Fuel the Excitement with

Fuel the Excitement with the Ultimate Power Play at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of hockey with Power Play at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

There are few things more exciting to little ones than watching their favorite mascot come to life. Indy Fuel hockey fans love Nitro the fire-breathing dragon. Not only does the costumed character get fans firedup in the stands, but the players fuel the excitement by skating through a giant Nitro head onto the ice with spotlights bouncing around and music blaring. Visitors to the new Children’s Museum exhibit, Power Play, walk through Nitro’s head and get in the game by enjoying various hockey skills and drills. The exhibit featuring the Indy Fuel opened October 8.

“We talk about what we want people to feel and the emotions we want them to have, so for hockey it was all about excitement, exhilaration and that feeling of family-friendly competition,” says Stephanie Eddleman, exhibit developer for The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. “Bringing in that competitive aspect of the sport, but doing it in a way that’s fun for everyone to do together.

Power Play is split into three unique zones. The fan zone is perfect for children and families who aren’t familiar with hockey to learn the rules, lingo and hockey culture. The skills section is where visitors practice the basics that warriors of the ice use to dominate the game. Children and their grownups discover balance by standing on boards that move back and forth and tilt side-to-side. Motor skills and coordination are especially helpful for little ones to better understand their growing bodies. They will likely have a blast practicing those skills on a rink of faux ice where they can skate in their socks and work on agility and learn how to stop. A virtual goal provides the perfect target for a slap shot challenge.

Score an extra goal with littles by teaching them how science and sports work hand-in-glove. By learning the best angles on the ice, players improve the chance of scoring. They discover how friction helps or hurts the puck — making it move faster or slower. Add the fascinating Zamboni.

It really is interesting to discover how a Zamboni works by shaving off a thin layer of ice, rinsing the ice with water and releasing fresh water that fills in grooves to make the ice smooth. There is even an interactive miniature Zamboni that visitors drive on a touch screen to clean and smooth virtual ice.

The fun doesn’t have to end at the museum. Families can enjoy hockey by attending a game or watching classic hockey movies like The Mighty Ducks.

Play homemade tabletop hockey! Grab a cookie sheet, pipe cleaners, a bottle cap and spoons. The cookie sheet serves as a make-shift ice rink and the pipe cleaners become hockey goals. Bottle caps make great pucks and spoons become hockey sticks. When you’re keeping score in smiles and laughter, everyone wins!