Curaçao: After‑Hours Team PlayLab Relay at Children’s Museum

tl;dr

Teams in Curaçao can try a PlayLab Relay at Children’s Museum Curaçao. Adults build ball runs, test simple flyers in moving air, and put together small rolling rigs during paid work hours or, if after‑hours, on a voluntary and compensated basis. Groups rotate, keep light score, switch captains, and share quick shout-outs. The hands‑on tasks are designed to be widely accessible with seated and low‑exertion options, and they can help build trust and creativity. HR can book a clear plan and, if piloting, run 2–3 sessions over 6–8 weeks during paid time with baseline measures and targets so any changes can be assessed.

Context

Many workplaces in Willemstad operate in multiple languages, Papiamentu foremost, alongside Dutch, English, and Spanish, reflecting a context where adaptability and social ease are often valued in daily interactions, though practices vary by sector and team. Many residents use the phrase “Dushi Kòrsou” (sweet Curaçao) to express warmth, playfulness, and an easy pace that can help people connect across roles and backgrounds, while recognizing that experiences differ by community and workplace. Papiamentu itself, a Creole with Iberian and African roots, is widely used “on the street, on TV and in parliament,” offering an example of inclusive, mixed influences functioning as a unifying norm. We use local spellings with diacritics (e.g., Papiamentu, Kòrsou, Curaçao) for consistency. *

If you want to build teams in that spirit, curious, hands-on, and low-hierarchy, you can skip a ballroom and choose a place where exploration is the point. In Willemstad, one venue used by several companies for this purpose is Children’s Museum Curaçao, a purpose‑built space for interactive, play‑based learning that can translate well to adults when the goal is trust, problem solving, and creative flow. *

Meet the Company/Cultural Tradition

Children’s Museum Curaçao sits in Rooi Catootje and operates like a laboratory of curiosity. Unlike traditional “do-not-touch” galleries, it’s a multi-sensory, hands-on environment that invites people to experiment, test ideas, and co-create outcomes. Exhibits range from a STEM-rich Discovery Zone, where air, magnetism, and gravity become team puzzles, to Build It!, a space with planks, wheels, pulleys, nuts and bolts designed for open-ended construction. * *

In recent years the museum has offered company events and structured team‑building, including after‑hours options, explicitly positioning its exhibits for adults to “get to know skills of your colleagues you didn’t even know existed,” with activities tuned for creativity, technical insight, and spatial awareness, and with on‑hours or compensated scheduling recommended so that staff are fairly supported and event fees can sustain the museum’s educational programs. Teams rotate through challenges around the museum, turning play into performance. Published packages and sample schedules make it easy for HR to book repeat sessions rather than one‑off off‑sites, and teams should request a per‑head quote, estimate loaded time cost for 75–90 minutes, and consider an in‑office MVP kit at lower cost when capacity is tight. *

The Ritual

Minute	Scene	Purpose
0–5	Arrival and “device drop” at the hosts’ table	Signal a playful, distraction‑free zone
5–10	Brief by museum facilitator: safety, rules of fair play	Shared norms; lowers anxiety
10–30	Discovery Zone “Ball‑Run Build” – teams configure tubes and magnets to meet a timed descent spec	Collaborative problem solving under light constraints *
30–45	Discovery Zone “Flight Lab” – prototype a flyer that hovers in moving air for 5+ seconds	Rapid iteration; visible learning loops *
45–65	Build It! “Rolling Rig” – assemble a small wheeled contraption using planks, pulleys, nuts and bolts to clear a short ramp	Shared construction; distributed leadership *
65–75	Score, shout‑outs, and two‑minute reflections per team	Recognition; encode takeaways for Monday

Note: The museum runs company events with rotating activities and small competitive elements; groups can book recurring sessions and are best run in waves of 12–24 with 6–8 per station, with accessibility accommodations available, bilingual facilitation in Papiamentu/Dutch/English, device‑light participation with on‑call exceptions and optional lockers, and a first‑aid/incident protocol in place. For teams using this schedule, the arc maps to a ritual structure—separation (arrival/setup), liminality (play stations), and incorporation (shout‑outs/debrief)—and can be adapted for quieter formats when needed. *

Why It Works

Play is not childish; in many settings it can catalyze trust, creativity, and cognitive flexibility. Psychological research suggests that when tasks are framed playfully, people may invest more effort, collaborate more easily, and experience a temporary flattening of hierarchy, which can be useful for cross‑functional teams preparing for an intense phase of work. *

Short “energizers” that ask adults to tinker, laugh, and iterate also nudge brains out of overclocked beta into more relaxed, associative states where novel connections arise. That is why researchers and practitioners advocate micro‑play to boost idea generation; the National Institute for Play highlights evidence and practitioner guidance (including an HBR synthesis) suggesting that brief playful activities can enhance creative problem solving and team mood. *

Finally, the materiality matters. Manipulating real objects, including tubes, airflow, and wheels, creates immediate feedback loops. People see and feel cause‑and‑effect, which accelerates learning and primes “we built this together” pride. In Curaçao’s multilingual context, these nonverbal puzzles are designed to be inclusive: you don’t need perfect Dutch, English, Spanish, or Papiamentu to contribute; you can engage through observation, idea‑sketching, light build roles, or paired collaboration at your own comfort level. * *

Outcomes & Impact

Several companies on the island report seeking hands‑on formats for bonding and recharge. As an anecdotal indicator, local teams have described curated team events in Curaçao as enjoyable and energizing, which aligns with facilitator observations when adults tackle playful challenges with light competition. *

The museum offers a repeatable cadence: clearly published company‑event packages, predictable time boxes, and a modular activity set. That makes it simple for HR to schedule a monthly or quarterly “PlayLab Relay,” during paid hours or with compensation if after‑hours, creating a low‑pressure setting where colleagues practice collaboration, quick iteration, and recognition in compressed cycles, with the intent that these behaviors may carry back to product rooms and service desks. *

Lessons for Global Team Leaders

Principle	Why It Matters	How to Translate
Multi-sensory puzzles	Inclusive across languages and roles	Favor tactile build/test tasks over talk-heavy icebreakers
Short sprints, visible specs	Constraints sharpen focus and creativity	Publish micro-goals (time, distance, stability) for each station
Rotating ownership	Shared leadership reps	Assign a different “crew chief” per station and rotate
Public shout‑outs	Recognition cements norms	Close with peer “micro‑kudos” tied to behaviors (listened well, iterated fast)
Make it a rhythm	Ritual beats one‑off events	Book a recurring slot (monthly/quarterly) and keep the format consistent

Implementation Playbook

1. Book a company event at Children’s Museum Curaçao during paid hours where possible (12–24 participants per wave works well with 6–8 per station), or, if after‑hours, make participation voluntary and compensated and offer transport and childcare stipends. Confirm the activity set emphasizes Discovery Zone and Build It! style tasks and includes seated and low‑exertion options, and assign an accountable owner, facilitator lead, and data owner with an approximate facilitator ratio of 1:10. * *
2. Set ground rules: offer a device‑light option with on‑call, caregiver, and medical exceptions and optional lockers, use first names only, time‑box stations, provide a quiet space and earplugs, train facilitators on accommodations, emphasize fair play and safety, and send a one‑page participant brief linking to business goals, stating voluntary participation and opt‑out, outlining what to expect (60–75 minutes, casual attire, no‑alcohol default, inclusive snacks), accessibility options, and data privacy (anonymous, aggregated, 90‑day retention), and credit the Children’s Museum Curaçao partnership.
3. Define three specs (example): a ball‑run descent in 7–10 seconds; an airflow hover of ≥5 seconds; a rolling rig that clears a 10‑cm ramp without spilling a marker, and provide non‑physical roles at each station such as designer, tester, timekeeper, documenter, or scorer.
4. Rotate captains at every station; give each captain a 60‑second planning huddle and cap leader talk‑time to encourage shared participation.
5. Keep score lightly without leaderboards or rewards (one point per spec met; optional bonus for creative approaches framed as learning).
6. Close with a five‑minute debrief: one insight for the workweek and one behavior‑based kudos to another team, with an option to submit feedback privately and anonymously.
7. Repeat quarterly with new specs, preferably during paid hours or with compensation, avoid customer‑critical windows and check religious/holiday calendars, offer a remote analogue (home kit and shared build via video) for distributed teams, consult any works council or union, and set pilot thresholds (e.g., ≥70% opt‑in, +0.3 on a 5‑point belonging scale, −15% handoff defects in 6–8 weeks) with halt criteria if <40% opt‑in or a negative safety pulse.

Common Pitfalls

• Over‑engineering the competition; the goal is bonding and learning, not winners and losers.
• Slipping back into talk‑heavy formats; keep the ratio high on hands‑on building and testing.
• Letting it be a one‑off; without cadence, the cultural benefits fade.

Reflection & Call to Action

Key factors often seen in Curaçao—multilingual collaboration, social warmth, and an openness to play—can translate into a modern team ritual when adults have permission to tinker, while some shop‑floor teams may prefer quieter formats. The PlayLab Relay is simple, repeatable, and proudly local, and it should credit Children’s Museum Curaçao as an origin when adapting the concept elsewhere. It swaps slide decks for pulleys, positional status for shared curiosity, and turns a short session into habits that may carry into the workweek.

If your team is due for a reset, pick a date at the museum during paid hours or offer compensation if after‑hours, print three playful specs, and ensure voluntary participation with accessibility options. In an hour many colleagues will have seen one another’s problem‑solving approaches, which can positively influence how people work together.

References

• Company Events (Team Building Activities & after‑hours program with schedule and costs) – Children’s Museum Curaçao
• Exhibit Zones (includes Build It! with planks, wheels, pulleys, nuts and bolts) – Children’s Museum Curaçao
• Discovery Zone (Flight Lab and Ball‑Run with magnets and tubes) – Children’s Museum Curaçao
• About the Children’s Museum – Children’s Museum Curaçao
• What is the native language spoken in Curaçao? – Curaçao Tourist Board (context for bilingual facilitation at Children’s Museum Curaçao events)
• Playing Up the Benefits of Play at Work – Association for Psychological Science (general evidence explaining why playful build/test activities in the PlayLab Relay can boost collaboration and creativity)
• Play Catalyzes Human Creativity – National Institute for Play (general synthesis supporting brief playful challenges like those used in the PlayLab Relay)
• Host Your Next Company Event at Children’s Museum Curaçao – CuracaoTodo (team‑building package with evening program, small competitive elements, and pricing)
• FAQ – Children’s Museum Curaçao (accessibility statement and accommodations)
• Museum for All Program – Children’s Museum Curaçao (wheelchair access, sensory integration, inclusive design)
• School Visit – Children’s Museum Curaçao (bilingual Papiamentu/Dutch content and rotating group structure)
• General Terms & Conditions – Children’s Museum Curaçao (safety and health policy for visitors)