Early Explorers Playgroup
2024-05-29 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-06-05 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | 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: Kids' Choice!
2024-05-29 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 choose your very favorite songs to sing.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Tales with Teresa
2024-05-30 09:30 - 10:00, 2024-06-06 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: Spin Art Flowers
2024-05-30 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 use the spin art technique to create nature-inspired pieces.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Wild Wonders: Spring Planting
2024-05-30 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Start your own mini-garden by planting seeds to take home, and decorate your own one-of-a-kind plant cup!

This event is free with the price of general admission.

Clay Day: Polymer Clay Mini Foods
2024-05-31 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” your very own miniature foods created with polymer clay. Please note: these clay creations are NOT edible!

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.

SOLD OUT! Nice Age Trail Preview Party
2024-05-31 17:00 - 19:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT!

Can’t make the party? Come to Member Morning, on Saturday June 1, 8–9 am

In honor of the opening of the Nice Age Trail, we’re throwing a preview party just for museum members. Enjoy exclusive early access to the Nice Age Trail and engage in nature-themed fun throughout the museum! Create make-and-take pendants using upcycled exhibit components from our “beehive” structure on the Rooftop, enjoy Spanish-language mindfulness activities and storytelling with Samira Álvarez in the Celebrations Room, make one-of-a-kind Nice Age Trail-inspired art in tour Art Studio, embark on a special scavenger hunt, win animal bookmark prizes, and more.

Enjoy samples of our exclusive MCM specialty ice cream flavor from Madison Chocolate Shoppe! At our last member party, this summery Rooftop Rhubarb Ramble flavor won out by a single vote. Free treats and snacks will be available from the fabulous Ugly Apple Cafe.

Museum members only! Registration with MCM member discount is $10 per family or $5 for Family Access members.

THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT!

June Member Morning
2024-06-01 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! Enjoy complimentary coffee and delicious donuts from Ugly Apple Cafe while supplies last.

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: Nature Everywhere Day
2024-06-01 09:00 - 15:00
Join MCM Roadshow for Madison’s Nature Everywhere Day, a celebration with the Children & Nature Network Conference. Embrace the outdoors with free activities from your favorite local organizations across the city, including our creative maker activities outside Monona Terrace.

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

Nice Age Trail Grand Opening Weekend (Day 1)
2024-06-01 09:00 - 16:00
Come celebrate the grand opening of MCM’s brand-new nature exhibit, the Nice Age Trail! Buzz, slide, hop, flutter, and tromp through a four-season environment as you “walk in the paws” of some of Wisconsin’s most amazing animals. This interactive nature experience encourages imagination, exploration, and practicing kindness — to animals, to nature, to people, and to yourself.

All day throughout the museum, enjoy immersive programs, performances, and special activities centering our connection with nature and community. Participate in an energetic drum circle for all ages with Elmore Lawson, join author of “Así Respiro” Samira Álvarez for Spanish-language story time, make mini nature scenes with found materials, and create a collaborative “kindness tree” sculpture with your fellow visitors!

Saturday Activities Schedule10–11 am – Garden Babies (Urb Garden)10:30–12 pm – Exploration Station: Nature Miniatures (Rooftop) 11–12 pm – Drum Circle with Elmore Lawson (Wonderground)1–3 pm – Así Respiro Mindfulness Journey with Samira Álvarez in Spanish (Celebrations)1–3 pm – Saturday Art Adventures: Kindness Tree (Art Studio)

This event is included with the price of general museum admission.

Nice Age Trail Grand Opening Weekend (Day 2)
2024-06-02 09:00 - 16:00
Come celebrate the grand opening of MCM’s brand-new nature exhibit, the Nice Age Trail! Buzz, slide, hop, flutter, and tromp through a four-season environment as you transform into some of Wisconsin’s most amazing animals. This interactive nature experience encourages imagination, exploration, and practicing kindness — to animals, to nature, to people, and to yourself.

All day throughout the museum, enjoy immersive programs, performances, and special activities centering our connection with nature and community. Participate in an energetic drum circle for all ages with Elmore Lawson, explore the relationships between pollinators and plants in our own Rooftop Ramble garden, and create a lenticular nature scene like the one found in the Trail’s summer section!

Sunday Activity Schedule10:00–12 pm – Exploration Station: Think Like a Bee (Rooftop)11–12 pm – Drum Circle with Elmore Lawson (Wonderground)1–3 pm – Art Adventures: Lenticular Nature Scenes (Art Studio)

This event is included with the price of general museum admission.

Let's Make! with Lexie
2024-06-02 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.

Insect Scavenger Hunt
2024-06-05 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-06-06 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-06-07 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-06-08 13:30 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Be very, very quiet… we’re hunting insects! Join us in the Urb Garden, where we’ll sharpen our observation skills and search for bugs hiding in the plants. Gentleness is encouraged—no insects will be harmed in the making of this program.

This program is free with general museum admission.

Cabin Life: Beeswax Candle Making
2024-06-05 14:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Illuminate the past and make your own beeswax candle like an early Wisconsin settler.

Cabin Life invites you each week to try crafts and activities from around the time of our historic 1840s log cabin. This event is free with general museum admission.

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MCM Roadshow: Meadowood Health Partnership Community Supper
2024-06-05 17:00 - 19:00 | Shepherd Church, 5701 Raymond Rd, Madison, Wisconsin, 53711, United States
Join MCM Roadshow for a Community Supper with Meadowood Health Partnership at Shepherd Church from 5-7 pm. Enjoy a meal with our community and keep little ones entertained with creative activities for the whole family!

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

Super Friends Club: Summer Thursdays 2024
2024-06-06 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 learning team, 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 July 4), and requires online registration. The Super Friends class fee does not include base museum admission.

Dates: Jun 6–Aug 1 (no class on July 4)

Price: $40 for 8 sessions

REGISTER NOW

Super Friends Club: Summer Fridays 2024
2024-06-07 10:00 - 11:00 | 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 team, 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 July 5), and requires online registration. The Super Friends class fee does not include base museum admission.

Dates: June 7–Aug 2 (no class on July 5)

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

Price: $40 for 8 sessions

REGISTER NOW

STEAM Time: Cicada Creations
2024-06-07 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Celebrate the emergence of cicadas in Wisconsin by learning about this year’s brood and making your own carapaced buddy out of art materials.

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. Image credit: Mike Nolan

Clay Day: Make-and-Take Clay Cicadas
2024-06-07 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” your very own cicada buddies to celebrate the emergence of cicadas in Wisconsin.

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: Panchromatic Steel
2024-06-07 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 act, Panchromatic Steel, fuses island styles with pop hits, rock, and jazz, for an energetic genre-bending performance. Enjoy a “Drop in the Bucket” intermission performance from Melvis, a returning MCM favorite who rocked our holiday socks off at Adult Swim last winter! Ice cream from Dairy Godmother is available for purchase, plus a 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 Giant Bucket.

Learn more and view upcoming Live from the Wonderground events.

MCM Roadshow: Juneteenth Celebration Community Dinner
2024-06-07 17:30 - 19:00 | 55 S. Gammon Road, 55 S. Gammon Road, Madison, Wisconsin, 53717, United States
Join MCM Roadshow at a free community dinner hosted by Lussier Community Education Center. Enjoy a meal with our community, free prize drawing, and keep little ones entertained with creative activities for the whole family.

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

Free Day: SummerPalooza
2024-06-08 09:00 - 16:00
MCM’s 11th annual free family celebration and kickoff-to-summer returns to the Capitol Square! SummerPalooza includes free museum admission all day (9 am–4 pm), along with exciting activities, guest programs, and live entertainment. Be sure to “take a walk in their paws” and enjoy our brand new nature exhibit, the Nice Age Trail!

Performances at Rotary Plaza Stage9 am Handphibians10 am Black Star Drum Line

Performances in the Wonderground11 am Zhong Yi Lion Dance1 pm Ken Lonnquist and the Kenland Band2:30 pm Hoot ‘n Annie

Guest Programming, 10 am–3 pmMSCR/MMoCA Art CartWisconsin DNR FishmobileMadison Reading ProjectPlay on the Move

Saturday Art Adventures
2024-06-08 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!

This event is free for SummerPalooza!

MCM Roadshow: Northside Farmer's Market
2024-06-09 09:00 - 12:00 | 55 S. Gammon Road, 55 S. Gammon Road, Madison, Wisconsin, 53717, United States
Join MCM Roadshow at the Sunday Northside Farmer’s Market, hosted on the intersection of Sherman Avenue and Northport Drive. Shop for fresh fruits and veggies, enjoy local treats, and keep little ones entertained with art and maker activities!

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

Exploration Station: Sun-sational Tea
2024-06-09 10:30 - 12:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Soak up the sun and taste the Wisconsin summer! Harvest fresh herbs from our cabin garden and enjoy a refreshing batch of museum-made sun tea.

This event is free with general museum admission.

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Related Events

Imagination Station with Abby

Wednesday, February 25 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Music Time with Tim

Wednesday, February 25 @ 11:00 am – 11:30 am

Let’s Move! with Abby

Thursday, February 26 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
