• Exploration Station: Love Bugs

    Build a buddy to bug around with! This playful Valentine’s Day activity invites kids to design their own “Love Bug” using fuzzy materials and plenty of imagination. Will your creature have wings, feet, hearts, or extra eyeballs? There’s no wrong way to love your bug.

  • Saturday Art Adventures: “Stained Glass” Hearts

    Craft a dazzling heart to catch the light! With sparkling paints and colorful materials, kids can create their own “stained glass” masterpiece. Hang it in the window and let your artwork glow. A sweet way to spread joy for Valentine’s Day—or any day!

  • Imagination Station with Abby

    Join Abby in the Art Studio classroom on Wednesdays to stretch your creativity with common materials used in unexpected ways. Each week will feature a different activity.

  • Nice Age Tales

    Snuggle in for a delightful mix of stories, puppets, and songs! This trail-side program invites young children to explore emotions, rhythm, and imagination through movement and mindful moments. Grown-ups welcome, too—this is a peaceful pause for the whole family.

  • Messy Art with Laurie

    Join MCM art educator Ms. Laurie for a weekly burst of color, texture, and joyful experimentation. Young children can freely explore art materials in a welcoming space designed especially for our youngest artists. It’s creativity without limits—or cleanup. Come make a beautiful mess with us! Free with general admission.

  • Black Heritage Celebration

    Join Madison Children's Museum on February 19, 5–8 pm, as we honor the contributions of Black people in our community with a celebration featuring Black artists, musicians, and leaders. Free admission begins at 4 pm, and activities continue from 5 to 8 pm. No event tickets required! Acompáñennos al Madison Children’s Museum para honrar las […]

  • STEAM Time: Squishy Circuits

    Bright lights, squishy fun! Explore the world of electricity by making your own soft circuit using play dough and LEDs. Kids will shape conductive materials into silly forms while learning how power moves through a circuit. It's a perfect combo of creativity, science, and glowing hands-on discovery.

  • Exploration Station: Dot Painting

    Tiny dots, big creativity! Inspired by pointillism and Indigenous art forms, this colorful workshop invites young artists to explore how small shapes build big pictures. Use vibrant paints to make animals, patterns, or abstract designs—all one dot at a time. A mindful and meditative way to express yourself with color and shape.

  • Exploration Station: Chinese New Year Lanterns

    Celebrate the Chinese New Year by making a paper lantern to take home or share with someone you love. Inspired by age-old traditions, this activity invites children to welcome the Year of the Horse with color, light, and stories of celebration. A perfect blend of hands-on art and cultural exploration.

  • Imagination Station with Abby

    Join Abby in the Art Studio classroom on Wednesdays to stretch your creativity with common materials used in unexpected ways. Each week will feature a different activity.

  • Messy Art with Laurie

    Join MCM art educator Ms. Laurie for a weekly burst of color, texture, and joyful experimentation. Young children can freely explore art materials in a welcoming space designed especially for our youngest artists. It’s creativity without limits—or cleanup. Come make a beautiful mess with us! Free with general admission.

  • Through Wild Eyes bilingual family program (Spanish and English)

    Through Wild Eyes Bilingual family program (Spanish & English) Once on the brink of extinction in the 1990s, the Iberian lynx is now slowly returning thanks to major conservation efforts. Explore this remarkable story through wildlife photography by David Álvarez and hands-on learning that invites children and caregivers to see nature through “wild eyes.” Learn […]

  • STEAM Time: Melt Animals out of Ice

    Oh no—our miniature animal friends are trapped in ice! Using tools and teamwork, kids will discover how water changes state while building fine motor skills. It’s an arctic adventure full of tactile fun, perfect for curious hands and minds.

  • Member Party: Amazing Comic Adventure

    Madison Children's Museum 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, United States

    Zap! Kapow! Join us for a Marvel-ous members-only party as we unleash our creativity and toon in for fun! Come dressed as your favorite character from cartoons, animation, or anime and get drawn into the action. Create your own comics, follow clues on a super scavenger hunt, and fuel up with free snacks and refreshments […]

  • Saturday Art Adventures: Chinese New Year painted Horses

    Usher in the Lunar New Year with color and creativity! Kids can paint and embellish a wooden horse figure, celebrating the powerful spirit of the horse. A fun, festive way to explore Chinese New Year traditions through art. Horses are limited—so giddy-up and grab one while they last!