If you are hunting for the perfect way to keep your little ones creatively engaged, curious, and thriving over the upcoming monsoon break, the city’s favorite cultural hub has just dropped the ultimate news.
We are coming to you live from the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), where a spectacular new international collaboration has just been unveiled for this year’s annual Bachpan children’s festival. NMACC and the Reliance Foundation, in partnership with Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar, have officially announced the upcoming launch of the Emotions Lab exhibition in Mumbai!
Scheduled to run from July 2nd to August 2nd, this interactive, sensory-driven wonderland is designed entirely to help children master the superpower of emotional literacy through the magic of hands-on play. Following their massive success with the Light Atelier installation last year, this brand-new “Museum in Residence” experience is officially setting a new benchmark for family-centric edutainment in Mumbai.
The Experiential Journey: Science Meets Play
Don’t let the word “Lab” fool you—this isn’t a boring classroom. The entire exhibition is beautifully built around a simplified, child-friendly version of The Mood Meter, a signature visual tool developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (part of their famous RULER framework). It translates abstract, overwhelming feelings into a vibrant, colour-mapped grid, giving kids a tangible, fun vocabulary to recognize, label, and express what’s going on inside their minds.
The space transforms complex behavioral science into pure, unadulterated fun. convencional exhibition spaces are completely reimagined into a playground of interactive technology, collaborative games, and guided reflection. Your kids will be able to explore high-tech interactive mirrors that build confidence, dive into immersive, colorful sensory rooms, play board and card games, and participate in lively storytelling exercises. It’s an environment meticulously co-designed by early childhood experts to map how everyday external factors shape our daily moods.
Growing up offline and online can be emotionally complex for the digital generation. Emotions Lab tackles this head-on by weaving practical, real-world resilience habits into its games. Through play, children will learn actionable wellness habits like positive self-talk, creative movement, and guided breathing techniques that promote true self-regulation.
A Shared Vision for Inclusivity
The initiative highlights a beautiful, shared vision between India and Qatar to bring world-class, experiential museum learning straight to our doorstep. Reflecting on the launch, Ms. Isha Ambani, Director of Reliance Industries, shared an inspiring sentiment that perfectly captures the heart of the festival:
“We believe learning should be an adventure driven by playfulness and curiosity… It is vital for children to learn emotional literacy and intelligence early in life, both inside and outside the classroom. The exhibition will also have a dedicated day for children under our ESA initiative, keeping in line with our commitment to ensuring educational experiences are accessible to all children.”
What makes this happening truly special is its heart. Before opening to the general public, the exhibition will host a dedicated Special Preview Day on July 1st for over 100 children from under-resourced communities, entirely supported by the Reliance Foundation’s Education and Sports for All (ESA) flagship initiative.
Even better? After its grand run at the NMACC, the Emotions Lab isn’t just packing up and leaving. It is slated to be adapted and taken directly to schools and anganwadis across India to ensure underserved communities get access to the exact same world-class resources.
Event at a Glance
- The Festival: Part of NMACC’s annual Bachpan multidisciplinary children’s celebration.
- Public Dates: July 2nd to August 2nd, 2026.
- Special ESA Preview: Monday, July 1st (Dedicated to under-resourced communities).
- The Experience: Immersive, 5-skill emotional learning (Recognizing, Understanding, Labelling, Expressing, Regulating).
- Where to book: Keep your eyes locked on the official NMACC digital portals to grab your family passes the moment they go live!
