Winter 2016 • Volume 6 • Issue 2 News and Events for Members, Donors, and Friends P L AY Time Build, Drive, Go Now Open 4 Rainbow Fish Musical 5 Pirate Island Weekend 6 Race to Win School Break6 Exhibit Opens February 6 Page 2 Royal Ball Weekend 7 NEW E XHIBIT XHIBIT E NEW Don't miss Micro Sprint Put the pedal to the metal at the Hot Wheels™: Race to Win™ race car driver Mike Austin exhibit opening on Saturday, February 6. February 6! 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Explore all that goes into the sport Yellow Zone a race car driver’s uniform, and explore Get ready for the ride of your life at the of racing—including the design, different styles of racing with displays What makes a car go? Get revved up opening of the Hot Wheels: Race to Win development, and testing of about three famous drivers—Jamie in the Yellow Zone as you examine exhibit. Meet local Micro Sprint race car cutting-edge car technology—in McMurray (NASCAR), Sarah Fisher the moving parts of a real engine to driver Mike Austin and check out one a quest for record-breaking speed (IndyCar), and Antron Brown learn how it provides power to turn of his real-life race cars. and precision. (Top Fuel). the crankshaft and gears which cause Become part of the race team and the wheels to spin. Become part of Red Zone burn up the track in four immersive the engine yourself by turning axles connected to a dragster and an Round the corner and head into the environments that simulate a racing Red Zone to learn about the most garage and a trackside pit. ordinary car. Listen to different engine sounds to see if you can important aspect of racing—safety. Blue Zone determine the car engine—IndyCar, Rely on your reflexes and instincts on stock car, or old jalopy—with the the “Timing Track” table and try to avoid What makes one car faster than highest RPMs (rotations per minute other cars in your path. Learn about car another? Cruise into the Blue Zone of the tires). Pit two Hot Wheels safety technologies and test your to learn why race engineers need to toy cars against each other—one knowledge with a quiz game. View choose the right car body and tires traditional and the other with a different types of racing helmets for maximum speed. Hop into the “booster engine”—to see which from throughout history and other driver’s seat at the Aerodynamics crosses the finish line faster. equipment worn by drivers to Computer Simulator and see how help protect them from crashes. air flows over three different styles Green Zone of race cars. Then choose a Hot Hot Wheels™: Race to Win™ remains Wheels toy car body styles and Zip into the Green Zone to satisfy on view through April 24, 2016. test its velocity on a track that your need for speed. Put five cars includes jumps and adjustable on the starting line, and see which Produced by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and Mattel. HOT WHEELS downhill configurations. Join the pit zips to victory with the help of a digital timer and scoreboard. Gather and associated trademarks and trade dress crew and choose a body shape for are owned by, and used under license from, the family and suit up to complete a an IndyCar and select the right tires Mattel. ©2016 Mattel. All Rights Reserved. for the track conditions (soft or hard, stock car pit stop. Make sure to jack slick, or grooved tread). Examine the car, change the tires, and refuel! carbon fiber and learn why some Hop behind the wheel and take a Produced by engineers use it to build race car virtual cruise around the track. Enter bodies. Check out a display of Hot the “Winners Circle” and stand near Wheels toy cars and compare their the sculpted Hot Wheels racing body styles to determine the fastest trophy for a photo opportunity. Learn of the pack. about different types of steering wheels, check out the safety gear on 2 P L AY Time • Winter 2016 www.museumofplay.org 3 UPCOMI Rare Toys Featured School Break with in Build, Drive, Go Sid the Science Kid The Strong holds the largest and Through January 3 most diversified collection of toy vehicles, building toys, dollhouses, Meet and take photos with Sid from the award-winning PBS and miniature toys for pretend KIDS’ television show Sid the Science Kid from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. play in the world. The Build, Drive, on Friday, January 1 and Saturday, January 2 and from 1 to XHIBIT Go exhibit showcases hundreds of 4 p.m. on Sunday, January 3. Discover and investigate everyday science questions around Sid’s home and at school—in the Storytime Club these artifacts, including some of N E the earliest: Super Fab Lab and on the playground. Use scientific tools and thinking to learn about simple machines, the laws of motion, Celebrate the joy of reading. Original magnetism, air power, and the five senses. Hear children’s stories on select G Hot Wheels Mondays at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Have your Storytime Club passport Mattel punched once during each visit. TM & © 2016 The Jim Henson Company. All Rights Reserved. P revolutionized Collect five punches and receive die-cast toy cars a free children’s book. in 1968 when it offered the first 16 & ROGRAMS Hot Wheels vehicles—including Mondays, January 4 & 25 NEW the first tiny Firebirds, Corvettes, Play Pals Thunderbirds, and Cougars. Rainbow Fish: A Shiny Snuggle up for tales about teddy Designed to reach maximum speed bears and other favorite friends. on specially made race tracks, Hot New Musical! Wheels were as popular among kids Mondays, February 1, 22 & 29 as the cool muscle cars they copied Saturday, January 9, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Build, Drive, Go were with adults. Sunday, January 10, 1–4 p.m. Dig into construction-themed stories about trucks, buildings, Lionel Wartime Enjoy full-length performances of and more. Paper Train Rainbow Fish: A Shiny New Musical! and Buddy L on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m. Mondays, March 14 & 21 Prewar Ford and Sunday at 1 and 3 p.m. Written Silly Seuss Stories Model T Flivver and composed by Rochester's Honor Dr. Seuss’s birthday with Before World Alec Michael Powell and presented tongue twisters and silly rhymes. War II, American by Spectrum Creative Arts, the delightful musical is toymakers produced sturdy metal an adaptation of the popular children’s book that tells the story of a lonely Sponsored by trucks, cars, and tractors. But fish who only wants to be noticed, and how his life is changed forever when wartime manufacturing diverted he meets Rainbow, a beautiful fish with scales of every color. The musical available steel and tin, and left incorporates themes of generosity, kindness, and self-acceptance, and E none for making toys. Companies features a variety of musical genres including pop, rock, jazz, and more. Monday Kicks for VE Build, Drive, Go adapted. The Lionel Train factory printed locomotives, coal cars, and Get colorful all weekend long! Stop by the Rainbow Ranch to create a vibrant Ages 2 to 6 Now Open! cabooses on paper. The Moline craft, play games, and enjoy story readings of Rainbow Fish, A Bad Case of Pressed Steel Company, maker of Stripes, Elmer, and Planting a Rainbow. Join in playful learning activities popular Buddy L vehicles, built its with your child at this monthly N Put imagination into motion and zoom, sail, or fly into the newly opened Build, The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister© 1992 North South Books, Inc. Image courtesy of Jon Ferguson photography. Drive, Go exhibit. Explore the history of construction toys such as LEGO and wartime toys from wood. series created to help parents Erector Sets, as well as vehicles of all sorts from trucks and trains to planes teach little ones important skills TS First LEGO Sets and boats. The exhibit also encourages creative role-play at interactive stations. through play. Events run from When the Danish 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stop for a picture at an oversized traffic light and climb into a giant dump producers of Celebrating Diversity truck. Use bulldozers, excavators, cranes, and other construction toys to move January 11: Build It LEGO blocks Monday, January 18, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. rocks in a sprawling play area. In the Big Build area, create skyscrapers and began marketing Hear stories about building and construction, create a structure other towering structures with oversized blocks. their construction Celebrate cultures near and afar. View a of your own, and explore the sets in the United display of headwear from around the globe, Make your own creations from a wide range of materials at the Build Table, new Build, Drive, Go exhibit. States, they teamed up with the and see and touch materials used to make including favorites such as magnetic Magformers. Make pictures and patterns makers of Samsonite luggage who the hats like feathers, shells, buttons, and February 8: Let’s Create out of interlocking bricks at the colorful Duplo Wall. Use basic physics had perfected the manufacture other materials. Join Adriana Hoppe, Express your creativity with principles to redesign a race track to make toy cars go faster. of molded plastic. Together with Spanish translator and interpreter, for an visual arts, movement, and Samsonite, LEGO released the View timelines of driving and building toys and trace their history through four introduction to basic Spanish and learn music activities.