"Nature of the Game" Exhibition

Food Web Chess set with Campanile in the background.

Lease the "Nature of the Game" Exhibition

This brand new, innovative and interactive exhibit, which features a collection of larger-than-life outdoor games, will:

  • Increase attendance due to its game-based entertainment value.
  • Strengthen your garden’s relationships with donors, patrons, and community.
  • Draw new visitation.
  • Demonstrate the balance, beauty, and connections in nature.
  • Encourage children and adults alike to get outside, visit your garden, and have fun through the engagement value of these games.

Celebrate ecology through play with a new collection of larger-than-life outdoor games. This series puts an ecological and artistic spin on familiar favorites, from oversized tile puzzles to gorgeous hidden picture sculptures to giant food web chess and more. Visitors will have fun playing games that demonstrate the balance, beauty, and connectedness of nature.

playing card photo opp in front of the Christina Reiman butterfly wing
A group of people play with the Consequence game.
Children interacting with the Morphing Morphology piece.
  • Scavenger Hunt: Florida Everglades piece.

    Scavenger Hunt

    Inspired by I-SPY or scavenger hunt – Visitors can explore different biomes in the United States and learn about the plants and animals that live within those biomes by searching for certain images within each piece.

  • Two people play Food Web Chess.

    Food Web Chess

    This version of chess includes a twist where the pieces represent animals from different parts of the food chain. Once the game starts, one goes through multiple food chains and creates a food web, illustrating the interconnectivity of nature.

  • Two groups interact with two different Cause and Effect slide puzzles.

    Cause and Effect

    These large-scale sliding tile puzzles draw connections between different biomes and their biggest threats. The double sides create the cause-and-effect component of the game. Once one side is completed, the other side is scrambled. When one biome is fully visible, its threat is diminished, and vice versa.

  • A child and young adult play with the BEEd Maze.

    BEEd Maze

     The BEEd maze illustrates the process of pollination while acting as a toy. The twisted poles are arranged in different shapes and heights. Bees will be pushed around the system as they “pollinate”. The BEEd Maze is scaled to be used by all ages, but especially toddlers and young children.

  • Children play with the Connect Food game.

    Connect Food

    In Connect Food, one player is a moth and the other is a butterfly. Each player has to align four of their own disks, and each disk has an imprint of either host plant, caterpillar, adult butterfly, or nectar plant. In order for the player to win, one must align all four needs of their moth or butterfly.

  • Two large dice sculptures are nestled in a flower bed.

    Dice Sculpture

    A large-scale sculptural piece relative to game playing - this ubiquitous game piece is a visual representation of the game-themed exhibit.