Explore STEM at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis with Minecraft: The Exhibition
Consistently being voted as one of the best museums in the nation means The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis knows a thing or two about selecting one-of-a-kind attractions that are both educational and engaging for the entire family.
Since we love to bring our readers can’t-miss experiences, the CityMoms sat down with Becky Wolfe, Director of School Programs and Educational Resources at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, to chat about one of this season’s newest and most popular attractions: Minecraft: The Exhibition.
We know The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has a detailed process for selecting the year’s exhibits. Tell us why the museum decided to curate Minecraft: The Exhibition.
When planning exhibits, there are several things we think about. We want exhibits that families don’t get to see often. Minecraft has been around for a while, so parents and children can enjoy it. There are games, books, toys, and other activities to attract kids. From a teaching standpoint, a lot of building and engineering is involved. Minecraft hit several boxes.
What is it about Minecraft that hooks kids in?
The creativity piece: Minecraft is open-ended and allows you to create whatever world you want. Some kids love to play the game, but so many just love creating their own world and building with materials. My daughter loves unrestrained creativity and that she has the ability to change the environment.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is all about learning through fun. What educational benefits does Minecraft bring to its players?
Self-direction and exploration. Kids learn best through play. With Minecraft, they can explore and experience how different materials interact in the real world. Building is low risk and gives kids chances to explore without fearing mistakes.
The game makes it hard to fail in a world where you often are made to feel like there always has to be a ‘right’ answer. We’ve seen Minecraft being used to change environments and worlds that are hard to explore, like learning about different planets.
What is your favorite activity to do in Minecraft: The Exhibition?
That’s a tough one - but getting to play Minecraft on different systems, like the Xbox and PC versions, is fun. The giant characters around the exhibit are also cool to see.
Are there activities for visitors not currently playing the game?
The Minecraft family challenge is great for this. You don’t have to know anything about Minecraft to be successful. In the family challenge, the group is invited to work together as you try to save Steve from a Creeper. It allows you to take Minecraft off the screen and into 3d.
The maker’s station is another exhibit that does not require a Minecraft gameplay background. It allows you to take the materials and make environments while learning about different biomes.
What is your top Minecraft character, and why?
I love to use Minecraft bees when playing with my daughter. You can build a hive and collect honey; they are the cutest things!
Tell us about the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) in children’s lives.
Having experiences with these subjects outside of the classroom is so important. As children explore and build with Minecraft, they learn about real-world applications. They are creating experiences that have real-life applications while making learning fun. I refer to this as their ‘experience bank.’
Which part of Minecraft: The Exhibition have caregivers enjoyed the most?
It is definitely the areas where they can interact with kids, like the game stations projected for multiple players. I see tons of family photos happening, too, as they make memories with kids.
You’ve shared some great Minecraft and STEM experiences with your daughter. Tell us more about The Children’s Museum’s initiative to promote STEM for girls.
The Lilly Girls & Young Women in STEM Program was created in response to data that shows that when girls reach middle school age, they have already developed identities around whether or not they feel confident in STEM-related areas.
We want to have home and school activities that continue to reach out to girls to connect them to STEM. We are intentional in thinking about how girls are included in our exhibits. Minecraft is a great exhibit because it reinforces that girls can love this game, exploration, science, building, and engineering.
What resources does The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis have for families reading this article nationally?
Our website has so many resources to explore! A few related to Minecraft and STEM are a STEM book list of women in space and family STEM exploration activities like Cupcake Fossilization.
Ready to plan your visit?
Get tickets now because Minecraft: The Exhibition is only here for a limited time!
And stay up-to-date on more can’t-miss activities and create your (free!) membership online with theCityMoms.
