Music Sprouts with Junko
2024-12-05 13:30 - 14:30, 2024-12-12 13:30 - 14:30 (America/Chicago) | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Music and movement for preschoolers!

Join Junko learn and experience to trial for registered class designed especially for 3-5. We’ll focus on singing together, feeling rhythm and music in our bodies, and exploring instruments. It’s a wonderful way to get out of the house and connect with your child through music and movement.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Free Night: Madison Arts Commission 50th Anniversary Celebration
2024-12-05 16:00 - 20:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Celebrate 50 years of public art and community art-making made possible by the Madison Arts Commission. Join us for a FREE celebration including performances by Madison Circus Space performers and hands-on art-making with artists TetraPAKMAN, Lesley Anne Numbers, Angelica Contreras, and Djam Vivie. Bring your dancing shoes–Madison-based band V05 will transport you back to MAC’s 1974 founding with disco hits for all ages!

Presented in partnership with Friends of Madison Arts Commission.

Free Thursday Evenings
2024-12-05 16:00 - 20:00, 2024-12-12 16:00 - 20:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
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 offers reduced cost admission and memberships every day to families who qualify through our Access for Everyone initiative.

Wild Wonders: Wood Slice Ornaments
2024-12-05 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Flex your fine motor skills and creativity to decoupage a wood slice ornament for the holidays. While you’re crafting, count the rings and see how old your tree limb is!

This event is part of our Free Thursday Evenings, 4 pm–8 pm.

MCM Roadshow: Kennedy Elementary Family Science Night
2024-12-05 18:00 - 20:00 | 221 Meadowlark Drive, Madison, WI 53714, 221 Meadowlark Drive, Madison, WI 53714, Madison
Meet up with MCM Roadshow at Kennedy Elementary PTO’s Family Science Night! Check out their Facebook page for more details, and donate via Venmo.

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

Let's Move! in the Wonderground
2024-12-06 10:00 - 11:30, 2024-12-07 10:00 - 11:30, 2024-12-11 10:00 - 11:30, 2024-12-12 10:00 - 11:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join us for movement games in the Wonderground! From obstacle courses to dances, group games, balance activities, and yoga, we’ll enjoy different opportunities to move our bodies every day.

This event is free with general museum admission.

STEAM Time: Succulent Planters
2024-12-06 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Learn how to care for plants and what they need to survive. Decorate a piece of pottery from our clay program and adopt a succulent to bring home.

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.

Clay Day: Roll and Cut Shapes
2024-12-06 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 creative shapes with rolled-out 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.

Sensory Worlds with Junko
2024-12-06 13:30 - 14:30, 2024-12-13 13:30 - 14:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join Junko as we explore different sensory materials every week!Please note, this program location may vary. Check at the admissions desk for the most up-to-date information.

This event is free with general museum admission.

December Member Morning
2024-12-07 08:00 - 09:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Enjoy exclusive, members-only playtime in the museum before things get busy! Enjoy complimentary coffee and free treats to accompany the chilly morning (while supplies last.)

Not a member yet? Become one today! Membership starts immediately, so you can visit for free anytime the museum is open. Learn more about membership.

MCM Roadshow: Santa Photos with the Progress Center for Black Women
2024-12-07 09:00 - 15:00 | Madison College – Goodman South Campus, 2429 Perry St, Madison, WI 53713
Today, MCM Roadshow will join the Progress Center for Black Women for holiday fun and photos with Santa at Madison College’s Goodman South Campus. Find more details and register here for Saturday’s event at Madison College:https://www.centerforblackwomen.org/events/day-1-6th-annual-photos-with-santa/This is one of two opportunities to snap a jolly photo with Santa, so if you miss your chance today, come on down to Madison Children’s Museum on Sunday, Dec 8 from 10 am–2 pm.

Exploration Station: Holiday Houses
2024-12-07 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Decorate a cheery, wintry mini house and decorated yard to celebrate the season! Use your imagination and the materials provided to make a festive scene that lights up.

This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Leslie Manlapig

Santa Day: Free Admission & Photos
2024-12-08 09:00 - 16:00 | WI
Free admission all day and pictures with Santa 10 am–2 pm, presented in collaboration with the Progress Center for Black Women.Santa returns to Madison Children’s Museum for family photos! In honor of this VIP visit, enjoy free admission all day. Students from Edgewood High School’s Smile Club will provide live holiday music, and Madison Reading Project will give away children’s books, while supplies last. We’ll also have special holiday-themed crafts in the Art Studio. All activities, including the photos with Santa, are free.

Due to the popularity of this event, pre-registration is required to secure your spot with Santa!

Register for Santa Photos

Piano Concert with Edgewood High School Musicians
2024-12-08 12:00 - 14:00 | WI
What’s better than holiday melodies floating through the museum on a Sunday afternoon? Enjoy a performance on the second floor with talented young pianists from Edgewood High School.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Early Explorers Playgroup
2024-12-11 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.

Nice Age Tales
2024-12-11 10:30 - 11:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join us for a story and circle time that connects children to kindness and nature. Sing songs, interact with puppets, listen to a story, and move your body in this interactive weekly program.

This event will be held in the Nice Age Trail exhibit and is free with general museum admission.

Music Time with Tim
2024-12-11 11:00 - 11:30 | WI
Explore the world of music and rhythm! Join Tim each week to enjoy play-based songs, games, and stories.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Tales with Teresa
2024-12-12 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.

Wild Wonders: 3D Pen Ornaments
2024-12-12 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Get techy this holiday season! Create your own custom ornaments with our 3D printing pen.

This event is part of our Free Thursday Evenings, 4 pm-8 pm. Image credit: Adobe Creative

Aventuras en Español: Gifts from the Heart
2024-12-12 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
¡Únete a Nuestro Taller Creativo Bilingüe para Niños, Aventuras en Español! Trae a tus hijos a nuestro Taller Creativo para Niños, una experiencia bilingüe donde podrán hablar en español mientras crean y se divierten.

Los niños podrán decorar su propio marco de madera y ¡les tomaremos una foto Polaroid especial para colocar dentro! Deja que su creatividad brille mientras diseñan pulseras con cuentas de colores, perfectas para regalar a alguien especial. Después de crear, los niños podrán envolver sus creaciones con papel colorido, cintas y pegatinas. Los niños también pueden hacer regalos con dibujos y mensajes cariñosos para compartir con otros niños de la comunidad. ¡Vamos a compartir amor y bondad!

Este taller es una excelente oportunidad para que los niños hablen en español mientras exploramos la creatividad en un entorno bilingüe.

Join our creative bilingual kids workshop, Aventuras en Español!

Bring your kids to our reative creative kids workshop “Gifts from the Heart” – a bilingual experience where they can practice their Spanish while creating and having fun! Kids can get creative by painting and decorating their own wooden frames, and we’ll even take a special Polaroid picture to put inside! Let their imaginations shine as they string together beads to make their own beautiful bracelets, perfect for gifting to someone special! After crafting, kids can wrap their creations with colorful paper, ribbons, and stickers.

Kids can also create gifts with heartfelt drawings and messages to share with other children in the community. Let’s spread love and kindness this season! This workshop is a wonderful opportunity for kids to speak in Spanish as we explore creativity together in a bilingual setting.

Lexie's Idea Lab
2024-12-12 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Get your creativity flowing with Lexie in the Idea Lab! Practice different methods for generating new art projects and storytelling concepts with guidance from the Idea Machine.

This event is part of our free admission Thursday evenings, 4 pm-8 pm every week.

Music with Junebug: "The Snowy Day" Storytime Concert
2024-12-13 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. Today, we’ll enjoy musical storytime with talented MCM staff on piano and flute, accompanying the story The Snowy Day. For today’s Music with Junebug location, please ask at the desk! This event is free with general museum admission.

STEAM Time: Beaks, Feathers, & Adaptations
2024-12-13 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.

Clay Day: Polymer Clay Snow People
2024-12-13 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” our very own little snow friends for the holiday season.

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. Image credit: Rhythms of Play
