Badgerland Learning Days Celebration

media release: Join us for free admission and hands-on activities throughout the museum, 4–8 pm! Learn about dozens of free family events taking place April 19–27 in southern Wisconsin as part of Badgerland Learning Days. Admission is free, registration not required.

The following activities and organizations will provide free activities:

• Forward! Marching Band –Twist and shout and make a joyful noise! 5:30 pm
• WI Science Festival – Catch the science buzz with fun crafts and meet Beesly, the festival mascot
• UW Neuroscience Students Team – Explore the inner world of the brain
• Lussier Family Heritage Center – Get wiggly and learn about the world of worms
• Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center – Match furs and tracks with the Amazing Animals game and meet their Animal Ambassadors
• Henry Vilas Zoo – Explore animal friends and make your own craft
• MSCR – Flutter away as you make your own tie-dye butterfly craft
• Girl Scouts of WI Badgerland – Create a Earth Day themed STEM activity and craft!
• Madison Cello Ensemble – Enjoy a live performance at 6pm and check out the instrument petting zoo!
• Play games, make music, learn about programs and so much more!

More on the statewide event:

From April 19 – 27, 2025 dozens of nonprofit organizations will open their doors to offer over 120 free or low-cost learning activities for youth and families at sites throughout southcentral Wisconsin as part of this year’s “Badgerland Learning Days” festival.

The majority of events are free to youth and families and are organized around themes of the arts, sciences, maker mindset, outdoor learning, technology, and youth voice. 

The annual festival, organized by local organizations and education leaders, creates opportunities for wonder, discovery and joyful learning for learners of all ages.  Its goal is to celebrate the power of hands-on learning and to connect families with free educational resources in the community.

Wisconsin’s festival is part of the nonprofit "Remake Learning Days" initiative -- considered the largest global learning festival, bringing together students, families, teachers and local communities to experience the joy of learning together.  Wisconsin is one of 16 festivals planned in regions across the United States as well as in Uruguay, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. 

In southcentral Wisconsin, local organizations - museums, libraries, schools, afterschool programs, businesses and community organizations - are collaborating to bring innovative and joyful learning to the area, inviting families to:

• Enjoy two free Community-wide Festival Kick-Off events to celebrate the learning fun that Badgerland Learning Days has in store:

• Free Family Fun Night Celebration at the Madison Children’s Museum on Thursday, April 24^th featuring live music, free access to the museum, hands-on crafts and activities provided by local organizations; and
• Earth Day Celebration & Community Festival at the Beloit Public Library on Saturday, April 26^th featuring hands-on Earth Day activities, a chance to meet Barkley the support dog, a variety of arts and crafts, and a free community lunch, along with library festivities.

• Stop, learn and play at any of the United Way’s “Born Learning Trails” at select parks;
• Sway to the soothing melodies of Overture Center’s The Lullaby Project which pairs new parents with professional artists to write, sing and perform personal lullabies for their babies;
• and so much more! 

Click here for a full list of free and low-cost events and offerings that are part of the Badgerland Festival.

“Badgerland Learning Days supports parents and caregivers in the vital work they are doing to guide and grow with their children,” says WI Festival Coordinator, Kathe Crowley Conn.  “These events connect them to fresh experiences and exciting resources right in the community.”

The Wisconsin festival is part of the international “Remake Learning Days” initiative, the largest global learning festival of its kind, bringing together students, families, teachers and local communities to experience the joy of learning.  The Wisconsin is one of 16 festivals planned across the United States, in addition to celebrations in Uruguay, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Support for Wisconsin’s Remake Learning Days Festival is provided by WeThinkBig, Office Evolution-Madison Arboretum, WKOW-TV and local supporters.  National supporters include The Grable Foundation and other education leaders.  For more information, visit remakelearningdays.org/badgerland

Support for Wisconsin’s Remake Learning Days Festival is provided by WeThinkBig, Office Evolution-Madison Arboretum, WKOW-TV and other local supporters.  For more information, visit remakelearningdays.org/badgerland and https://remakelearningdays.org/badgerland/remake-learning-days-comes-to-wisconsin/