At Thinkery, we believe that play isn’t just fun, it’s how children learn best. Whether they’re building, exploring, testing ideas, or working together, children develop important skills through hands-on, joyful experiences. That belief is at the core of our mission, and our participation in the LEGO Playful Learning Museum Network helps us bring even more learning through play to children and families across Central Texas.
The LEGO Group’s Playful Learning Museum Network is funded by the LEGO Foundation and hosted by the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC). Through our participation in this, Thinkery has expanded how we design programs, train staff, and create museum experiences that help kids grow into creative, confident thinkers.
A Global Network with Local Impact
Through the Playful Learning Museum Network, Thinkery is part of a global community of museums working to make play a central part in how children learn. Our educators exchange ideas with peers around the world, explore new ways to train staff, and bring back tools and strategies that strengthen every visitor’s experience.
From our exhibits to our camps, preschool, and outreach programs, this collaboration helps us infuse Learning through Play into everything we do.
Learning through Play at Thinkery
In 2024, Thinkery launched daily STEAM Pop-Ups in the Meredith Learning Lab—engaging, hands-on activities designed to spark curiosity and deepen learning through play. Created by Thinkery’s Play and Learning Team and inspired by insights from the LEGO Playful Learning Museum Network, these pop-ups invite children and caregivers to experiment with physics through flying objects, learn about fractions by designing “pizza” orders, discover balance and motion through playful challenges, and explore music and movement by putting a tuning fork in water to visualize sound waves.
Whether it’s through our STEAM pop-ups, the hands-on activations in Spark Shop, or the other joyful experiences unfolding on the museum floor every day, the impact of Learning through Play is felt across every part of Thinkery. As we look ahead, we are committed to continuing this work to ensure that ALL children can experience the transformative power of play.
Thanks to the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation, Thinkery is helping build a world where all children have access to joyful, meaningful learning through play.
