ImaginOn is thrilled to host Building Buddies from May 16th to September 5th.
Grab your hard hat and put on your safety vest!
Building Buddies is an immersive exhibition that features hands-on role-play
learning experiences that encourage kids to plan, renovate, decorate, paint, tile, build,
and more! “Paint with light, lay a garden path, climb a scaffolding, inspect a large
drain pipe, build sturdy walls, and more! Join the Building Buddies and help improve
the neighborhood. Designed for children 2-8 years old and families.
Elements include:
ENTRANCE “HAPPY HOMES”
Meet the Building Buddies: visitors are welcomed by four large colorful panels
shaped like houses on which they discover the 6 “buddies” that they are invited to
help.
On the back side of the panels, kids can:
• Take a helmet and a safety vest to wear throughout the exhibition
• Explore Peter’s office: organize and plan a house with Peter the Architect:
visitors flip graphic panels on which sections of a large house are depicted.
Children get to choose the location of rooms and make sure there are staircases
on each level to access all the floors of the house.
EVA GARDNER’S BUNGALOW
Help Eva to brighten up her bungalow:
• “Paint with light” to change the colors of her kitchen cabinets using a pretend
brush or a paint roller
• Dress up a window by hanging curtain strips of different colors
• Arrange a wall of assorted foam flowers and butterflies on pegs
• Lay a garden path with grass patches and rubber tiles
PIPA LONGPIPE’S HOUSE
Pipa needs assistance to finish renovating her house. Visitors are invited to:
• Lay triangular tiles in the bathroom, making their own pattern with three
different color tiles
• “Tighten” the leaky pipes by connecting pipes and fittings together on a
magnetic wall and using it as a ball run. Arrange a wall of assorted foam flowers
and butterflies on pegs
• “Inspect” the large drain pipe by crawling into the bright orange pipe
• Measure and install siding planks on the outside wall of the house (magnetic
wall)
WINSTON’S DOGHOUSE
Build a dog house for Winston: visitors use foam “bricks” to build walls and long foam
planks to assemble a solid roof.
THE WALLTONS RESIDENCE
Engineering and building skills are needed to help the Walltons enlarge their house:
visitors use foam “bricks” of three sizes to build sturdy walls and a tall chimney to
keep the family safe and warm.
BILLY O’TOOLE’S BUILDING
Climb up and build up with Billy the Brick Layer: visitors climb a scaffolding to move
foam “bricks” up the structure with the pulley bucket and use the demolition chute
to get the “bricks” down quickly. They can also use a hand-operated conveyor belt to
efficiently gather the “bricks” in a storage bin, or move them around with the kid-sized
wooden wheelbarrow.
Admission to the exhibit is free. The exhibit is open during ImaginOn building hours: Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday-Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. (ImaginOn is closed on Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day for summer hours). For more information, call 704-416-4600 or visit imaginon.org.
Information for Groups:
Can I bring a group? Yes! Groups are welcome to visit Building Buddies after 12 p.m., Monday-Saturday. Maximum number of 30 children and one adult chaperone for every eight students. Reservations are neither required nor accepted and entry into the exhibit is always on a first-come, first-served basis. However, if you wish to combine your visit to the exhibit with any other building-wide activity, a group visit booking is required. You can make a request at imaginon.org/calendar/group-visits.
Can a group make a reservation to visit the Building Buddies exhibit? No, all visits to the exhibit happen on a first-come, first-served basis. Families are encouraged to take advantage of Family Time, if your schedule allows. (See below for details.)
Is there a time when the exhibit is open just for families? Yes! Family Time for the Building Buddies exhibit is every Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. During this time, the exhibit is open just for children with their parents/caregivers. (Limit 5 children per adult.)
Can children visit the exhibit by themselves? Children under age 8 must be always with a caregiver. Caregivers should be at least 12 years old and mature enough to follow ImaginOn rules and guidelines. Chaperones are required for all groups visiting ImaginOn and the exhibit.
What if the exhibit is full when I arrive? Because visitor safety is our top priority, admittance into the exhibit is limited. This allows guests the ability to fully explore the exhibit at their own pace. If the exhibit is “full,” we have a queuing area where visitors can wait to enter the exhibit on a first-come, first-served basis. We have suggested activities to pass the time while you are in line.
The summer exhibit at ImaginOn is funded through the Library’s Humanities Endowment Fund, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.