Madison Children's Museum

Join MCM for the Family Climate Festival weekend, a community-based collaboration where children and families are invited to engage in programs with the Madison Water Utility, the Wisconsin Institute for Energy and MCM staff educators that inspire children to become environmental stewards while they learn about clean water, renewable energy, and recycling. Today's Featured Activities:Our […]

Stomp your feet! Deep down below is where most of Wisconsin’s drinking water comes from. Join our friends from the Madison Water Utility to learn about the water cycle and local water consumption. How does the water get down there in the ground? How do we get it out? What happens to it along the […]

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! Today, we'll create stylish, no-waste accessories with recycled materials. This event is free with general museum admission.

for kids starting kindergarten in the fall Session A (August 5-8) is full.  This four-day program runs Monday–Thursday, 9–11 am. Camp Kindergarten is designed to playfully foster social and behavioral skills useful for school readiness in children starting kindergarten in the fall. They'll run like a gerbil, create like an artist, and think like a […]

Each Tuesday in August, we're excited to offer an extra day of museum fun! Make the most of summer before back-to-school and enjoy bonus bonding time with the family, 9 am–4 pm.

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.

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.

Join our guest instructor Angela Johnson from UW Genetics for a drop-in flip book workshop! Learn about the patterns of plant root growth and their importance for obstacle avoidance, soil penetration, and seedling establishment. Best of all, you'll get to apply what you learned in a make-and-take animated flip book of the growth process.  This […]

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.

Create vibrant prints using silicone models of local fish and paint! Explore the patterns and textures of fish scales while making unique, aquatic-themed artwork. This event is free with the price of general admission.

Explore the world of music and rhythm! Join Tim in the Wonderground each week to enjoy play-based songs, games, and stories. This event 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.

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.

It's pear-harvesting season! Come over to the Wonderground's log cabin to taste delicious local pears and learn the old-fashioned way to preserve fruit through dehydration. Cabin Life invites you to try your hand at crafts and activities from around the time our original log cabin was built in the 1840s.

Join MCM Roadshow and other local favorite organizations at Hammersley 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. Madison Children’s Museum Roadshow brings mobile exhibits, maker activities, and more to community events in Madison and the surrounding area.

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.

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.

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 […]

 Join Junko in the Urb Garden as we explore different sensory materials every week!  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.

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 […]

Explore various practical and artful fiber arts projects like embroidery, weaving, mending, and sewing with our friend Lexie in the Art Studio! Today, we'll learn to embroider safely and embrace abstract creativity. This event is free during our extended Thursday evening hours!

Decorate your own paper cup planter and plant a seed to take home! This event is part of our free admission Thursday evenings, 4 pm-8 pm.

Join MCM Roadshow and other local organizations at a community celebration presented by the Glendale Neighborhood Association. Madison Children’s Museum Roadshow brings mobile exhibits, maker activities, and more to community events in Madison and the surrounding area.

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.

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 on the Rooftop Ramble, dependent on the day. Please ask […]

Prototype paper airplanes with different features and test how they fly! 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 […]

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.

Join Junko each Friday for interactive storytelling with Japanese kamishibai cards! 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 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.

Join MCM Roadshow and other local organizations at a community celebration presented by the LOV Inc (Latino Family Navigator Project), the Catholic Multicultural Center, and Dulce Respite Center. This free event is created to support and serve Spanish-speaking families that include individuals with disabilities. Madison Children’s Museum Roadshow brings mobile exhibits, maker activities, and more […]

Get ready for a surprise in this interactive tea demonstration! Join Erin, owner of Telsaan Tea, to see how certain flower teas (hibiscus, chrysanthemum, and butterfly pea flower) change color when adding vinegar or baking soda. Please note: the teas in this program are intended for demonstration purposes or "science tea", not for drinking. This […]

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 dimensional pieces of art with mix-and-match materials. This event is […]

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.