Pumpkin Palooza | Saturday, October 24
Pumpkin Palooza | Saturday, October 24
Spin the wheel, roll the dice, and get ready to play! Game On! transforms familiar games into larger-than-life experiences where children become game pieces, solve puzzles, challenge friends, and get their whole bodies moving.
From a life-sized candy-themed board game to game-show challenges and giant versions of favorite games, there’s adventure in every move.
Step into a life-sized board game and become the game piece. Spin a giant wheel and solve word puzzles. Twist, swing, balance, draw, build, and compete in larger-than-life versions of familiar games.
Whether you’re working with a teammate, challenging a friend, or inventing your own way to play, every experience offers a new opportunity to think, move, and have fun together.
Games are a powerful way for children to practice skills while having fun. Through active and social gameplay, children develop:
Children also learn that games don’t always go according to plan—and that figuring out what to do next is part of the fun.
Candy Quest
Become a game piece in a life-sized candy-themed adventure! Choose your path, dress up as a fantasy character, slide down the Troll Bridge, cross the Lava River, and try to crack the code to save the stolen candy.
Phrase Play
Take your place at the podium and spin the giant wheel! Reveal letters and race against the clock to solve the mystery phrase in this game-show-style word challenge.
Play in Motion
Put your whole body into play with larger-than-life versions of familiar games. Twist on a 3D Twister board, rally on a quirky ping-pong table, navigate unique mini-golf holes, and test your aim on a one-of-a-kind Skee-Ball alley.
(Un)Board Games
Put a new spin on tabletop games with three mind-bending challenges. Build and balance with Wobble and Bobble, draw and guess with Sketch and Guess, and discover Ginebig, a game based on the traditional Ojibwe Snake Game.
Tot Spot
Little gamers have a space of their own! Designed for children under 3, Tot Spot encourages crawling, climbing, movement, and coordination through age-appropriate play.
Games give children a chance to practice important skills in a setting where the goal is simple: have fun! As children play together, they learn to communicate, take turns, solve problems, make decisions, handle challenges, and celebrate both wins and setbacks.
Active games add another dimension, giving children opportunities to test their balance, coordination, and physical abilities. And when families play together, children experience the joy of working toward a shared goal—and making memories along the way.
Because sometimes the best way to learn is to play one more round.
Younger Children
Younger children can explore movement, cause and effect, and simple game-like experiences at their own pace. The Tot Spot gives children under 3 a dedicated space to crawl, climb, move, and practice coordination.
Older Children
Older children can take on bigger challenges, follow rules and directions, develop strategies, solve puzzles, and collaborate with others. Whether they’re trying to crack a code or balance a block tower, each game encourages them to think, try, adjust, and try again.
“Game On!” was designed and developed by Minnesota Children’s Museum.
Play Together
Games are even more fun when grown-ups join in! Try asking:
And don’t be afraid to let your child win. Or challenge them to a rematch!