Madison Children's Museum

Messy Art with Laurie: Potato Printmaking
2024-02-15 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 get creative carving many a hobbit’s favorite food—potatoes! This event is free with general museum admission.

Be My Baby: Valentine Date Night
2024-02-14 17:00 - 19:30 | WI
A Valentine’s Day party for exhausted grown-ups and their babies

It’s hard to have a romantic Valentine’s evening when you’re the caregivers to a baby. Getting a babysitter can be a nightmare, and if you try to go out with them it’s hard to relax knowing that you’re one leaking diaper away from needing to grab the check and run.

Instead, bring your baby to the children’s museum for the most adorable party in town, where everyone is just as sleep-deprived as you are. Enjoy a signature mocktail, social time for adults, a baby balloon dance party, a footprint keepsake craft, and more!

Bring your significant other or come with just you and your cherub (ages 0-3). Sorry, no older kids allowed this time; the babies are taking over the museum.

Registration is free for babies and $10 for adults. (MCM members get 10% off.) This event may sell out so we recommend you get your tickets in advance.

Register Now

Music Time with Tim: Valentine's Day!
2024-02-14 11:00 - 11:30 | WI
Explore the world of music and rhythm! Join Tim in the Celebrations room each week to enjoy play-based songs, games, and stories. Today, enjoy a singalong with songs about care and love to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Scratch Programming Class
2024-02-11 14:30 - 15:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Spring 2024 Session

Exercise your creativity and have fun learning computer programming!

Class participants will learn computer programming fundamentals while making their own interactive art, animated stories, or games using Scratch, a programming language specially designed for teaching. For kids aged 9–13 interested in problem-solving/figuring out how to do stuff—no prior programming experience necessary.

Parents may accompany their child to the class or stay in the building to visit exhibits with a younger sibling. Learn more about Scratch.

This class is taught by UW Service Learning students from the Computer Sciences department.

Fee: $80 for the 10-session class; MCM members receive 10% off. Fee includes museum admission for the participant child, plus a parent or guardian, and up to one younger non-participant sibling.

Supplies: Children must supply their own laptop, chromebook, or tablet to work on. (A phone is too small.)

Class dates: Sundays, February 11–April 28, 2:30-3:30 pm. No class on March 24 & 31 due to spring break.

Register for Scratch

Be sure to read our refund and cancellation policy.

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Related Events

Tales with Teresa

Thursday, February 12 @ 9:30 am – 10:00 am

Messy Art with Laurie

Thursday, February 12 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Early Explorers Playgroup

Friday, February 13 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am

Exploration Station: Crepe Paper Dragons
2024-02-11 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with your own little “fire-breathing” dragon made of crepe paper and recycled materials.

This event is free with general museum admission.

MCM Roadshow: Madison Korean American Day
2024-02-10 15:00 - 17:00 | Eagle Heights Community Center, 611 Eagle Heights Drive, Madison, 53705
Join MCM Roadshow at the inaugural Madison Korean American Day, presented by Wisconsin nonprofit AMASIAN. This event celebrates the immense contributions Korean Americans have made to every aspect of society. It’s an opportunity to come together and appreciate the rich tapestry of Korean American heritage. Admission is FREE, donations will go toward the Madison Area School District Foundation.

Event highlights include a concert from the Madison Korean Choir and Soprano-Mezzo Soprano duet with Young Joo Hong and Jessica Schwefel, contemporary dance performance by Elizabeth Roskopf, Korean cultural youth activities, a taekwondo demonstration from LVLUP Martial Arts, food & beverage offerings from local Korean American businesses, and more.

Madison Children’s Museum Roadshow brings mobile exhibits and maker activities to community events in Madison and the surrounding area. Create a miniature work of art to take home and get inventive with creative fort and structure building activities.

Post-Nap Pompom Party
2024-02-10 15:00 - 16:00, 2024-02-03 15:00 - 16:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Have an extra-squirrely toddler? Take advantage of the museum’s extended Saturday hours! Enjoy the tactile experience of scooping, pouring, and sorting colorful pompoms in the Wildernest, then get out those wiggles during an extra hour in the museum.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Saturday Art Adventures: Chinese New Year Lanterns
2024-02-10 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 create paper lanterns in celebration of Chinese New Year.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Wonderground Recess: Dinosaur Dance Party
2024-02-10 11:00 - 11:30 | WI
Ring the bell: it’s time for recess! Bundle up and head outside to the Wonderground for a unique active play break every Saturday in January and February at 11 am. Today, join staff dressed in crowd-favorite dino costumes and move your body to the prehistoric beat!

This event is free with general museum admission.

Exploration Station: Paper Dragon Eyes for Chinese New Year
2024-02-10 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Learn about the Year of the Dragon and celebrate Chinese New Year with your own blinking dragon eye made of folded paper.

This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Deborah Ewing

Saturday Morning Early Hour
2024-02-10 08:00 - 09:00, 2024-02-03 08:00 - 09:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Give your weekend a bright and early beginning at MCM! Enjoy early hours starting at 8 am, every Saturday through March 30. If you’ve got little kids in the family, we know you’re probably up anyway, so come downtown and let them climb the walls (literally, in our Hodge Podge Mahal climber.)

Extended Saturday mornings are included with general museum admission and will continue through Spring 2024.

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Related Events

Tales with Teresa

Thursday, February 12 @ 9:30 am – 10:00 am

Messy Art with Laurie

Thursday, February 12 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Early Explorers Playgroup

Friday, February 13 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am

Adult Swim: Winter Weirderland - SOLD OUT
2024-02-09 17:30 - 21:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Outside the winds howl and yetis prowl. Embrace cabin fever at Adult Swim!

Join us for a night of offbeat activities, cryptic crafts, screw-loose Shakespeare sonnets, and more. When you’re cooped up for the long Wisconsin winter, things are bound to get weird.

Tickets (21+ only)

$20 advance

$25 day of event

Bring 10 or more of your favorite cryptids (aka friends!) and get 10% off your ticket order.

SOLD OUT

Next up: Adult Swim: Slumber Party on Friday April 12

Get SLUMBER PARTY Tickets

Featured Activities:

LED Flow Arts Show with Fox Valley Fire Arts Cabin Fever PlinkoCryptid Scavenger HuntSnowball Target PracticeUncanny AI Art CollagePerformances from Madison Shakespeare CompanyWeird Science with the Wisconsin Science Festival and the Wisconsin Institute for DiscoveryHeart-Felt Cryptid ValentinesEmergency Accessory StationTeam play with Premier Trivia

Feed Your Inner Yeti:

Delicious eats from Little TibetCustom cocktails, wine, beer, and NA options

What is Adult Swim?

Adult Swim at Madison Children’s Museum borrows the public pool tradition of kicking out the kids so adults can have the place to themselves (just without the swimsuits or polar plunge). Adult Swim makes space to play like a grown-up—crafting, drinking, and cryptid-hunting your way through the museum.

Ticket cancellation/exchange policy

Adult Swim is presented by

Clay Day: Ceramic Cut-Outs
2024-02-09 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 “clay it forward” and create textured ceramic cutouts for future museum programs.

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.

STEAM Time: Wheatgrass Friends
2024-02-09 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Plant your own wheatgrass buddy to grow at home! When your plant sprouts, add wheatgrass cuttings to your smoothies or give them to family pets as a nutritious snack.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Wild Wonders: Friendship Rocks
2024-02-08 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Create a pet rock for Valentine’s Day! Make a sweet gift for a friend, or a cute companion that’s all your own.

This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Maggy Woodley

Open Art Studio
2024-02-08 17:00 - 19:00, 2024-02-01 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 with general museum admission, and open to all ages.

Free Thursday Evenings
2024-02-08 16:00 - 20:00, 2024-02-01 16:00 - 20:00 | WI
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 also offers heavily discounted admission and memberships to families who qualify through our Access for Everyone initiative.

Messy Art with Laurie: Spin Art Valentines
2024-02-08 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 merge abstract art and adorable sentiments with spin art valentines. This event is free with general museum admission.

Music Time with Tim: Hop, Skip, and Jump!
2024-02-07 11:00 - 11:30 | WI
Explore the world of music and rhythm! Join Tim in the Celebrations room each week to enjoy play-based songs, games, and stories. Today, find your rhythm and move to the music.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Exploration Station: Marvelous Magnets
2024-02-04 10:30 - 12:00, 2024-02-03 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Experiment with magnets to see how they stick together and repel. Test them on a variety of objects and make your own magnet to bring home.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Saturday Art Adventures: Make a Mobile
2024-02-03 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 create whimsical mobiles.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Wonderground Recess: Dance Party with Francis Medrano
2024-02-03 11:00 - 11:30 | WI
Ring the bell: it’s time for recess! Bundle up and head outside to the Wonderground for a unique active play break every Saturday in January and February at 11 am. Today, warm yourself up at a Wonderground dance party with Francis Medrano, founder of Black Power Dance.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Clay Day: Ceramic Pinch Pots
2024-02-02 13:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Explore the squishy, smudgy, sculpt-able world of clay! Today we’ll “clay it forward” and create pinch pots for future MCM programs.

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.

STEAM Time: Groundhog Day Puppets
2024-02-02 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Celebrate Groundhog Day by making an adorable Punxsutawney Phil puppet and learning about this annual spring tradition.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Wild Wonders: Owl Pellet Detectives
2024-02-01 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Dissect owl pellets to discover what owls like to eat. Identify bones and examine these dinnertime discards more closely under a microscope.

This event is free with general museum admission.
