, the Trust Transfer Project, the Springfield Armory, and the Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary.
“Like many public events, the NEPM Kids Day didn’t happen for a couple of years,” said Marie Waechter, NEPM director of audience engagement and events. “That’s why we’re particularly happy to be able to bring it back, this time outside in Court Square. PBS Kids does so much to give our young children a head start on learning. It’s one of the most important core services that NEPM delivers to the community. And it’s great to be able to bring this celebration back to downtown Springfield.”
Suggested donation is $5/kids, $10/adults and $20/family (up to 3 kids) and includes vouchers for a free serving of Friendly’s ice cream. The first 500 families to register online get a free NEPM Kids Day T-shirt. The event is rain or shine.
NEPM Kids Day! is sponsored by Peoples Bank, Teddy Bear Pools & Spas, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, Friendly's, and PBS Kids. Additional funding and support is provided by Country Bank, the City of Springfield Park and Rec Department, the Springfield Cultural District, Odyssey Book Shop, Stand Out Truck, and AM Lithography. NEPM extends thanks to all of our cultural and educational partners.
