PHILADELPHIA, PA (September 1, 2026) — Kindness. Courage. Curiosity. Teamwork. Every child has the power to make a difference. On Wednesday, September 16, the National Constitution Center will open Be a Civic Hero!, its first experience created especially for young children and their families, inviting them to discover their civic strengths and the many ways they can make a difference in their communities.
Created in partnership with Playful Learning Landscapes and Watchdog Project Management, the free outdoor installation transforms the Center’s front lawn into a playful space for learning, exploration, and connection. Families are invited to create their own civic heroes, connect constitutional principles to everyday life, explore the historic landmarks of Independence Mall and enjoy Constitution-themed books through a new little free library.
The little free library will extend the experience through stories that introduce young readers to history, the Constitution, and civic life. Its inaugural collection includes more than 100 children’s books donated by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, including titles from its America’s 250th Anniversary collection, as well as additional books donated by HarperCollins Children’s Books, with Freedom Forum contributing copies of We Are Free: Our First Amendment when the book is published later this month.
The Center will celebrate the opening with Be a Civic Hero!: A Family Celebration from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on September 16. The celebration will feature outdoor story time, civic hero crafts, cooperative lawn games, and other child-friendly activities inside and outside the museum.
“Children’s earliest civic lessons begin long before they enter a classroom. They begin in everyday moments when children learn to listen to others, work together, ask questions, solve problems, and discover that their choices can make a difference,” said Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center. “That’s what makes Be a Civic Hero! so exciting. For the first time, we’ve created a space at the National Constitution Center especially for our youngest learners and their families. In partnership with Playful Learning Landscapes and Watchdog Project Management, it offers a joyful place where children can discover their own civic strengths and begin to see themselves as participants in civic life. It reflects our broader commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for civic learning at every stage of life, both at our museum in Philadelphia and through national programs and initiatives that reach learners across the country.”
Be a Civic Hero! brings together the Center’s expertise in civic learning with Playful Learning Landscapes’ research on how thoughtfully designed public spaces can create opportunities for learning through play. The collaboration extends the Center’s educational approach to a new and younger audience, using the science of playful learning to shape an experience designed specifically for early childhood.
“We are so excited to include the National Constitution Center as one of the Play Places that celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday and Philadelphia’s legacy as the first Playful Learning City,” said Sarah Lytle, Ph.D. executive director of Playful Learning Landscapes. “The NCC installation celebrates the civic superheroes who shaped our country and asks children to embody values like bravery, compromise, and teamwork.”
Opening celebration activities include:
Explore Be a Civic Hero!
Families can discover their civic strengths, design an original civic hero, connect constitutional ideas to everyday experiences, and explore Independence Mall through playful activities. Visitors can also browse and share children’s books through the installation’s new little free library.
Story Time on the Lawn
Families can gather on the Center’s front lawn for a special outdoor story hour. Through stories celebrating kindness, courage, community, and civic life, children will discover how books can inspire everyone to become an everyday civic hero.
Create a Civic Hero Crafts
Young visitors can design superhero-inspired gear, create and collect civic hero trading cards, and take part in hands-on activities inspired by the civic superpowers everyone can use to make a difference.
Play Together
Cooperative lawn games and playful challenges will encourage children and caregivers to practice teamwork, communication, and creative problem-solving while having fun together.
Be a Civic Hero! will remain on the National Constitution Center’s front lawn following the opening celebration and will be free and open to the public. The permanent installation is part of the Center’s growing collection of family learning experiences that invite children and caregivers to explore constitutional history and civic life through joyful, hands-on activities.
For more information, visit constitutioncenter.org/museum/be-a-civic-hero.
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About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
