Messy Art with Laurie: Dinosaur Printing
2024-07-11 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 fiercely adorable dino prints.

This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Veronika of Toddler at Play

Sensory Worlds with Junko
2024-07-11 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.

Dino Scavenger Hunt
2024-07-11 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-07-12 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-07-13 13:30 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Be very, very quiet… we’re hunting dinos! Join us in the Urb Garden, where we’ll sharpen our observation skills and search for little dinosaurs hiding in the plants. Gentleness is encouraged—no toy dinos will be harmed in the making of this program.

This program is free with general museum admission.

Fun with Fiber Arts
2024-07-11 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Explore various practical and artful fiber arts projects like embroidery, weaving, mending, and sewing with our friend Lexie in the Art Studio!

This event is free during our extended Thursday evening hours!

Wild Wonders: Frozen Dinos!
2024-07-11 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Help free our dinosaur friends from frozen blocks of ice during Dino Days!

This event is part of our free admission Thursday evenings, 4 pm-8 pm. Image credit: Kimberly McLeod

MCM Roadshow: Parks Alive at Penn Park
2024-07-11 17:00 - 20:00 | Penn Park, 2101 Fisher Street, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Join MCM Roadshow and other local favorite organizations at Penn Park, starting at 5 pm. Parks Alive builds stronger neighborhoods and connects neighbors to their parks through fun, family-friendly activities, movies, and free food.

Dino Dance Party: Angela Puerta Band
2024-07-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join us for a free family concert by Angela Puerta and her band. Angela incorporates Latin beats, Colombian folkloric music and other familiar songs in both English and Spanish for kids to sing along!

Kids will dance and explore a variety of Afro-Latino songs while jamming with their prehistoric faves. This is an interactive show with opportunities for the kids to play maracas, shakers, tambourines and more. Keep your eyes peeled for a dynamic dancing dino finale!

Woodworking Workshop (sold out)
2024-07-12 09:00 - 13:00
From soaring structures to delicate sculptures, humans have been making amazing things out of wood for 90,000 years. Now it’s your kid’s turn!

In this workshop, kids will learn to cut, shape, drill, sand, and create with wood. Using hand tools they’ll transform wood scrap pieces into sculptures.

Price & Logistics

This is a drop-off workshop for kids age 6–10. Price includes admission for enrolled child. Participants should bring a sack lunch and water bottle.

Join the Waitlist

Read our cancellation policy.

Music with Junebug
2024-07-12 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: Tiny Dino-ramas
2024-07-12 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Create mini habitats for our prehistoric friends during Dino Days!

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. Photo credit: Kristin MaGee

Clay Day: Dinosaur Cut-Outs
2024-07-12 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” and clay cut-outs of dinosaur silhouettes for Dino Days!

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: Galaxy Park for Harmony Apartments
2024-07-12 13:00 - 16:00 | Galaxy Park, 132 Milky Way, Madison, Wisconsin
Meet up with MCM Roadshow at Harmony Apartments for hands-on activities with our team! Get creative at the arts-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.

Kamishibai Storytelling with Junko
2024-07-12 13:30 - 14:30
Join Junko each Friday for interactive storytelling with Japanese kamishibai cards!

This event is free with general museum admission.

Exploration Station: Dino Fossils
2024-07-13 10:30 - 12:00, 2024-07-14 10:30 - 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 dinosaur fossils out of clay.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Saturday Art Adventures: Mini Dino-Ramas
2024-07-13 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, let’s create habitats for our prehistoric friends during Dino Days.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Let's Make! with Lexie
2024-07-14 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.

MCM Roadshow: Environmental Fun Fair
2024-07-14 14:00 - 17:00 | Lussier Heritage Center, 3101 Lake Farm Rd, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703
Join MCM Roadshow at the Dane County Parks Environmental Fun Fair, located at the Lussier Family Heritage Center facility. This FREE fun afternoon will be full of hands-on, sensory activities centered around nature, outdoor recreation, and science. This is an inclusive event appropriate for ALL ages and abilities!

You can find activities under both solar shelter, the big oak tree, and the lower level of the Center. Meet up with MCM Roadshow and get creative at the arts-and-crafts table and flex your collaborative design skills at our fort-building station.

Parking is available at the Heritage Center and across the road at the Capital City Trail/Lower Yahara River Trail Trailhead (3102 Lake Farm Road).

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

Tuesday Member Morning
2024-07-16 09:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Enjoy exclusive, members-only time in the museum each Tuesday for Member Appreciation Month! There’s no better way to play at MCM, especially for our young visitors who are easily overwhelmed by crowds. Stretch out, enjoy the exhibits at your own pace, and enjoy a chilled-out morning together in the museum.

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.

Creative Movement & Dance: Care Bears (Member Morning!)
2024-07-16 10:00 - 10:45
Celebrate the Nice Age Trail and deepen our connection to nature with Isthmus Dance Collective! Each Tuesday, these imaginative, immersive, and active classes will allow kids and their grownups to explore the Trail’s themes with curiosity, creativity, and exposure to dance concepts from local dance experts. Today’s theme explores learning self care and self love from bears’ life rhythms.

Creative Movement and Dance events will continue through July as part of MCM Member Appreciation Month! Channel that active energy with our friends from Isthmus Dance Collective, and enjoy three dedicated hours of play in the museum each Tuesday (9am–12pm) just for our museum members.

Open Art Studio (Member Morning!)
2024-07-16 10:00 - 11:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Choose your own art adventure through exploration of materials. Create robots, cars, houses, and more. Drop by the Art Studio classroom for open-ended creative opportunities, facilitated by our talented staff.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Early Explorers Playgroup
2024-07-17 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.

Exploration Station: Insect Hotels
2024-07-17 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Create your own insect hotel using natural materials to attract and observe local insects right at home!

This event is free with general museum admission.

Music Time with Tim!
2024-07-17 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.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Playdough Party with Junko
2024-07-17 13:30 - 14:30
Join Junko in the Art Studio Classroom each Wednesday to create your own scented playdough that’s a squishy, smush-able sensory delight.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Insect Scavenger Hunt
2024-07-17 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: Herb Sachets
2024-07-17 14:00 - 15:00
Sashay over to our historic cabin to create fragrant sachets of museum-grown herbs, harvested and dried from the Rooftop Ramble gardens.

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.

MCM Roadshow: Parks Alive at Warner Park
2024-07-17 17:00 - 20:00 | Warner Park, 2930 N Sherman Ave, Madison, Wisconsin, 53704, United States
Join MCM Roadshow and other local favorite organizations at Warner Park, starting at 5 pm. Parks Alive builds stronger neighborhoods and connects neighbors to their parks through fun, family-friendly activities, movies, and free food.
