The Children’s Museum Kicks Off Summer with Indy Sports Mascots, Specialized Sports Challenges and Nonstop Fun
The Children’s Museum Kicks Off Summer with Indy Sports Mascots, Specialized Sports Challenges and Nonstop Fun
June 13, 2025
There’s no better time to be a sports fan in Indy than right now! From the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals to the hot streak of the Indiana Fever, the energy in Indy this summer needs to be celebrated – so we did just that!
Photos and videos of the Summer Sports Kickoff can be found here.
The Summer Sports Kickoff on June 13 brought the ultimate sports celebration to life at the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience. The action-packed day included mascot appearances by Freddy from the Indiana Fever, Zeke from the Indy Eleven, Bandit from the Fishers Freight, Purdue Pete and of course, our very own Rex!
"The city is buzzing with excitement for our Indiana sports teams, and The Children’s Museum is the perfect place to celebrate our teams and kick off summer right,” said Jennifer Pace Robinson, president and CEO. “Our Summer Sports Kickoff was a great way to encourage families to be active and play together, while getting in on all the hype of our sports partners this summer.”
The day started with a penalty kick challenge at the Indy Eleven Sports Experience. The Indiana Youth Girls Flag Football team even joined us for a thrilling activation! Visitors and mascots then made their way to the Indiana Fever and Indiana Pacers Basketball Experience to participate in an epic three-point challenge! Freddy Fever and Rex helped get the party started and tried to make as many baskets as possible. It was a perfect way to kick off Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Indianapolis.
Following the basketball activation, a slapshot challenge at the Indy Fuel Hockey Experience took place as visitors raced to score goals. The Home Run Derby was up next with players competing to hit the most home runs – it was a real catch!
All throughout the day, families also rode our 110-foot-tall Centennial Ferris wheel to check out spectacular views of downtown Indianapolis and the museum campus – a perfect summer activity to celebrate Indy.
And no sports day is complete without a dodgeball tournament, which concluded our day of celebrations and festivities!
The Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience, home of the Centennial Ferris wheel, is open all summer long until Nov. 2. Bring your family and friends and let’s play ball!
