Isha Ambani joins children at 'Emotions Lab'; offering learning experience through immersive, interactive exhibits
Mumbai, July 15
It was an emotive learning experience for over 100 children from nongovernmental organisations supported by Reliance Foundation, at the special opening of 'Emotions Lab' this month.
Reliance Foundation Director Isha Ambani joined the children during the launch, as they explored how to recognise, understand and express their emotions in a safe, playful and engaging environment through immersive, interactive exhibits.
Brought to Mumbai by Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), Reliance Foundation in collaboration with Dadu, Children's Museum of Qatar 'Emotions Lab' was launched as part of NMACC's annual Bachpan festival. It invites young audiences to explore emotional literacy and social-emotional development through immersive, play-based experiences. Designed for children aged 5 to 11 years and their families, it helps recognise, understand, express and regulate emotions.
The dedicated Education and Sports for All (ESA) days on the opening days, marked the inaugural experience of this first-of-its-kind initiative in India.
Isha Ambani, who interacted with the children during the event said, "We believe learning should be an adventure driven by playfulness and curiosity. We are thrilled to build on our partnership with Dadu, Children's Museum of Qatar to bring Emotions Lab to young minds in India. It is vital for children to learn emotional literacy and intelligence early in life, both inside and outside the classroom. The exhibition with a dedicated day for children under our Education and Sports For All (ESA) initiative, is in line with our commitment to ensure educational experiences are accessible to all children," as per a press release.
The exhibition is centred on the Mood Meter, developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence as a signature tool of the RULER approach to cultivating emotional intelligence in schools. Through a simplified adaptation of the Mood Meter, 'Emotions Lab' helps children build five key emotional intelligence skills: recognising, understanding, labelling, expressing and regulating emotions, through interactive experiences and practical tools.
Under the vision of Reliance Foundation's ESA programme, children participated in guided explorations of Emotions Lab, where they engaged in activities that encouraged them to recognise emotions through facial expressions and body language, understand how everyday experiences influence feelings, and explore how emotions shape communication and relationships. Through these hands-on experiences, children learned to interpret emotional cues, express themselves with confidence and develop practical tools for emotional awareness and resilience.
They also took part in an NMACC Art Walk, which encouraged observation, creativity and self-expression through engagement with art. Guided by Reliance Foundation's 'We Care' philosophy, ESA aims to inspire and empower children to dream big and achieve their potential by expanding access to education, sports and experiential learning opportunities for children from all backgrounds, the release said.
Developed by the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, Reliance Foundation, and Dadu, Children's Museum of Qatar, in collaboration with education experts in India and internationally, 'Emotions Lab' transforms conventional spaces into immersive learning environments through play.
Adapted for the Indian context, it enables children to explore emotions through engaging and accessible social-emotional learning experiences. 'Emotions Lab' is the second exhibition in the 'Museum in Residence' series, building on the collaboration established through Light Atelier in 2025, which engaged more than 13,000 children through playful exploration of light, shadow and colour.
Following its run at NMACC, Emotions Lab will be adapted for schools and Anganwadis across India, particularly to reach children in underserved communities. By bringing together play, creativity and emotional learning, Emotions Lab encourages children to build confidence, empathy and resilience while nurturing curiosity and imagination, essential to lifelong learning and development.
The exhibition at NMACC aims to reach a broad audience to experience including public entry, school outreach and packages for local schools, and is open until August 2, 2026.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is such a thoughtful approach. Teaching kids to *label* and *regulate* emotions from age 5? We barely do that for adults in corporate India. 😅 The Yale-backed Mood Meter sounds promising. Would love to see data on how this impacts behavior in schools over time. Hoping NMACC extends this beyond the elite circle – the Anganwadi adaptation plan gives me some hope.
As a teacher in a Mumbai BMC school, I can tell you straight up – our kids *desperately* need this. They bottle everything up. The 'mood meter' concept is brilliant because it's visual and non-judgmental. But please, *please* let this not be a one-time thing. Emotional learning needs consistency, not a museum visit once a year. Also, kudos for involving Dadu Museum – Qatar does great children's work.
Every time I see the Ambanis involved in something, I'm skeptical – but this one genuinely seems well-researched. The collaboration with Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence adds credibility. Emotional intelligence is something we *badly* lack in India's competitive culture. If even 10% of the 13,000 kids who loved Light Atelier feel more confident expressing themselves through this, it's a win. Just wish entry fees weren't so steep for ordinary families.
My nephew went with his school group and came back talking about "blue feelings" and "yellow feelings" – we were confused until he explained the mood meter! 😂 Honestly, if a 7-year-old can articulate anger vs frustration with colors, that's a massive achievement. My only concern: this should be permanently integrated into our education system, not just a temporary exhibit. The Anganwadi adaptation plan is the real test of commitment.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.