Brockett’s Bakery is hosting a group of musicians who sing in Spanish. Rather than just sitting and listening, Mister Rogers joins in on the fun. He learns about and experiments with an instrument that mimics the sound of rain. He even uses the rain stick to begin one of the songs. After commenting on his favorite part of the song, one of the singers translates and explains the meaning.
Mister Rogers plays with the rain stick a bit more, coming up with his own way to play the instrument. This segment shows Fred Rogers’ childlike, playful side as he is so keen to learn about the rain stick and play along with the musicians.
These materials tell about the special guests and Neighborhood of Make-Believe storyline from the Neighborhood week on "Fun and Games." Fred Rogers' message seems to be that joining a team and learning a game can be difficult, but persistence and a desire to play can lead to much joy in a sport.
Fred Rogers wrote this article for Pittsburgh Magazine. He wrote these statements to accompany theme weeks of the Neighborhood. This piece went along with the week on "Play." Play can help children deal with difficult times in their lives.
The Fred Rogers Institute Archivist is available for requests and inquiries from students and researchers.
