Messy Art with Laurie: Pom Pom Painting
2024-04-25 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | 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 art using plush pom poms to apply paint.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Sensory Worlds with Junko
2024-04-25 13:30 - 14:30, 2024-05-02 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 Night: Remake Learning Days Celebration
2024-04-25 16:00 - 20:00
Join us for free admission and hands-on activities throughout the museum, 4–8 pm! Learn about dozens of free family events taking place April 20–28 in southern Wisconsin as part of Remake Learning Days – Badgerland. Admission is free, registration not required. Free activities provided by the Wisconsin Science Festival, Lussier Family Heritage Center, UW Neuroscience Outreach, Henry Vilas Zoo, Girl Scouts of Wisconsin – Badgerland, Wisconsin Historical Society, Forward! Marching Band, Madison Cello Ensemble, and Overture Center for the Arts.

Open Art Studio
2024-04-25 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: Wheatgrass Planters
2024-04-25 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Decorate a paper planter and plant wheat grass seeds. Bring your project home and watch your plant grow!

Music with Junebug (Morning)
2024-04-26 10:30 - 11:00, 2024-05-03 10:30 - 11:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join us for Music with Junebug led by Junko Yamauchi.

This program gives toddlers and preschoolers the opportunity to sing, dance, explore instruments, and play! Music and movement activities promote brain development and connect us to our family and community.

Music with Junebug takes place in our Celebrations room, and is free with general museum admission.

STEAM Time: Nature Gelli Prints
2024-04-26 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Engage your creativity and make vibrant, one-of-a-kind gelli prints using objects found in nature.

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, build problem-solving skills, and offer new ways for kids to explore the world around them.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Music with Junebug
2024-04-26 13:00 - 13:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States

Clay Day: Polymer Clay Beads
2024-04-26 13:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Explore the squishy, smudgy, sculptable world of clay! Today we’ll “make and take” custom beads created with colorful polymer material.

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.

Super Friends Club: Spring Fridays 2024
2024-04-26 14:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Drop-off class for preschoolers on Fridays

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 superstar Junko, 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 5 sessions over 6 weeks (no session on May 17), and requires online registration. The Super Friends class fee does not include base museum admission.

Dates: Apr 26–May 31 (no class on May 17)

Registration will continue until all spots in the class are full.

Price: $25 for 5 sessions

REGISTER NOW

April Sensory-Friendly Hours
2024-04-26 16:30 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Madison Children’s Museum welcomes children and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and sensory challenges to experience the museum during sensory-friendly hours, free of charge. This program aims to bring families together to learn through play in an environment that supports the unique needs of children with ASD.

Pre-registration for the event is recommended but not required! Walk-ins are welcome, and this event is free to all attendees.

Register Now

MCM Roadshow: El Día de Los Niños
2024-04-26 17:00 - 20:00 | Nuestro Mundo Community School, 4201 Buckeye Rd, Madison, Wisconsin, 53716, United States
Join MCM Roadshow at El Día de Los Niños, hosted at Nuestro Mundo Community School (more details to come.) We’re inviting families to get creative at our arts-and-crafts table and flex their collaborative design skills at our fort-building station.

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

Aventuras en Español: Cuentos en Español
2024-04-27 10:00 - 11:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Acompaña a Samira y a su amiga para contar cuentos en español de manera interactiva que motivan a la exploración de las emociones, la respiración consciente, y otros temas socio-emocionales para niños.

¡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.

Join Samira and friends for interactive storytelling in Spanish that encourages emotional exploration, mindful breathing, and other social-emotional topics for children.

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.

MCM Roadshow: Earth Day Sustainability Fair
2024-04-27 10:00 - 14:00 | Middleton Community Church, 645 Schewe Road, Middleton, Wisconsin, United States
Join MCM Roadshow at Middleton’s Earth Day Sustainability Fair, hosted at Middleton Community Church. We’re inviting families to get creative at our arts-and-crafts table and flex their collaborative design skills at our fort-building station.

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

Exploration Station: Pollinator Seed Balls
2024-04-27 10:30 - 12:00, 2024-04-28 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Create seed balls using a native pollinator seed mix grown on the museum’s Rooftop Ramble! Find out what it takes to plant pollinator gardens, and gain a better understanding of plants’ life cycle from seed to flower.

This event is free with the price of general admission. Image credit: Chicago Community Gardeners Association

Saturday Art Adventures: Whimsical Windchimes
2024-04-27 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 make windchimes out of clay shapes generously created by other visitors.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Suzuki Strings of Madison Performance
2024-04-27 14:00 - 14:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join our young guest performers from Suzuki Strings of Madison for a concert for all ages. The concert will take place outdoors in the Wonderground (or indoors in the 2nd floor Celebrations Room, in case of poor weather!)

This event is free with the price of general admission.

Let's Make! with Lexie
2024-04-28 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
2024-05-01 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: Spring Has Sprung!
2024-05-01 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 music with our voices, sing our favorite songs, and celebrate the arrival of spring.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Playdough Party with Junko
2024-05-01 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.

Tales with Teresa
2024-05-02 09:30 - 10:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join us for story time and hear Teresa read some of her favorite books using her DynaVox. With this speech-generating device, Teresa will share stories and help build listening skills, develop early literacy, and celebrate each other’s differences.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Messy Art with Laurie: Bubbly Watercolors
2024-05-02 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 watercolor paintings with everyone’s favorite floaty medium–bubbles!

This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Artful Kids

Wild Wonders: Whimsical Weather Crafts
2024-05-02 17:00 - 19:00 | 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.

STEAM Time: Beaks, Feathers, & Adaptations
2024-05-03 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
How does a chicken snag snacks off the ground, or a hawk glide through the air? Learn about the ways in which birds have adapted to thrive in their environment–through beaks, feathers, and more!

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, build problem-solving skills, and offer new ways for kids to explore the world around them.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Music with Junebug (Afternoon)
2024-05-03 13:00 - 13:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States

Clay Day!
2024-05-03 13:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Explore the squishy, smudgy, sculptable world of clay!

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.
