Playful Places on Campus
Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab
The Champaign-Urbana (CU) Community Fab Lab is a makerspace located on the University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign campus. For those who may not have heard of makerspaces before, a makerspace is a place where people with shared interests can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment, and knowledge. In our makerspace, you’ll find tools and software you can learn and utilize to make projects all your own. During open hours, we are open to visitors from all around the community and campus.
Innovation Studio & VR Lab at Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning
This is the premier space on campus for playful exploration of gen AI and virtual reality, as well as 3D printing and laser cutting, all of it at no cost to the patrons. Anyone curious about these technologies is welcome to explore them on their own, or to be guided through them by the staff during their open hours. Also available for individual or group consultations and class visits, they have a long history of collaboration with virtually every college on campus.
Siebel Center for Design
Siebel Center for Design is one component of a larger cross-campus, multidisciplinary effort to harness the potential of design thinking and design learning in our teaching, research and engagement. Through this effort, we will channel our students’ outstanding talents to develop expertise, passion and creativity toward issues and lives of consequence. Students from across campus and all fields of study will explore ideas and master skills through action—immersing, designing, making, doing.
The Spurlock Museum
The Spurlock Museum represents cultures of historic and contemporary peoples from around the world. Our permanent and temporary exhibits help interpret the diversity of cultures, and serve as a springboard for unique programs, tours, and special events.
UIUC Undergraduate Library Gaming Collection
This collection includes video games, board games, consoles, and research materials to support gaming-related teaching, research, creation, and co-curricular activities on campus. Contact David Ward (dh-ward@illinois.edu) for more information.
Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion, University of Illinois
Krannert Art Museum’s collection of over ten thousand works of art represents the cultures of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum offers outstanding temporary exhibitions that are complemented by a full program of public lectures, music and dance performances, and film screenings. Krannert Art Museum’s Giertz Education Center serves educators by providing workshops and a free-loan collection of over 5000 art and cultural objects and instructional items.
CU Playful Organizations
CUDO Plays
An Illinois-local board game design competition hosted by the Champaign-Urbana Design Organization that brings together gamers, makers, and designers to bring their game ideas to reality! CUDO Plays follows each team’s progress, assisting and supporting them as needed. The competition offers workshops led by industry experts, highlights community resources, and hosts public playtests and a Grand Exhibition at the end of the competition.
CUBED: Champaign-Urbana Board Game Engineers and Designers
CUBED is a group of tabletop game designers, publishers, and playtesters in the East Central Illinois area. Who emphasize creation, collaboration, and execution of quality board and card games. They meet regularly twice a month: Discussion/special topics meetings on the first Monday of every month. Open playtesting meetings on the third Sunday of every month.
Chambanavoy Gamers
A Meetup Group created to foster a gaming environment in the Champaign/Urbana/Savoy area. Meeting periodically at various establishments to play games such as Settlers of Catan, Dominion, Carcassone, Ticket to Ride and many others. The group is designed so that adults can meet other adults to forge new friendships amongst the battlefields of board games!
Other Gaming Groups
There are many gaming groups in the CU community both on campus and off. Please send details of your organization if you’d like to be added here to Playful by Design, jpintar@illinois.edu
CU Escape Rooms
CU Adventures in Time & Space
CU Adventures in Time & Space is a real-life escape room game for friends, family, and coworkers. Teams of 2-10 players have 60 minutes to find clues, complete puzzles, discover secret doors, and solve a greater mystery. Each game takes place in a different themed setting and time period. From dispelling evil spirits in a haunted cabin to foiling the plot of tyrannical wizard, the scenarios are designed to make players feel like they are living out a movie! Each room features a different set of challenges as players use observation, communication, and critical thinking to win! For groups of 2, tickets are $35 per person; for 3-4, tickets are $30 per person; for 5+, tickets are $25 per person.
Brainstorm Escapes
Brainstorm Escapes is an Escape Room business that offers immersive and exciting escape rooms, each with their own unique theme. Their experiences encourage participants to work together in a high pressure situations by using their wits, intuition, and logic. It’s great for building communication and teamwork, or just having fun!
Lab Escape
LabEscape is the world’s first science-based escape room, located at Lincoln Square Mall. Agents can look forward to an exciting adventure with family, friends or coworkers (or enemies, for a REAL challenge!), trying to solve the mystery of the missing Professor Schrodenberg before time runs out. At the LabEscape project we are committed to creating an innovative escape game unlike any other. First and foremost, we want to provide a rewarding and thrilling experience that will leave participants fondly reminiscing long after they’ve left. We also want to show that science can be amazing, useful, beautiful, and yes, even fun! We’ve created a series of jaw-dropping puzzles based on various science phenomena. You will literally see an object disappear before your eyes—no CGI tricks here! We have Escapes every evening and all weekend, and we’re only $8/student, $12/non-student. So grab several of your friends (4-6 Agents, age 12-and over, including at least one adult), and plan your escape today!
CU Playful Businesses
Enchantment Alley
A one-stop geek superstore in Urbana where you can purchase memorabilia from your favorite movie or card game as well as stay and play in their event center.
Dr G’s Brainworks
Puzzle and Game store located in the Market place Mall in Champaign. This store is divided into sections based on cognitive benefits. Games that promote Critical Thinking are grouped together, as well as games promoting Language, Sensory & Perception Skills, Early Childhood Development, Science & Engineering, and much more. Dr. G’s also hosts community events like Chessworks.
G-Mart Comics
For over 20 years, G-Mart has been the best place to buy comics in Champaign, hidden in the heart of downtown. This shop hosts a variety of gaming meetups and events and they have begun selling gaming items such as magic the gathering cards.
Gopher Games
A card game and board game store in Urbana specializing in miniature games like War Hammer and card games like Magic the Gathering with a collection of current boardgames for sale. Open gaming on Sundays hosted by CUBED: Champaign-Urbana Boardgame Engineers and Designers.
Titan Games
A card game and board game store in Champaign with a large collection of current board games for sale. Titan Games also hosts Magic the Gathering drafts and local RPG groups. Open gaming on Wednesdays features a well-stocked “free to play” pile of games and knowledgeable staff are available and willing to demo any games they have on the shelves.
CU Museums and Libraries
The Urbana Free Library
Founded in 1874, The Urbana Free Library has been serving the Urbana community for nearly 150 years and is one of the oldest public libraries in the state of Illinois. The Library was established when the subscription library model was popular, so the city felt compelled to be clear that the Library was free and open to the public. The name stuck. The Urbana Free Library continues to embody its original mandate to serve the public, while also evolving to serve the ever-changing needs of its patrons. Additionally, The Urbana Library hosts Teen Open Lab Tue-Thu 3pm to 5:30 pm.
Champaign Public Library
The Library has makerspace equipment and programming available in their Teen Space many days after school.
Museum of the Grand Prairie, Champaign County Forest Preserve District
Explore the cultural and natural history of East Central Illinois! Learn about glaciers and mammoths, discover daily life in the 19th century, try on a Civil War uniform and shake Abraham Lincoln’s hand. Play in the Discovery Room, or shop at the Museum Store. The Museum of the Grand Prairie has fascinating exhibits and hands-on activities for visitors of all ages. Free programs every Monday throughout the summer. For a full program schedule consult our webpage.
Homer Lake Interpretive Center, Champaign County Forest Preserve District
The Homer Lake Interpretive Center features a variety of exhibits, live animals and a wildlife viewing area. We also offer programs and activities throughout the year. Connect with family and friends as you follow the paved trail to the overlook tower, enjoy picnic areas around peaceful Homer Lake, and explore over 10 miles of trails. During your visit be sure to stop by the Natural Playscape, where you can explore the stream, logs, boulders, and more!