Saturday Art Adventures: Whimsical Windchimes
2024-04-27 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | 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.

Exploration Station: Pollinator Seed Balls
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

Let's Make! with Lexie
2024-04-28 13:00 - 15:00, 2024-05-05 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, 2024-05-08 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, 2024-05-08 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, 2024-05-09 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

Sensory Worlds with Junko
2024-05-02 13:30 - 14:30, 2024-05-09 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.

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.

Music with Junebug (Morning)
2024-05-03 10:30 - 11:00, 2024-05-10 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: 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.

Live from the Wonderground: Son del Atlantico
2024-05-03 17:00 - 20:00
Every first Friday this summer, enjoy free concerts at MCM featuring an eclectic mix of Madison bands. Adults get to dance and chat, kids climb and play, and caregivers enjoy low-stress social time in an outdoor play space like no other!

Tonight’s featured performer is Son del Atlantico, an Afro-Colombian Fusion band that plays the genres of traditional Colombian music fused with reggae, funk, rock, and soca. Our Drop in the Bucket performer is a returning community favorite, Eric de los Santos! Catch his dreamy marimba melodies during intermission. Food from Ugly Apple available for purchase; cash bar featuring alcoholic and NA beverages.

Live from the Wonderground admission is free! You may choose to provide a donation at the door, but no entry fee is required. Proceeds benefit the work of Madison Children’s Museum and allow us to bring accessible programming to our community. All tickets are at the door, no advance registration. Enter at the Wonderground gate on E. Dayton Street, by the Log Cabin.

Live from the Wonderground brings music, dancing, food, and drinks for all ages to Madison’s most creative play space and part-time concert venue, the Wonderground.

This free first-Friday concert series features local bands, drinks, light snacks, and fresh air fun. Events take place from 5 to 8 pm, with bands performing two sets from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. In between sets, “A Drop in the Bucket” features a unique mini-set performed in the Wonderground’s iconic Giant Bucket.

In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held inside the museum.

Learn more and view upcoming Live from the Wonderground events.

May Member Morning
2024-05-04 08:00 - 09:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Enjoy exclusive, members-only time in the museum for a great addition to your Farmers Market 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.

Exploration Station: Bean Planting
2024-05-04 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Start your own mini-garden by planting beans to take home, and decorate your own one-of-a-kind plant pot!

This event is free with the price of general admission.

Exploration Station: Think Like a Flower
2024-05-05 10:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Why do bees visit flowers? Do they like some flowers better than others? Come learn about pollination, mutualism, and co-evolution between flowers and bees, and discover how this special relationship shaped our world! Sculpt your own flowers based on real examples from the Rooftop Ramble gardens. Molded replicas of these flowers will be used to observe bee behavior for our next pollinator event on June 2!

This event is free with the price of general admission.

Music Time with Tim: Tune Your Ears!
2024-05-08 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 listening to music for fun and learning!

This event is free with general museum admission.

Messy Art with Laurie: Scraper Painting
2024-05-09 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’s we’ll experiment with texture and negative space in our scraper paintings.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Free Night: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration
2024-05-09 16:00 - 20:00
Join MCM for a free celebration 4-8 pm featuring performances from Beni Daiko and lion dancers from the Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association Traditional Folk Performing Arts Troupe, hands-on cultural activities with the Hmong Institute Women‘s Group and Hmong American Students Association, interactives from artist Meri Lau, refreshments from Moonhalf, and more! Snacks and beverages are also available from MCM’s pay-what-you-cafe, the Lunchbox, while supplies last.

Wild Wonders: Ripped Paper Landscapes
2024-05-09 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Today we’re embracing the creative possibilities of texture and layering with ripped paper landscapes! Use the raw paper edges and a dose of creativity to assemble your own nature scene.

This event is free with the price of general admission. Image credit: Pamela Donnis

STEAM Time: Chlorophyll Power Hour
2024-05-10 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
What’s that green stuff? It’s chlorophyll! Experiment with plants from the Rooftop Ramble garden to discover how plants process sunlight to get their nutrients.

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.
