Category Archive: Classes & Workshops

1. Week of the Young Child—Music Monday

   April 16, 2018 6:03 pm Leave a Comment

   

   This week we’re pleased participate in the Week of the Young Child. Organized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration of early learning, young children, their families, and teachers—and that includes the expert staff at Madison Children’s Museum! They make sure that our exhibits and programs meet the highest standards for educational and developmentally appropriate play and learning.

   Follow our blog this week to learn about the key themes that are being highlighted during the 2018 Week of the Young Child, and how you can take advantage of our resources and programs for your early learner.

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   Music Monday

   Listening to and playing music is a joyful act of childhood and connects us to our family and our community. There is a reason that singing to children has become an essential part of early learning curriculum. Children learn language and concepts particularly well through singing because music stretches out the sounds, making it easier for them to detect words and their meanings. Music also helps kids with literacy and math skills as they learn rhythm and beats.

   At Madison Children’s Museum, we learn through music during weekly programs like Music with Junebug and Lily-pad Theater. You can also try out making your own rhythm with the drums or shakers in the Wildernest.

   

   Junko greets a new arrival during Music with Junebug, held at the museum on Wednesdays.

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   Week of the Young Child coincides with our Access for Everyone campaign. Please consider making a gift to help us provide these benefits to all children within our community.

2. An Art-filled Summer

   June 19, 2015 1:39 pm Leave a Comment

   By Corinne Burgermeister
   Communications Coordinator

   

   Whether kids are crafting out of recycled materials in the Art Studio, using chalk in the Funkyard or making music on our colorful piano, something artsy is always happening at Madison Children’s Museum.

   This summer we are offering several new drop-in programs where kids can get creative and make something totally unique. Here are six programs kids (and adults!) will enjoy.

   Nature and Art
   Wednesdays, through August 26, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
   Head to the Rooftop Clubhouse to create works of art inspired by our four-season garden roof. Topics will include plants, animals, weather, soil, the earth and sky.

   Kids Makerspace: Art Studio
   Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, through August 28, 1 – 3 p.m.
   During our Makerspace open hours, guests can stop by our Art Classroom to participate in community arts projects related to our monthly theme.
   June – Let’s make a puppet show: Create your own puppets using materials in the Art Studio and put on a performance at our mini-theater.
   July – MCM Print Shop: Participate in interactive printmaking activities including screen-prints and letterpress.
   August – Paintapalooza: Celebrate all things painted! Create a piece on our paint wall or paint a portrait to take home.

   Three Greek Myths
   Saturday June 27, 2:30 – 3 p.m.
   Visiting artist Felice Amato will present a short puppet performance of three ancient Greek myths using props and objects that she has created with visitors.

   Clay Workshop: Peace Tiles
   Saturdays through August 29, 1 – 3 p.m.
   Explore what it means to live in peace with our environment and those around us through art. Visit us Saturday afternoons to sculpt images that remind us of peace into clay tiles for a community art project. The clay creations will be used as elements for the Peace Mosaic being created on the walls of Madison’s Social Justice Center.

   Drumming with JuneBug 
   Mondays, July 6 through August 10, 1 – 1:30 p.m.
   Local group JuneBug will visit the Funkyard weekly to lead guests in a drum circle. Kids of all ages can join in rhythm games and dance using recycled instruments.

   Loom Tour: Backstrap Weaving
   July 9, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
   Artist Hannah Bennett will spend the day preparing a backstrap loom system and demonstrating weaving – an ancient technique used in many cultures around the world. Kids will learn how to use weave using materials come from plants as well as recycled and upcycled pieces.

3. Edible Insects: From Fish Bait to Protein Shakes

   February 26, 2015 4:32 pm Leave a Comment

   

   Wax Worms “Before”

   

   Wax Worm Protein Shake

   
   

   For many in the Western culture, just the thought of eating insects might make someone feel sick. But we would like you to reconsider. Insects have proven to be an incredibly valuable source of protein and minerals, and when added to an everyday recipe or dessert, they can be downright delicious.

   Want to give it a try? Join us for Edible Insects, a monthly program where we experiment with different recipes, to introduce children and their families to this sustainable practice. Or, try one of our favorites, the Wax Worm Protein Shake at home.

   RECIPE: Wax Worm Protein Shakes
   Serves two

   INGREDIENTS

   1 cup milk of choice
   1 large banana (fresh or frozen)
   1 cup frozen fruit of choice
   1/4 cup roasted wax worms
   Ice cubes (optional)

   DIRECTIONS

   Measure one cup of milk (we used Oat Milk) and pour into blender. Add  cooked wax worms and pulse to blend. Slice banana into bite-sized pieces and add to blender, along with any other fruit you desire – we used a mix of frozen strawberries, mangoes and blueberries. Blend until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. For additional protein, add peanut butter, chia or flax seeds.

   TO ROAST WAX WORMS

   Collect wax worms (readily found where live fishing bait is sold) and freeze for at least four hours. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Once frozen, use a colander to separate worms from the pieces of wood shavings used for packaging. Place frozen worms on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Shake tray at 10 minutes to ensure worms are cooked evenly. Continue to bake until worms turn a golden brown color and have a nutty scent – they should smell like pistachios. Baking ensures that bacteria will be killed. Let worms cool before using in any recipes.

   To purchase edible insects, visit thailandunique.com 

   Recipe by Alissa Anderson, MCM Program Assistant.
   Corinne Burgermeister contributed to this post.

4. Mindful Moments: A Mindfulness program for children

   January 23, 2015 2:03 pm Leave a Comment

   By Heather Davis
   Early Learning Manager

   Greetings MCM families and friends,

   Have you recently heard the word “mindfulness?”

   Mindfulness is a practice that helps us reconnect with ourselves. Many might think of it as a method adults use to relieve stress when we’re feeling overwhelmed. Whether it’s a long day at school or a fun family weekend, children may sometimes feel busy or overwhelmed too, and can benefit from these practices as well.

   Being kind, having compassion, and recognizing and regulating emotions is essential to social and emotional competency, which leads to happier, healthier kids. Before working as the Early Learning Manager at MCM, I worked as an early childhood classroom teacher for 10 years and I’ve seen how beneficial it can be to learn and practice mindfulness techniques both for children and caregivers.

   Starting in February I will lead a class (free with admission) called Mindful Moments, for children ages 4 – 6 and their parent or caregiver. For four weeks, we will meet for a thirty minute program, focusing on a variety of topics, including: kindness, mindful breathing and emotional regulation, awareness with all our senses, and gratitude.

   Children and parents alike will learn what it means to be present, and practice different techniques for breathing and coping with strong emotions, such as using “breathing buddies” or making a “calm down” jar.  Each week we will provide you with suggestions for activities you can do together during the week to practice what you’ve learned.

   I look forward to embarking on this journey together!

   Addtional Resources: Why Children Need Mindfulness Just as Much as Adults Do

   The 4-week class runs Saturdays, May 9, 16, 23 and 30. Register online.

   Please email Heather with any questions or for further information.

5. Awakening Memories through the Power of Art

   July 28, 2014 5:22 pm Leave a Comment

   By Kia Karlen
   Director of Education

   

   Arts and culture have the power to create meaningful experiences for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of memory loss. At Madison Children’s Museum, we see this theory jump to life in our popular SPARK! programming. Each month, participants from throughout our community gather at MCM for programs that combine art-looking, art making, reflection, and sharing. SPARK! also includes special intergenerational sessions where area Girl Scouts participate and work toward badges related to making friends and learning about their elders.

   “The program has been helpful and has done a great deal to help me stay alert and interested in all the activities we engage in during class and in my everyday life.”— SPARK! participant

   SPARK! was established at MCM in 2011 and is currently supported by Dane Arts, with additional funds from the Endres Mfg. Company Foundation. In the last fiscal year, 35 cultural programs reached 338 people and a second workshop was opened up. MCM is one of ten museums statewide serving Wisconsin residents with SPARK! activities. To register, call 608.256.6445, ext. 156.spark blog photo

   MCM also hosts Meeting of the Minds, a program of the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin. To learn more or to register for this weekly program, contact Pat Wilson, ADAW Family Support Coordinator, 608.232.3406.

6. Create with SCRATCH!

   September 10, 2012 10:37 am Leave a Comment

   Are you interested in creating your own interactive art, animated stories, or games? In this class you will create original programming projects using SCRATCH software.  Developed at MIT, SCRATCH is a highly-visual programming language developed specifically for beginners to create almost any idea imaginable!

   This class will be led by Computer Science students from The University of Wisconsin-Madison as part of a service-learning course.
   When: Sundays (more…)

7. Tinkerer’s Workshop After-school Club

   August 27, 2012 12:06 pm Leave a Comment

   Come create with us in our six-week Tinkerer’s Workshop after-school club! Use tools, work with small motors and simple machines, and build a variety of constructions and gizmos.  All skill levels welcome. (more…)

8. BriXwerX Creativity Lab Saturday, June 30

   June 14, 2012 12:33 pm Leave a Comment

   Dave and Johnny Xandegar are BriXwerX!   BriXwerX is a father-and-son team that travels around Illinois and Wisconsin putting on “Creativity Labs” that inspire kids to be as creative with LEGOs as they are. (more…)

9. New in June: Possible-opolis Press Workshops

   May 29, 2012 1:42 pm Leave a Comment

   A special series of Possible-opolis Press for adults and children will take place on June 10, 17, and 24 from 10 a.m. to noon.

   Possible-opolis Press is the MCM’s printing press where we usually create letterpress prints on the floor for our visitors. But in this special three-session workshop we have expanded the offering to include learning to make your own paper (June 10), then print on that very same paper (June 17), and finally bind it all together to make a book, journal, or sketchbook in the final session (June 24). (more…)

10. Living Laboratory: Real-World Research at Madison Children’s Museum

    March 13, 2012 8:14 am Leave a Comment

    If you’ve been in our Wildernest exhibit area for early learners lately, you may have noticed some child development studies taking place in the Cozy Cottage. We recently began participating in the Living Laboratory project, a unique educational on-site research program designed in collaboration with the Boston Museum of Science, the National Science Foundation and researchers from the University of Wisconsin Waisman Center. (more…)