building core memories

San Antonio's new Inside Out exhibit rides a rollercoaster of emotions

DoSeum, San Antonio, Emotions at Play, Inside Out

“Emotions at Play,” based on Disney/Pixar’s “Inside Out,” will open from May 24.

Photo courtesy of The DoSeum/Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

San Antonio kids can step inside the world of Disney/Pixar's blockbuster animated hit Inside Out at The DoSeum's new interactive exhibit, "Emotions at Play," opening May 24. While it can't promise a ride on Bing Bong's rocket wagon, it will challenge Alamo City tots to understand their emotions in a joyous but educational way.

According to a news release, "Emotions at Play" will have hands-on features that give museum attendees a better feel for the key role that emotions, memory, and imagination play in everyone's daily life. The displays draw inspiration from some of the franchise's most inventive settings, like Dream Production and Imagination Land.

Following the first film's plot, the exhibit will focus on joy, sadness, anger, disgust, and fear. DoSeum CEO Dan Menelly said children and families will learn to recognize emotions and explore how to manage often-intense feelings.

"We know that interpersonal and emotional skills are critical for children's development, and much of that learning begins in early childhood — especially in environments like The DoSeum where kids interact and collaborate with others," Menelly said.

DoSeum, San Antonio, Emotions at Play, Inside Out At the exhibit, kids can keep the Train of Thought on track.Photo courtesy of The DoSeum/Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

During a visit, families can:

Clock into Headquarters to study various emotions with the Control Panel
Uncover the ways people show how they feel with their face and body at the Emotions Mirrors
Create a glowing Memory Sphere
Create an imaginative story at Dream Productions
Keep the Train of Thought on track
Stack and balance Emotion Blocks

"Emotions at Play" was developed by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh in collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios. For the uninitiated, the studio's blockbuster Inside Out and Inside Out 2 animated features revolve around preteen Riley Anderson experiencing a volatile range of emotions at the onset of puberty.

"Emotions at Play" will continue through September 1 and be part of a summer filled with programs and special events at The DoSeum.

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Outside Ideas

Outdoorsy new podcast brings listeners inside Texas state parks

Better Outside podcast host Morgan O’Hanlon

Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)

Podcast host Morgan O’Hanlon captures ambient sound from a river.

Outdoorsy Texans have a new way to keep track of conservation initiatives within Texas' parks. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will launch a new podcast, Better Outside, on May 21 on all major podcast platforms.

A press release promises that listeners will "travel the woods and waters of Texas through an array of awe-inspiring stories about conservation, recreation, and the outdoors."

The podcast does mean "travel" in a literal sense, taking listeners out in the field to experience the environments firsthand. They'll have a knowledgeable guide in host Morgan O’Hanlon, who is a senior writer at Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, as well as TPWD executive director David Yoskowitz.

“People are at the core of conservation work in Texas,” said Yoskowitz in the release. “I’m excited for you to hear their voices straight from the field, so they can share why the work they do matters and the impact it makes.”

David Yoskowitz and Morgan O'Hanlon recording Better Outside podcast David Yoskowitz and Morgan O’Hanlon record in the studio as well as in the field.Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)

Some examples of the work featured include creating a new trail across the state, touring an existing park, and restoring bighorn sheep (which were on the brink of being wiped out by 1900) in West Texas. Another episode in the Hill Country follows feral hog bounty hunters. Although well-informed listeners may already know about some of these subjects, the podcast specifically hopes to focus on hidden gems and expanding horizons.

“I love adventure sports and am excited to inspire people to try new, and sometimes scary, things,” said O’Hanlon. “In our episode on the Devils River, I took my non-outdoorsy mom on one of the state’s most feared paddling trips. You’ll hear straight from her about the challenges I put her through — and why she would do it again.”

Better Outside isn't TPWD’s first podcast. It was Under the Texas Sky, which launched in 2019 and followed similar themes, with a notable focus on culture. Some episodes followed the Indigenous history of Texas parks, cowboy poets, and chefs who are involved in sustainable farming and cooking. Under the Texas Sky stopped being made when its host, longtime Passport to Texas radio host Cecilia Nasti, retired.

The new podcast is sponsored by the Austin-based Whole Earth Provision Co., which originally opened in 1970 as a real-life manifestation of the Whole Earth Catalog, and is now a cross between a camping, home goods, and outdoorsy gift store. It operates six locations in total in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas.

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