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FOXBORO - Tammy Addeche's dream is to set up a children's museum in town, but says it probably would require at least $200,000 in fundraising to open the doors.

The fundraising kicks off Saturday with kids' events on the Foxboro Common. A second fundraiser, a masquerade ball, is scheduled for Oct. 24 at Christina's on Route 1.

The proposed Minds 'n' Motion museum and gift shop is the brainchild of Addeche, who owns the "To The Moon ... and back" toy shop at 30 Wall St.

Open seven days a week, the volunteer-run museum would feature educational exhibits developed with input from teachers and built by volunteers, Addeche said.

The exhibits would be an extension of classroom lessons, she said. "It's an important aspect of a child's life to get away from the video games and the mainstream media that sometimes is bombarding them from every direction," said Addeche, the museum director.

A mother of four ranging in age from 2 1/2 to 9, Addeche said she hopes to open the museum within six to 12 months.

The museum would draw from a 20-mile radius, where Addeche said there are 40,000 children.

Some exhibits would be arranged in a "village" featuring a bank, where young kids could learn about money, a veterinarian, where kids could learn to care for pets, using stuffed animals; and real estate, where kids could learn to buy a house, she said.

Older kids could learn about probability, gravity and other concepts through activities geared toward them.

"My children are always asking, when the water comes out of the faucet, where does it come from?" Addeche said.

The museum also would "pull the community together" through volunteer donations of labor from local tradesmen, she said.

"Contractors are not working as much as they'd like. This would give them something of a positive nature and (they could) contribute to the community," Addeche said.

"How wonderful would it be: 'My dad's a plumber, and he helped us create this water display.'"

Addeche said visiting a museum in Plymouth several years ago inspired her to form a nonprofit corporation called Minds 'n' Motion to develop one in Foxboro for the surrounding community. With four kids, "I am always looking for things to do" with them, she said.

Addeche said that three years ago, she had agreed to lease space for a private play space in Foxboro's Foxfield Plaza on Central Street. However, the landlord backed out on the lease signing day because of plans to sell the complex, she said.

Addeche said she then decided to open her toy shop first. The shop opened two years ago.

The project also has evolved into a nonprofit effort.

The fundraising starts with "Minds 'n' Motion" Day, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday on the Common.

The event will feature arts and crafts, science experiments, storytellers and other activities.

Admission is $5 per person, and $25 maximum per family.

A second fundraiser, a masquerade ball and dinner, will be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 24, at Christina's on Route 1. Tickets are $30.

Addeche said she hopes to raise at least $200,000 so that the museum could procure 10,000 square feet of space.

She added, however, "we could probably do it for at least $100,000, if we had enough volunteers."

The museum would seek to move into and renovate a historic Foxboro building within three or four years, she said.

In the short term, Addeche is holding a liquidation sale for her store "so that when we open the museum, there will not be as much to move."

Addeche said she will continue getting merchandise for the holiday shopping season.

MICHAEL GELBWASSER can be reached at 508-236-0439 or at mgelbwasser@thesunchronicle.com.