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Museum News – December 2018
The museum will be closed all day on December 24 & 25. New this year, we will be open for a half-day on January 1, from 12 to 5 p.m.
Featured Events
Winter Wonder Weeks, December 26–January 6
Come enjoy winter break with us! We’re ringing in the new year with a full schedule of wintry activities. Explore the whole museum during our Winter Wonderland Scavenger Hunt, make a snow sculpture on the roof during Building Bonanza: Ice and Snow, put on your chef’s hat to make snow taffy during our Maple Candy Pour, or create your own unique Snow Globes.
Check the daily program schedule during Winter Wonder Weeks and stop by to cure your cabin fever! All activities are FREE with museum admission and FREE for members.
New Year’s Eve Dance Party, Monday, December 31, 3–4:30 p.m.
Shake, rattle, roll, and bid farewell to 2018 at the earliest New Year’s Eve party in Madison! If your little ones aren’t quite ready to stay up until midnight, drop by at 3 p.m. to dance to the beats of DJ Scott Mueller, sip sparkling juice, and ring in 2019 with Auld Lang Syne.
Should Old Exhibits Be Forgot?
During Winter Wonder Week some favorite museum exhibits of the past will be coming back for a visit. Our popular Isthmus Building Table and Lego Tables from Possible-opolis of yore will be up in our Celebrations Room from noon on Sunday, December 23 to noon on Friday, January 4.
Other Programs
Gingerbread Weekend, December 1–2, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
We’re kicking December off with Casas for CASA, a gingerbread house event hosted for Dane County CASA. Visit the museum Saturday to watch teams decorate gingerbread houses, or check out the display of completed houses on Sunday! There will also be ginger-bread themed projects in the Art Studio throughout the weekend.
Wednesday, December 5, 5–8 p.m.
The museum will be free and open to all from 5 to 8 p.m. Learn more about Free Family Nights.
From 6 to 7:30 p.m., participate in programs celebrating international cultures! Learn greetings in multiple languages through an “around the world” passport experience and enjoy a screening of the Brazilian cartoon, “Jogos de Inventar” (Inventing Games). Learn more about International Night programs.
Adult Swim: Holidays on Hamilton
Friday, December 14, 6–10 p.m.
Join us for a merry, adults-only celebration of history, Hamilton, and the holidays! We are not throwing away this shot to fine tune our quill pen calligraphy, make wigs out of paper bags, and, just like the Founding Fathers in 1776, perfect our beatboxing skills. You’ll wanna be in the museum when it happens! Get tickets now.
Adult Swim is presented by Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co.
Exhibits Updates
Sidewalk Suprise: the Crossroads of Art and Science
Our newest Sidewalk Suprise art installation was created by the UW-Madison Chemistry Department’s scientific glassblower, Tracy Owen Drier, who also created the art piece at the beginning of our Wayback Machine exhibit, in Possible-opolis. Most people associate glassblowing with art, but it is also essential for scientific research. In order to conduct experiments, chemists need specially designed glassware that can only be made by hand. This equipment is made from a special type of glass (called Borosilicate) that can withstand sudden and extreme temperature changes.
Meet the Museum Staff
Kia Karlen, Director of Education
As a child growing up in Madison, Kia’s goal was to become either a school teacher or a circus performer. Fortuitously, she discovered Madison Children’s Museum shortly after graduating from UW-Madison and was able to blend the two paths into a 25-year career at the museum. As the director of education, Kia has the pleasure of overseeing a wildly creative team of educators who are committed to making the museum engaging and inclusive for the whole community.
In addition, Kia is an active musician who you may find performing around town with Yid Vicious, Black Marigold, Hirt Alpert, Capital City Band, Reptile Palace Orchestra, and other local bands. She also volunteers her time in support of local arts organizations and currently serves as chair of the Madison Arts Commission.
Give (or get) the gift of Madison Children’s Museum!
Keep the museum in mind when you are planning your gift giving this holiday season! Museum memberships make great gifts to give—and receive! Play is so much more than fun. Pediatricians tell us that play is essential to child development, including cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being. A gift of museum membership is a gift of a whole year of family fun and growth. Learn more about gift memberships.
Programs December 1–23:
For Winter Wonder Weeks programs see our website.
Tuesdays
- Animal Feeding weekly | 9:45–10 a.m.
- Wiggle and Jump weekly | 10–11 a.m.
- Baby Doll Bath Time weekly | 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Wednesdays
- Animal Feeding weekly | 9:45–10 a.m.
- Little Story weekly | 10–10:30 a.m.
- Music with Carolynn weekly | 10:30–11 a.m.
- Nature Explorations weekly | 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Thursdays
- Animal Feeding weekly | 9:45–10 a.m.
- Early Explorers Playgroup weekly | 10–11 a.m. & 2:30–3:30 p.m.
- Experts at Play During Early Explorers Playgroup 12/6 | 10–11 a.m.
- Lily-Pad Theater 12/6 & 12/13 | 11–11:30 a.m.
- Textile Technology weekly | 1–2 p.m.
Fridays
- Animal Feeding weekly | 9:45–10 a.m.
- Mess Monsters weekly | 10–11 a.m
- Botanical Suncatchers 12/7 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
- Nature Gelli Print Cards 12/14 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
- Solstice Lanterns 12/21 | 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
- Playdough Party weekly | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
- Building Bonanza 12/7 & 12/14 | 1–3 p.m.
- Winter Solstice Celebration 12/21 | 1–3 p.m.
- Plant Presents 12/21 | 1:30–2:30 p.m.
Saturdays
- Animal Feeding weekly | 9:45–10 a.m.
- Yogaventures weekly | 10–10:30 a.m.
- Popcorn Cranberry Garland Bird Feeders 12/22 | 10:30–12 p.m.
- Pine Cone Creatures 12/8 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
- Nature Ornaments 12/15 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
- Match Girl Project weekly | 12–1 p.m.
- Collaborative Art 12/8, 12/15, & 12/22 | 1–3 p.m.
Sundays
- Building Buddies 12/2 |
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- Magnetic Mayhem 12/9 | 10–11 a.m.
- Winter Watercolors 12/9, 12/16, & 12/23 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
- Taste of Tech: 3D Printing 12/2 | 12:30–2:30 p.m.
- Taste of Tech: 3D Pens 12/9 | 12:30–2 p.m.
- STEAM Punk weekly | 3–4 p.m.
For programs December 26 through January 6 see our Winter Wonder Weeks page.
Madison Children’s Museum connects children with their families, their communities,
and the world beyond through discovery learning and creative play.
