The hardest part about moving to Madison was not knowing where to go. I have compiled a list of activities for young and old families in the Madison, Wisconsin area.
Playgroups
There is a stiff tie between the two best east side playgroups/toddler gyms to go to. Good thing they are on different days! The Tenney Nursery and Parent Center has a teacher supported playtime with some songs and a lot of free time. There’s all kinds of activities for the curious toddler in a classroom setting and also a little gym complete with slides, a balance beam, balls, and more. There is even an area with toddler size tables and chairs for a snack. It is on Fridays, from 9-1130. The Goodman Community Center has a really fun open gym with bikes, balls, tunnels, and LOTS of space to run around. Open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-11. If you bring your child here, you are guaranteed a good nap that afternoon.
Rainy Day and Year-round Fun
For a good long car ride or a boring rainy day, you can listen to This American Life Episodes. On this site they have every episode they have ever aired.
This American Life Episodes
The Children’s Museum always has activities and theme days for all ages. Drop in Classes like Art Dabblers or sign up classes like Toddler Music are really great.
Madison Children’s Museum
If you have a crafty and/or builder in the family, you will love the Kids Workshop at Home Depot. These are free workshops for kids 5-11 where they will build and come home with their new creation and a souvenir Home Depot apron. Some examples of the things your child and you can make are birdhouses, bughouses, fire truck, and more.
For wild dancing and fun music, you absolutely have to check out Kids in the Rotunda at the Overture center downtown. It is every Saturday at 9:30, 11, and 1, so you can go regardless of your child’s naptime. Each week they have a different band, storyteller, juggler, theater group, or dancer that is both kid and parent friendly. Why, this month alone they had a swing band, Irish dancers, and a mime! How diverse and fun. This is also a fun activity to do when you’re making your way around the farmer’s market in the summer, drop in and dance and then get some spicy cheese bread to finish off the perfect morning.
Nothing like listening to the old radio. I think we should still sit in front of the radio (not the television!!!) and listen to a good story. These are great mysteries and stories that will make any afternoon special.
For the kiddos older than seven, there is a really great laser tag maze game! You run through the black lit maze, duck, and fire. It’s really great for birthday parties, groups, or just a weekend afternoon. If you go Sundays, kids pay and adults are free. What a deal!
Ultrazone Laser Tag
If your children are little jumping beans on a rainy day, you simply must take them to the Madtown Twisters! Both the east and west Madison locations offer ladders, trampolines, climbing walls, balance beams, swinging ropes, spring floor and much more. There are summer camps and classes from walking tots to fifteen years old for girls and boys alike. No matter what you choose or when you go, your children will work on their gross motor skills and have a great time at the same time!
Madtown Twisters
If you’re looking for a real challenge and exercise, look no further than the Boulders Climbing Gym. With 8,000 square feet of climbing space, there is plenty of room for beginners and pros alike. There are instructors to show you how to knot, harness, and belay up and down the wall safely. And once you finally make it up, there’s no fun in the world like jumping down!
Boulders Climbing Gym
Spring/Summer
Looking for a nice long hike? On this site, there is information about trails ranging from 2 – 75 miles long. Click through to the City of Madison for directions.
Wisconsin Nature Trails
The best to go for star gazing on a late Saturday night. Some of my best memories of my childhood were watching the stars and then catching fireflies at our local planetarium.
UW Space Place
Strawberries have been added to the ‘dirty dozen‘ list (YUCK!) so you’ll want your cute toddler to get the healthiest strawberry juice all over their face this summer.
This is the best strawberry farm in the Madison area to pick and buy fresh strawberries.
U Pick Organic Strawberry Farm
Another really great U pick Organic Farm. They also have really great jams, herbs, flowers, and honey!
U Pick Organic Raspberry Farm
If you live anywhere near Madison, you simply must go to this Farmer’s Market! Stretching around the entire Capital Building, this market has over 300 vendors. Support Local!
Dane County Farmer’s Market
This market is much smaller, with about fifteen vendors. It’s really easy to get to know each one of the families behind your food this way. Late in the summer you have to get the ground tomatoes – they taste like candy!
Madison Eastside Farmer’s Market
Waterfalls, 500 foot cliffs, hiking trails, camping, swimming, fishing, and sandy beaches – what more do I have to say?
Devil’s Lake State Park
Almost the same as Devil’s State Park, with a ten minute longer drive.
Mirror Lake State Park
Really great hiking trails where you are always guaranteed to find some sort of treasure. My husband and i saw some turkeys and our son found some really cool rocks to try and get in his mouth. 
UW Arboretum
This is the best place to go if you are ever bored. I go here at least once a month, and every time I go I find something new. Kids will love the scavenger hunt in the conservatory or running over the bridges to get to the Thai House. This is beautiful year round and truly one of my favorite places in Madison. They also have really great classes.
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Here is another really fun place for scavenger hunts and explorations. Here is the trail guide when you can have pirate or princess adventures. You are sure to find great rocks and worms alike!
Aldo Leopold Nature Center
This zoo is one of the many reasons why Madison is such a great place to live. The Henry Vilas Zoo is completely free! They have a huge play area, monkey and reptile house, and most animals for your entertainment. They also have petting areas and a place where you can feed the flamingos! How cool is that?
Henry Vilas Zoo
Another really fun family activity in the summer. This series is on Wednesday nights in the summer on the square. It’s a bit late for the kiddos with early bedtimes, starting at about 7, but it’s a great place for music, chasing fireflies, and a picnic dinner.
Madison Concerts on the Square
This is by far the best Fourth of July celebration for families in any city that I have been in. There are playgrounds, carnival rides for all ages (even a little tike size rollercoaster!), and at the end of the night there are the best fireworks you can imagine. If you can only do one thing in Madison, this should be it.
Monona July 4th Festival and Fireworks
If you’re looking for that perfect first date or something to do with your older kids on a summer afternoon, the George Vitense golfland is the only way to go. There are two different 18 hole games outside, one 18 hole game inside, junior golf, golf range, and batting cages. Choose the Wisconsin course and you can play in a minature Lambeau Field. Each course is graet for kids who might get antsy waiting for their turn because you can often crawl or climb over the pieces around it. You can walk under a waterfall or use the monkey bars to get to your ball on the other side – way cool!
Vitense GolfLand
Swimming Pools
Goodman Aquatic Center – Verona
(608) 848-1822
7762 Cty Hwy PD; Verona, WI 53593
(608) 264-9292
325 Olin Ave; Madison, WI 53713
(608) 836-3450
2400 Park Lawn Pl; Middleton, WI 53562
(608) 827-1060
Lakeview Park
6200 Mendota Ave; Middleton, WI 53562
(608) 222-2525
5211 Schluter Rd; Monona, WI 53716
(Our Favorite!!! It has two separate pools, one with a beach entrance and the other that is much deeper for older kids/adults. There is volleyball, a playground, many slides, and fountains for kids. Be advised, the beach entrance is rough so you should put waterproof sandals on your little ones if you will be sitting there most of the time.)
(608) 837-3449
920 Linnerud Dr; Sun Prairie, WI 53590
Beaches
Olbrich Beach - 3527 Atwood Ave, Lake Monona
Vilas Beach – adjacent to Zoo - 1339 Vilas Park Dr, Lake Wingra
Tenney Park - 1300 Sherman Ave, Lake Mendota
James Madison Park - 614 E Gorham St, Lake Mendota
Fireman’s Park Beach - 600 Bruce St, Verona
Autumn/Winter
The 220 acre Schuster’s Playtime Farm is really great for pumpkin picking, pictures, cider, and getting lost in the corn maze. You can ride out on the hay ride (that has a fence around it for those little excitable toddlers) to your pumpkins and then bring them back. There is also a turn of the century playhouse, toddler tire maze, and small playground to play on. A great way to spend one of those last warm autumn weekends.
U Pick Pumpkin Farm with Hayride and Corn Maze
Since we have winter for five months, you might as well make it special. Here you can walk through the tree farm, pick out your tree, and the helpful people at Summers Christmas tree farm will help you bind it and strap it to your car. They also have wreaths, boughs, table arrangements, and ornaments in their Christmas Shop.
U Pick Christmas Trees
This is a must in Madison. When it gets so cold that you want to pack your bags for Florida, just strap on some skates and head down to Tenney Park where you can skate on the pond for free. Do a couple circles and you will earn yourself that extra marshmellow hot chocolate you’ve been dreaming about.
Outdoor Ice Skating
Madison is so cool they keep the Farmer’s Market even in the winter. Run by the same famous folks that do the big Capital market, this one is much smaller. It has a great local, organic breakfast every Saturday. Also live music for your kid that needs to get out of the house!
Indoor Farmer’s Market
Ah, sledding. You have almost no choice but to sled when there are 15 inches of snow on the ground. Here are directions to the five best sledding hills in Madison. I recommend Elver Park, when you get a good push you feel like you’ll never stop flying.
Sledding Hills