Madison Children's Museum

Exploration Station: Planting Shiitake Mushrooms
2024-03-30 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Help staff inoculate mycelium into wooden logs to grow shiitake mushrooms, and learn how to plant edible fungi at home! Please note, this activity may include supervised and closely guided use of a hammer.

This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Distant Hill Farms

Saturday Art Adventures: Clothespin People
2024-03-30 13:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Dive into an exciting drop-in art experience each week with Laurie and our Art Studio team. Embark on projects with a wide variety of art media and processes for all ages and abilities. Materials are included—and the best part? We take care of cleanup! Today we’ll create little pals with wooden clothespins.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Saturday Evening Bonus Hour 4–5 pm
2024-03-30 16:00 - 17:00
This winter, enjoy a full extra hour of play on Saturday afternoons! We are open 8 am to 5 pm every Saturday through March 2024.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Exploration Station: Golden Egg Art
2024-03-31 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Foster your creativity and decorate a golden egg with vibrant colors.

This event is free with the price of general admission.

Let's Make! with Lexie
2024-03-31 13:00 - 15:00, 2024-04-07 13:00 - 15:00
Explore new materials and creative techniques through facilitated art activities and bring home hand-made treasures. Projects vary each week and may include sculpture, painting, comics, printmaking, and more!

This event is free with general museum admission.

Early Explorers Playgroup
2024-04-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-04-10 10:00 - 11:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Social time for babies and their grown-ups!

This playgroup is thoughtfully designed for our earliest visitors. We will provide a space for infants and toddlers (2 years and under) and their caregivers to explore and play together, and engage in activities that support various aspects of child development. Parents and caregivers will have the opportunity to connect with one another over a variety of topics. Come meet other families and make new friends!

This event will be held in the Celebrations Room and is free with general museum admission.

Music Time with Tim: I Can Count!
2024-04-03 11:00 - 11:30
Explore the world of music and rhythm! Join Tim in the Celebrations room each week to enjoy play-based songs, games, and stories. Today we’ll practice counting with numbers, rhythm, movement, and music.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Playdough Party with Junko
2024-04-03 13:30 - 14:30, 2024-04-10 13:30 - 14:30
Join Junko each Wednesday to create your own scented playdough that’s a squishy, smush-able sensory delight.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Super Friends Club: Spring Thursdays 2024
2024-04-04 10:00 - 11:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Drop-off class for preschoolers on Thursdays

Come to the museum and practice becoming a Super Friend! Speaking to new people, taking turns, and making friends are new skills for 3 and 4-year-olds. Super Friends Club offers a preschool-style group experience within the museum. Guided by MCM’s Early Education Manager Heather, Super Friends Club gives kids a chance to practice critical social skills and cooperative play with new activities each week.

While the Super Friends are playing, caregivers can relax in MCM’s cafe, enjoy our tranquil Rooftop, or explore the exhibits with a younger or older sibling. Best for ages 3 through 4 and potty-trained. This $40 class has 8 sessions over 9 weeks (no session on May 16), and requires online registration. The Super Friends class fee does not include base museum admission.

Dates: Apr 4–May 30 (no class on May 16)

Price: $40 for 8 sessions

REGISTER NOW

Messy Art with Laurie: Tie Dye Flowers
2024-04-04 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join Laurie and our Art Studio staff for a weekly drop-in art experience designed for MCM’s youngest visitors and their caregivers. Through open-ended & process-based projects, empower your little artist to freely explore materials and art-making with their senses. And the best part? We take care of cleanup! Today, we’ll create vibrant tie dye flowers.

This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Sarah McClelland

Sensory Worlds with Junko
2024-04-04 13:30 - 14:30, 2024-04-11 13:30 - 14:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join Junko in the Urb Garden as we explore different sensory materials every week!

This event is free with general museum admission.

Free Thursday Evenings
2024-04-04 16:00 - 20:00, 2024-04-11 16:00 - 20:00
Visit MCM for free every Thursday evening, 4–8 pm!

Enjoy extended hours each Thursday, completely free of charge. Please check in at the admissions desk when you visit during free hours.

Looking for more affordable ways to visit? During the rest of the week, MCM also offers heavily discounted admission and memberships to families who qualify through our Access for Everyone initiative.

Open Art Studio
2024-04-04 17:00 - 19:00, 2024-04-11 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Choose your own art adventure—drawing, sculpting, cartooning, and more! Drop by the Art Studio classroom for open-ended creative opportunities, facilitated by our talented staff.

This event is free and open to all ages.

Wild Wonders: Seed Planting
2024-04-04 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Decorate a paper cup and plant seeds inside from the Rooftop Ramble. Take your plant home and watch it grow!

STEAM Time: Making Fossils
2024-04-05 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Learn how ancient life was preserved over time, and create your own cast fossils out of clay.

Join us each week for new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities. These hands-on programs foster creativity, ignite curiosity, encourage divergent thinking, increase problem-solving skills, and offer new ways for kids to explore the world around them.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Clay Day: Ceramic Pinch Pots
2024-04-05 13:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Explore the squishy, smudgy, sculpt-able world of clay! Today we’ll “clay it forward” and create pinch pots for future MCM programs.

Each Friday, join us for a different drop-in clay experience in the Art Studio. We’ll work with a variety of media–ceramic clay, dough, paper clay, polymer clay, and more. This event is free with general museum admission.

MCM Roadshow: Harmony Apartments
2024-04-05 16:30 - 18:30 | Harmony Apartments, 116 Milky Way, Madison, WI 53718, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703, United States
Meet up with MCM Roadshow at Harmony Apartments for hands-on activities with our team! Get creative at thearts-and-crafts table and flex your collaborative design skills at our fort-building station.

Madison Children’s Museum Roadshow brings mobile exhibits and maker activities to community events in Madison and the surrounding area.

April Member Morning
2024-04-06 08:00 - 09:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Saturday Member Mornings are back! Enjoy exclusive, members-only time in the museum for a great addition to your weekend family outing. There’s no better way to play before the museum gets busy!

Not a member yet? Become one today! Membership starts immediately, so you can visit for free on Member Morning or any other time the museum is open. Learn more about membership.

MCM Roadshow: Common Threads Neurodiversity Fair
2024-04-06 09:00 - 11:00 | Common Threads Family Resource Center, 1717 N. Stoughton Road, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703, United States
Join MCM Roadshow at the Common Threads Neurodiversity Resource Fair for hands-on activities and much more! We’re inviting families to get creative at our arts-and-crafts table and flex their collaborative design skills at our fort-building station.

Enjoy an inclusive event presented by Common Threads Family Resource Center, meant to support neurodivergent folks of all ages. Explore various modes of support, including access to individual and family therapies, community support networks, transition planning, accessible resources, funding pathways, and platforms for autistic voices.

Madison Children’s Museum Roadshow brings mobile exhibits, maker activities, and more to community events in Madison and the surrounding area.

Aventuras en Español: Pulseras de Países Hispanohablantes
2024-04-06 10:00 - 11:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Samira y Nisbeth, ambas hispanohablantes de nacimiento, te invitan a crear pulseras de cuentas que representan a países hispanohablantes incluyendo México, Venezuela, España, y más. ¡Habrá música latina y española instrumental para animar el ambiente y poner nuestros cuerpo en movimiento!

¡Disfruta de programas en español cada sábado por la mañana con la educadora Samira Álvarez! Las actividades cambian cada semana, así que siempre hay algo nuevo. Canta, juega juegos, participa contando cuentos de manera interactiva, haz artesanías inspiradas por culturas hispanohablantes, y más. Este evento es gratis pagando la admisión general del museo.

Samira and Nisbeth, both native Spanish speakers, invite you to create beaded bracelets representing Spanish-speaking nations including Mexico, Venezuela, Spain, and more. Instrumental Latin and Spanish music will enhance the atmosphere and get our bodies moving!

Enjoy Spanish language programs each Saturday morning with educator Samira Álvarez! Activities change each week, so there’s always something new. Sing, play games, join in interactive storytelling, make crafts inspired by Spanish-speaking cultures, and more. This event is free with the price of general admission.

Water Exploration & Spring Planting: UW Conservation Biology Society
2024-04-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join our friends from UW’s student chapter of the Conservation Biology Society and find new ways to explore your environment. Dive into the hidden world of teeny tiny microorganisms that thrive in our local lakes, and plant seeds so our summertime gardens can flourish.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Exploration Station: Whimsical Weather Crafts
2024-04-07 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Rain or shine, we’re making crafts inspired by the day’s weather! Possible crafts include kites, sun paper art, rain art, and other weather-related creative projects.

This event is free with the price of general admission.

Music Time with Tim: Make & Take Maracas
2024-04-10 11:00 - 11:30
Explore the world of music and rhythm! Join Tim in the Celebrations room each week to enjoy play-based songs, games, and stories. Today we’ll make our own maracas, explore percussive music-making, and take these new instruments home.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Messy Art with Laurie: Dough Nature Mosaics
2024-04-11 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join Laurie and our Art Studio staff for a weekly drop-in art experience designed for MCM’s youngest visitors and their caregivers. Through open-ended & process-based projects, empower your little artist to freely explore materials and art-making with their senses. And the best part? We take care of cleanup! Today, we’ll create mini mosaics incorporating seasonal nature themes.

This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Sarah McClelland
