Review of Big Bird’s Adventure: One World, One Sky

3/4/13 - By Kristin Quinn

If your toddler is anything like mine, she probably has a borderline manic obsession with all things Elmo.  What it is about that red furry monster who speaks in the third person I may never know; but because he makes my daughter smile, I’ve become a bit of an Elmo-stalker myself.  So you can imagine my delight when I saw that he was co-starring in a mini film at the Museum of Science Planetarium: One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure.

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At first I was nervous to bring my 21 month old to go sit for, well, really any length of time, but then I realized the worst that could happen is we would get up and leave early. I was sure we wouldn’t be the first.  Upon arrival, we quickly realized this was a popular weekend retreat.  Fellow Elmo-stalkers were lining the waiting area to the Planetarium before show time.  (Insider Tips: Get there at least 15 minutes early to hold your spot in line, bring snacks because once inside you can’t eat or drink, and try to score a seat in the center of the last row for the best viewing.) We had to wait a bit for everyone to come in and get settled, but luckily the Planetarium is a unique room to sit in and that experience alone will likely keep your toddler occupied. 

The show starts off with Big Bird on top of a building, pointing at the sun and the moon and the stars.  Right off the bat it was perfectly geared for pint-sized humans.   Not only did the story move quickly, there were enough objects moving on the big screen to engage little minds and keep short attention spans from snapping.  When Elmo appears about 8 minutes in, he gets a huge cheer from the audience.  Maybe Big Bird always sounds gloomy because he’s living in Elmo’s shadow.  But I digress.  We take an imaginary rocket ship to the moon, which explodes all around us when we enter.  Elmo and his friend in China (who sees the same moon across the world) perform funny tricks, like kicking a soccer ball and “flying” a kite.  My daughter talked about that part of the show for weeks after we left, and I loved that.

A perfectly timed 30 minutes later, we are saying goodbye to Big Bird, Elmo, and their friend in China.  We learned about the solar system, used our imaginations, sang songs, and drew pictures in the sky.  And not one family had to get up and leave in the middle of it. 

One World, One Sky is a fun, engaging activity I can highly recommend.  In fact, we’ve been back three times.  What can I say, if it ain’t broke...


Location: Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, MA 02114
Contact: 617-723-2500
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