The Strong Museum is opening its “Play Pals” exhibit this weekend, a display that provides an interactive look at dolls, action figures and other toys through American History.
Play Pals is phase three of a five-phase project to transform the Strong Museum's second floor into "America at Play," which is an interactive look at the history of play in America.
The weekend celebration includes participation by a children’s performer who’s been getting some national attention.
Billy Kelly is singer and songwriter, and he has come up with one-minute segments you may have seen on WXXI TV, called “I’m Thinking of an Animal.” They are also distributed to public TV stations around the country. The short programs borrow from the popular car-ride kids’ game of the same name.
Kelly came up with the concept when his daughters were young.
“When they were in pre-school and kindergarten, I started writing songs for them, always writing songs about having fun, and kind of irreverent , silly, things that would make them laugh, so I guess in that sense, my music is about having a good time, so playing is about that too.”
Kelly says the sense of fun he tries to have in his performances is good not just for kids, but is also healthy for adults to have their entire life.
Billy Kelly will be performing Saturday at the Strong Museum at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and again on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
