SANTA ANA, CA.- Bowers’ Kidseum is hosting Kings, Queens & Castles, a children’s chess exhibit co-created by The World Chess Hall of Fame and The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum, through February 18, 2019. This innovative, nationally traveling exhibition brings the game of chess to life and provides an engaging introduction to individual chess pieces and game strategy. Kings, Queens & Castles invites children to learn more about this classic game while diving into an interactive world of medieval fantasy.

Designed for children ages 3 to 11, Kings, Queens & Castles features an array of hands-on elements. Visitors of all ages can:

• Take a drawbridge into a medieval castle, complete with turret slides and a giant chess board floor with life-size chess pieces.

• Make a fanciful crown, then don a royal cape and sit on a majestic throne to become a king or queen.

• Design a shield to become a knight.

• Build castle walls with oversized interlocking bricks.

• Play a human chess game dressed as their favorite chess piece.

• Enjoy a game of chess with a friend while sitting on royal thrones at a one-of-a-kind game table.

• Take the exhibition experience home with an app that creates a personalized memory book of their visit and connects to a digital chess game.

Kings, Queens & Castles not only provides an opportunity for dramatic play in its medieval environment, but it also helps children understand basic chess strategy. “We have observed a growing interest in the game of chess, especially among school-age children,” said Shannon Bailey, World Chess Hall of Fame chief curator. “Our exhibit, Kings, Queens & Castles, is designed to provide a fun, age-appropriate introduction to Chess, an ageless game that develops important 21st-century skills.”