If you’re trying to get the kiddos out of the house and find something fun to do this summer, the Mississippi Children’s Museum has announced a new exhibit coming to its Jackson location.
“Emotions at Play” will bring the beloved world of Pixar’s “Inside Out” movie to life through hands-on and digital experiences designed to help children better understand the important roles that emotions, memory, and imagination play in everyday life, a press release explained.
The film’s five core emotions and their corresponding characters – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear – will be central to the interactive exhibit, encouraging children to recognize emotions and explore how they are expressed and managed.
The exhibit opens to the general public on Saturday, May 23, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 6. Admission is free for Mississippi Children’s Museum members. For non-members, admission is $13 per person.
“Emotions at Play gives children and families a space to explore what they’re feeling in a way that’s both fun and meaningful,” said Rachel Myers, director of exhibits at the Mississippi Children’s Museum. “By building social and emotional skills like empathy, self-awareness, and resilience, we’re helping children better understand themselves and connect with others. We’re so excited to bring this interactive and educational exhibit to the museum this summer.”
Exhibit features include:
- Stepping into Headquarters to explore the range and intensity of emotions at the Control Panel.
- Discovering how emotions are expressed through facial expressions and body language at the Emotions Mirrors.
- Reflecting on meaningful moments by creating a glowing Memory Sphere that represents how a memory feels – or how they feel in the present.
- Creating and performing original stories using your imagination at Dream Productions.
- Balancing the Train of Thought while exploring the emotions involved in keeping it on track.
- Experimenting with how emotions interact by stacking and balancing the Emotion Blocks.
Accompanying events include:
- June 4: Free showing of “Inside Out” at Fondren Yard. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the movie beginning at 7 p.m.
- June 20: “Joy in Motion” at the museum will allow children to discover how movement and connection with others can spark feelings of joy through engaging, active experiences.
- July 11: “Peaceful Play Day” at the museum will allow children to explore simple, meaningful techniques to help calm the body and mind.
- Aug. 22: “Big Feelings, Brave Hearts” at the museum will give children a chance to learn how to face fears that come with new seasons and build confidence through interactive activities.
The Mississippi Children’s Museum in Jackson is located at 2154 Museum Boulevard, right next to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science.
