Madison Children's Museum

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.

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.

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Join Laurie and our Art Studio staff for a weekly drop-in art experience designed for MCM's younger 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! This event is free with general museum […]

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.

 Join Junko in the Urb Garden as we explore different sensory materials every week!  This event is free with general museum admission.

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 […]

Join MCM Roadshow and other local favorite organizations at Owl Creek 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.

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!

Is your child happiest with dirt under their nails and seeds in their hair? Does it take at least five minutes for them to list all of their favorite animals? If so, this workshop was designed with your kid in mind! Kids will venture through the wilder side of Madison Children's Museum as they harvest […]

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 […]

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.

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.

Join Junko each Friday for interactive storytelling with Japanese kamishibai cards! This event is free with general museum admission.

Enjoy a FREE members-only workshop as part of Member Appreciation Month! Join us for a hands-on learning experience for the whole family, exploring important themes in Wisconsin History with our friends at the Wisconsin Historical Society. Take on the role of historian by exploring real historical artifacts, images, and documents and asking questions about the past. And […]

Superheroes take over the museum during our next members-only party! Kids (and parents) are encouraged to dress up as their favorite superhero and save the day one activity at a time! For those who come sans costume, don't worry, you can make DIY masks and gauntlets in the Art Studio. Enjoy a supercharged scavenger hunt […]

Weave a one-of-a-kind botanical tapestry with plants from our verdant Rooftop Ramble garden. This event is free with general museum admission, and open to all ages.

Drop into a new art experience with Laurie and the Art Studio team! Explore art through a variety of creative media and processes meant for all ages and abilities. We'll take care of all the materials and mess mitigation, too! Today, we'll create our own custom stamps and stickers to adorn...well, everything! This event is free […]

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.

Join MCM Roadshow at Urban Triage's 2024 Summer Kickback on July 20th at Penn Park. Enjoy a DJ battle, field activities, friendly family-centered competitions, entertainment tent for cooling, golf carts for accessibility, a climbing wall, bounce houses, a gaming truck, free food carts, popcorn, mascots, characters, and friendly competitions for cash on the spot--up to […]