A new exhibit at Marbles Kids Museum encourages kids to explore the world with Mr. Potato Head.

The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head opened Thursday, but will be celebrated all day Saturday with special spud-related activities. The exhibit is a creation of Betty Brinn Children’s Museum in Milwaukee and Playskool. It premiered last year at Betty Brinn and has traveled to other children’s museums in Seattle, Rochester and Orlando. Marbles is its fourth stop.

“What’s good about it is it’s a return engagement exhibit,” said Deidre Albert, Marbles’ marketing director. “You can go through one time and experince it one way and go through it again” and have a different experience.

The colorful exhibit features five different sections, starting with a welcome area where visitors are greeted by a giant Mr. Potato Head and kids can play with smaller versions of the spud-man, who first appeared in the 1950s.

Then kids can embark on four different adventures with him. In Space S.P.U.D. (which stands for Space Potatoes United for Discovery), kids can join Mr. Potato Head in the S.P.U.D. space station. In Spud Quest, Mr Potato Head is in the desert on an archeological dig in search of King Tato. There’s Spud Overboard where Mr. Potato Head is a snorkeling adventurer. And Spud Safari, where he’s in a fantasy jungle.

Along the way, kids help Mr. Potato Head on his adventures. There’s plenty of hands-on activities. Albert said the exhibit aims to make sure kids are ready for school by offering a little bit of reading, problem solving, math, science and social studies.

On Saturday, Marbles will offer some games, crafts and activities to mark the grand opening. And Marbles will be open Monday for the long Labor Day holiday (it's usually closed Mondays).

The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head runs through January. It takes the place of Marbles’ popular exhibit Power2Play, parts of which, including the hockey rink, will return in March. Coming up after Mr. Potato Head in January is Moneypalooza, an exhibit to teach kids how to handle their money, thanks to a grant from the N.C. Bankers Association.

Also ...

Catch a free showing of the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory starring Gene Wilder at 7 p.m. Friday at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh. The showing is part of the museum’s First Friday programs when the museum stays open until 9 p.m. Get there early to see the exhibits and groove to live music from Daniel Sean and Steve Harvell. The museum’s Chocolate exhibit also is discounted. Tickets for the exhibit are $4 and available at the box office until 7 p.m

Ride the rails at New Hope Valley Railway and the N.C. Railroad Museum in New Hill. The railway’s monthly ride is this Sunday. Departure times are 11 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:45 p.m. and 4 p.m. Be sure to get there at least 35 minutes before your desired departure time to make sure you get a seat. Tickets are $9 for adults and $6 for kids ages 2 to 12.

Register for Talk Like a Pirate Day at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh on Sept. 19. Blackbeard, in the form of actor and historian Ben Cherry, will appear during the program for kids in grades four to eight with an adult. Registration is required. Cherry will present a one-man show about Blackbeard, North Carolina’s most famous priate. Kids will learn about pirates of yore and even witness a duel. The Sept. 19 program is offered twice at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Admission is $5 per child. To register, call 807-7992. The museum also will offer other pirate events for the public on Sept. 19, including a pirate flag craft program from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. And people who dress like a pirate get free admission to the museum’s pirate exhibit Knights of the Black Flag. Admission is free for ages 18 and under. It’s $5 for ages 19 and up; $4 for senior citizens, active military personnel, and adult groups of 10 or more.

Help fight hunger by attending the Grow and Share Music Festival from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at Main Street Park in Rolesville. The event includes live music and a children’s area with a playground, bouncy house, clown, balloon animal maker and more. The event is a fundraiser for Grow and Share, a non-profit group that fights hunger by promoting gardening and community building.

And there's more on the Mom2Mom calendar.