The Klutz brand of book-based activity kits has long been a staple in the Children’s Museum of Houston’s gift shop. The books are allotted two entire shelves – more space than most items get, according to Keith Ostfeld, the museum’s director of educational technology and exhibit development. “They’re huge sellers for us, one of our top sellers, in fact,” he said. “That’s the reason we dedicate so much space to it. People recognize the Klutz brand.”
So when it came time to brainstorm for future events, Ostfeld took it seriously when a staff member joked that Klutz should be the theme of a new exhibit. “Why not? It is the perfect, natural fit for us,” he said. “It’s all about creating opportunities for children to learn in a different way. We’re kindred spirits with Klutz.”
The result is “Klutz Amazingly Immature,” an exhibit based on Klutz’s Encyclopedia of Immaturity Volume 1 and 2, which opened at the museum on March 7. There are more than 500,000 copies of the volumes, combined, in print.
The exhibit offers learning experiences that connect STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects with fun, hands-on activities – from card throwing to yanking a tablecloth without dropping dishes on the floor to building straw shooter jets.
“We just love the idea,” said Stacy Lellos, senior v-p and general manager of Klutz, which has been in business for over 35 years. “It brings the idea of our company to life in a very real way. It’s all about the kids and finding new ways to stimulate their creativity and problem-solving skills. You’re going to make mistakes along the way, but the point is to be creative and to have fun. That’s the heart of who Klutz is.”
“Amazingly Immature” will run through January 5, 2016 in Houston before heading out on a six-year, 15-city tour. So far two museums – the Mississippi’s Children’s Museum in Jackson, Miss., and EcoTarium in Worcester, Mass. – are contracted for the tour, Ostfeld said.
Lellos said, “This exhibit really embodies who Klutz is. We could not be more pleased with this partnership. It’s a great elevation of our books.”
To generate excitement for the exhibit, the Children’s Museum has also launched a National Immaturity Challenge to determine which city in the United States is the most immature. They’ll track the results on the National Immaturity Index. “It’s very official,” said Lellos. Cities earn points whenever visitors to the exhibit upload pictures to social media along with #AmazinglyImmature.
“It’s been a really fun way to promote this exhibit,” Ostfeld said. “The Immaturity Index works so well for this.” He added, “Creativity is clearly linked to immaturity.”
