Madison Children's Museum

Exercise your imagination and fine motor skills to create miniature creations out of milkweed pods. This event is free with general museum admission.

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.

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 […]

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 give abstract painting a whirl […]

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 […]

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.

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.

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.

Our art studio staff will lead visitors in a weekly assortment of creative clay sculpture activities.
We will create all kinds of collaborative projects- plant pots, jewelry, ornaments, tiles and more.
All ages are welcome to join us and experiment with clay.

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 […]

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.

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.

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.

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.