Join us at the Glazer Children’s Museum’s Evening of Play THIS FRIDAY!

I’m going to be playing the accordion — and a lot of games, too — at the Evening of Play at the Glazer Children’s Museum this Friday, October 15th! Join me there!

What is the Evening of Play?

The Evening of Play is a fund- and awareness-raiser for the Glazer Children’s Museum, whose mission is to provide the children of Tampa Bay with a clean, safe, and fun outlet for imagination and discovery.

It happens this Friday, October 15th, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Glazer Children’s Museum (110 West Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa). You’ll have access to all the exhibits in the Museum, enjoy drinks and food, and play classic children’s games with grown-up twists. All the proceeds will go to support this non-profit children’s museum.

Play is central to all the activities at the Museum, and it’s important for development in children. It’s through play that children learn resilience, problem-solving, risk-taking, and empathy.

It’s all too easy to dismiss play as an unproductive use of a child’s time, but there’s a reason that we have the saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. It’s also important for healthy brain development!

It’s also important to remember that play isn’t just for kids. Research is increasingly showing that play is also good for keeping adults physically and mentally healthy.  Part of the purpose of the Evening of Play is to remind us of that fact by letting us partake in play — and this time, without the kids.

What will happen at the Evening of Play?

Hungry Hungry Humans

We’re bringing this classic game to life! Grab a laundry basket, a flat scooter, and your friend’s ankles, and get to work collecting as many giant marbles as you can! The team that collects the most marbles wins the game! Goofiness and giggles guaranteed.

Race up the Climber

Channel your childhood playground energy and climb through our popular Water’s Journey Climber! Find a friend and challenge them to race you to the top of the climber, which is over two stories tall. The first one to ring the bell wins the game!

Gaga Ball

It’s like dodgeball without the gym class anxiety of being picked last, phew! Hop into our gaga pit and get ready to yell GA-GA-GO! Bounce the ball around the pit and try to hit the other players below the knee. If you succeed, they’re out! The last person in the pit wins the game!

Parachute play

Are you nostalgic for parachute day at school? Us too! Gather your friends and grab a handle to join in a game of parachute play. Run under the parachute to trade places with a friend before the parachute touches you! Then see how far the group can lift the balls up into the sky.

Be the hamster and make an adult sno-cone!

Joe Donoghue’s company, Be the Hamster, is going to be at the event, along with the machine that inspired the company’s name: a giant human-scale “hamster wheel” that powers a sno-cone-making machine!

You’ll get the chance to hop into the wheel and go for a quick run, which will power a machine that shaves ice and dispenses it into a cup. You’ll also operate hand cranks that will take the cup down a conveyor belt, a spring-loaded hammer to press the ice into your cup, and add flavors and optional alcohol to make a great evening sno-cone!

How can you attend the Evening of Play?

Tickets are $60.00 each, but if you bring a friend, it’s $100 for two tickets. Once again, proceeds go to the Glazer Children’s Museum, which is a non-profit organization.

Want to attend? Visit the registration site and set yourself up for an Evening of Play!