Madison Children's Museum

Create your own unique nature painting! Experiment with leaves, flowers, sticks, and pinecones as materials to apply paint and see what organic patterns you can create. This event is free with the price of general admission.

Find MCM Roadshow at Alkeme's Black on State Block Party! This event cultivates a new atmosphere for young, influential, and working-class community members while fostering economic development through creativity and preparing an environment where underserved communities feel welcome to explore, commune, and support local businesses in the downtown Madison area. Madison Children’s Museum Roadshow brings […]

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.

Fall 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 […]

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.

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 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 bodies in this interactive weekly program. This event will be held in the Nice Age Trail exhibit and is free with general museum admission.

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.

Join Junko and Abby in the Wonderground each Wednesday for movement and music games! 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 Ms. 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! This event is free with general […]

 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 […]

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.

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. For today's Music with Junebug location, please ask at the desk! This event is free […]

Learn about the chemicals contained in everyday kitchen ingredients and discover how they react with one another! Step into the role of a scientist and test these safe combinations with hands-on experimentation. Join us each week for new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities. These hands-on programs foster creativity, ignite curiosity, encourage divergent […]

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.

Celebrate Worldwide Day of Play at Madison Children's Museum on Saturday, September 28, 2024. Find brand new ways to play in the Wonderground, learn about your food's journey from farm to lunch table, create ginormous bubbles on the Rooftop Ramble, and let your creativity flow in the Art Studio! Featured Activities All activities are free […]

Kick off Worldwide Day of Play with our friends from the UW College of Agricultural and Life Sciences! Learn more about the origins of your food, from farm to lunch table. This event is free with general museum admission. Image credit: Kevin Rej

Celebrate Worldwide Day of Play with us and create ginormous bubbles on the Rooftop Ramble. This event is free with the price of general admission.

Celebrate Worldwide Day of Play with our friend Shelby from Force of Nature Movement! Come down to the Wonderground for guided movement games and open play time. We'll practice intuitive movement skills like climbing, crawling, jumping, and running (to each child's comfort level and ability.) This program is designed for children 3-10 years, but all […]

Dive into an exciting drop-in art experience with Laurie and our Art Studio team for Worldwide Day of Play! 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! This event is free with general museum admission.

Meet up with MCM Roadshow at Harmony Apartments for hands-on activities with our team! Join MCM's outdoor recreation specialist for movement games and active fun, alongside art projects facilitated by the Roadshow team. Madison Children’s Museum Roadshow brings mobile exhibits and maker activities to community events in Madison and the surrounding area.