Emotions at Play with Pixar's Inside Out
We made so many core memories while experiencing Emotions at Play with Pixar's Inside Out, an interactive exhibit currently on display at the DoSeum in San Antonio!
Developed by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh in collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios, this award-winning exhibition brings the world of Inside Out to life in a way that's both educational and magical, leading to a fun, heartwarming, meaningful family adventure for us. This exhibit truly offered something for everyone, especially if you're a fan of the film.
We visited with our almost two-year-old niece, and watching her eyes light up as she interacted with the vibrant spaces, expressive characters, and engaging activities was priceless. But you know what the real beauty of this experience was? Being just as impactful and fun for the adults in our group (us and her parents) as it was for her.
The exhibit is centered around the five core emotions featured in the film - Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear - and uses these characters to help children and families explore how emotions shape our memories, influence our actions, and connect us to others. Each section is designed to spark curiosity and reflection, while also encouraging imaginative play. From creating 'memory spheres' to expressing emotions through movement and storytelling, there's so much to do, learn, and feel in this space.
What stood out most was how intentional the exhibit was in promoting emotional intelligence in an accessible way, just as the film did. It offered gentle prompts and open-ended experiences that invite children to name their emotions, notice how they change, and understand that all feelings have a place. As adults, it was a beautiful reminder of the importance of honoring our emotions and how powerful it can be to create space for joy, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and all kinds of other emotions in our daily lives.
Beyond the emotional insights, the exhibit also gave us a chance to slow down, play, and spend quality time with our niece and loved ones. Every moment felt like a core memory in the making with her, and we're so grateful for every opportunity we get to spend some time with her in today's fast-paced world.
We highly recommend checking out this exhibit while it's still at the DoSeum in San Antonio, TX, until September 1st, 2025. It's a wonderful way to spend a day as a family, and it opens the door for meaningful conversations about how we feel, why we feel that way, and what we can do with those feelings.
Emotional literacy is just as important as academic learning, and places like the DoSeum are doing an incredible job of nurturing both in creative and thoughtful ways.
Here's to creating more core memories that matter and making space for every emotion along the way!