Disney Junior is bringing Doc McStuffins storytelling to communities in a first-ever touring museum exhibit based on the Peabody Award-winning television series. “Doc McStuffins: The Exhibit” opens at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis on Saturday, August 6, and will travel to other museums around the country in 2017. The exhibit is designed to model “care and compassion” for kids age 2-7 in immersive activities that reinforce the importance of health and well-being.
Nancy Kanter, executive vice president and general manager, Disney Junior, said, “Doc McStuffins has already made a tremendous impact on how children see themselves and their possibilities by way of our popular TV series.” She continued, “We are delighted to now bring the show’s messages of care and compassion directly into communities across the country and we know we are in excellent hands with The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. We look forward to having young visitors experience Doc’s playhouse clinic and toy hospital and learn firsthand about caring for themselves and for others.”
The bilingual (English/Spanish) interactive exhibit will transport kids and families into Doc’s iconic backyard clinic and the McStuffins Toy Hospital. There, young visitors go on a “feel better adventure” as they become “doctors in training,” don a white coat and toy stethoscope, “scrub in” (learning the importance of washing hands to avoid germs), report to an “operating room” where they can fix seams on a toy bear, assist in an “operation” on a toy dragon robot, and use Doc’s tools including a toy otoscope, stethoscope, thermometer and blood pressure cuff to give a checkup to their own toys.
The exhibit is sponsored by Riley Children’s Health at Indiana University Health, home to one of the nation’s leading children’s hospitals. The exhibit provides an opportunity for children to become comfortable in a healthcare setting.
“It is a heavy order to convince children that going to see the doctor is not scary,” said Dr. Paul Haut, chief medical officer of Riley Children’s Health. “But it can be done through educational and interactive experiences, which help them understand that what we do is help keep people healthy. By teaching visitors about healthy habits, such as practicing good hand hygiene, exercising regularly and eating well, we hope this exhibit will put children’s minds at ease, while supporting our mission to keep all Hoosier children healthy.”
“Doc McStuffins serves as a great role model to children and adults, encouraging them to explore the importance of taking care of their own bodies as well as caring for others,” said Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, president and CEO, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. “Through imaginative play, we hope our visitors will learn more about health, science, and medicine, and discover that children can be anything they want to be when they grow up.”
Created and executive produced by Chris Nee, Disney Junior’s Peabody Award-winning “Doc McStuffins” is an imaginative animated series about a six-year-old girl who communicates with and heals stuffed animals and broken toys out of her backyard playhouse clinic and in the magical McStuffins Toy Hospital. The series has been lauded globally for its modeling of good health practices and imparting to young viewers the importance of taking care of oneself and others. Shortly after the series’ premiere, a group of female African American physicians were inspired to begin a “movement” they coined “We Are Doc McStuffins,” which grew into the Artemis Medical Society, an organization that now boasts a membership of over 4700 women physicians of color from around the world.