“No play allowed” rule
This week Mister Rogers discusses the importance of play in a child’s life. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Bob Dog helps X the Owl get a ball that is stuck in the tree, and he falls off the ladder and is hurt. Dr. Bill takes a scared Bob Dog to the hospital for an X- ray. When King Friday hears about the accident, he bans all play forevermore in the Neighborhood. Mister Rogers plays with a wooden wheeled toy and shows a video of how it is made.
Lady Elaine leaves the Neighborhood
In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, everyone is feeling sad about King Friday’s rule of “no play.” Lady Elaine Fairchilde tries to change his mind, and when she can’t, announces she will not live in a place where people are not allowed to play. She packs up her Museum-Go-Round and leaves the Neighborhood of Make-Believe! Mister Rogers shows a film of how a real house is moved.
Where’s Lady Elaine gone?
Mister Rogers talks about the importance of imagination in play. Everything is very somber in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. The
Neighbors can’t find where Lady Elaine and the Museum-Go-Round have gone, and no one is allowed to play. Finally, Ana, Prince Tuesday and Daniel just have to play. When King Friday discovers them, the Prince speaks up against the rule. In Negri’s Music Shop, Lou Schreiber, a musician who is blind, is playing different instruments.
A visit to a mushroom farm
Mister Rogers visits an underground mushroom farm to see how mushrooms are grown. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, King Friday is reconsidering his “no play” rule, and Officer Clemmons finds Lady Elaine Fairchilde enjoying her freedom at a real playground far from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
Everyone needs to play
Mister Rogers walks on stilts and talks about how long it took him to learn to walk on them. Bob Dog helps persuade Lady Elaine Fairchilde to return to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. A big play celebration follows with everybody joining in, even King Friday who has learned that we all need to play. . Mister Rogers talks about loud play and quiet play, and all the different ways there are of playing.
Springtime With Mister Rogers – Complete
Join us for our annual charitable mini-golf outing Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Bethel Park! Learn more about the event and register for tickets here.
***
Thanks to Mark Buzzitta, we can now share the complete as-produced “Springtime with Mister Rogers” special as it was last seen in 1979.
New episodes the first and third Monday of every month
Watch full-length Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood programs. The first Monday of every month will feature programs from the early years 1968-1975. The third Monday of every month will feature programs from the “Theme Weeks” library 1979-2001.
Where to watch more episodes
Looking for more Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood episodes? Find them here:
