Monty’s Blue Plate Diner
$$Schenk-Atwood, 2089 Atwood Ave.
A neighborhood diner and bakery with breakfast all day, plus sandwiches, soups and salads. There’s an attached parking lot.
Daily 7:30am–9pmSite ↗ for Monty’s Blue Plate Diner
OCT 16 – 22 Madison · Mad City
Madison weekend plans for little kids, found and checked for you.
Henry Vilas Zoo puts out 19 free candy stations for Boo at the Zoo on Saturday morning, plus a bounce house and pumpkins for the animals. Downtown, engineer Jay Flores reads and runs a science demo at the Central Library, and Madison Children’s Museum hosts a Let’s Move! hour for little movers.
This week: 20 outings at 11 places, each one linked to the page we checked it on. How we check
Top 5 picks
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One short email with the Madison picks, already found and checked. Free, and you can unsubscribe any time.
Saturday, sorted
A Saturday that actually works.
Here’s how we’d do Saturday, Oct 17. One thing from this week’s list, plus two of our regulars from Around town. Tap a stop for the details.
MORNINGBoo at the Zoo9:30am–1:30pm · Henry Vilas Zoo · Free- LUNCHAround townBabcock Dairy StoreOpen 11am–4pm · UW–Madison campus · $ (opens their site)
- NAPHome by 1:30 for nap. Car seat, stroller, whatever works.
- AFTER NAPAround townUW–Madison ArboretumOpen 12:30pm–4pm · Near west side · Free (opens their site)
Times come from each event’s page or the place’s own site. Plans change, so check before you head out. Print this plan
Every outing this week
Find your thing
Around town10 spots · checked Oct 16
The Madison places we go back to, again and again.
Not this week’s events, just the reliable stuff. Where to eat with a toddler, where to burn off energy when it rains, where to splash, what’s worth the admission, and where to spend a night without going far.
Eat
Kid-friendly restaurants
Places where a dropped fork is no big deal and nobody minds a little noise.
Ian’s Pizza
$Madison and Verona
Pizza by the slice, home of the mac ’n’ cheese pizza, which is easy to split with picky eaters.
Babcock Dairy Store
$UW–Madison campus
UW’s own dairy store, using the same ice cream recipe since 1951, with about 20 flavors on hand. Cash isn’t accepted.
Sat 11am–4pmSite ↗ for Babcock Dairy Store
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Madison that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Play
Indoor play and rainy days
For rainy mornings, cold afternoons and anyone who needs to run in circles for an hour.
$$
Madison Children’s Museum
Capitol Square
A big hands-on children’s museum downtown.
Free
Wisconsin State Capitol
Capitol Square
Free guided tours cover the building’s history, art and architecture. Groups under 10 just show up at tour time in the Rotunda.
Free
Central Library
Downtown, 201 W. Mifflin St.
Madison Public Library’s downtown branch, a block off the Capitol Square. Free kids’ programs are on the library calendar.
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Madison that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Splash & ride
Parks and outdoor play
Pools, fountains, zoos and theme parks: the big all-day outings.
Near west sideFree
UW–Madison Arboretum
Prairies, woods, gardens and more than 17 miles of trails, free to visit.
Grounds 4am–10pm · Visitor Center weekends 12:30–4pmSite ↗ for UW–Madison Arboretum
East sideFree
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Botanical gardens whose outdoor gardens are free to walk year-round. The tropical Bolz Conservatory costs extra.
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Madison that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Explore
Museums, zoos and big outings
Museums, animals and farm days that hold a little one’s attention.
Henry Vilas Zoo
FreeVilas Park
Madison’s free zoo since 1911, open every day.
Daily 9:30am–5pmSite ↗ for Henry Vilas Zoo
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Madison that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Stay
Staycations and overnight trips
A night away without a long drive. New bed, same bedtime.
≈1 hour · Baraboo$
Devil’s Lake State Park
Wisconsin’s largest state park, with tall quartzite bluffs over a lake, sandy beaches and a year-round campground.
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Madison that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
These don’t change week to week. Last checked . Hours and prices change, so check the place’s own site before you go. Know a spot we missed? Tell us at hello@littlesweekly.com.
On the horizon
Coming up
OCT 23 – 29Halloween weekendMore trick-or-treating, a few costume parades and some gentle spooky stuff. The list goes out next Friday.Get it in your inbox →
OCT 31Trick-or-treat night guideNeighborhood hours and the streets that are easy with a stroller. Early ones too, for kids who are asleep by 7.Get notified →
NOVEMBERFirst holiday lightsThe first holiday lights in town, and which ones you can see before bedtime.See it first →
Good questions
Outings for little ones in Madison: the FAQ
What can I do with a little one in Madison this weekend?
This week we found 20 outings that work for kids ages 0–6. Our top three: Boo at the Zoo, Let’s Move! with Abby at Madison Children’s Museum, Engineer Someday: Author Jay Flores (Central Library). See the full list.
Are there free things to do with little ones in Madison this week?
Yes, 19 of this week’s 20 picks are free, including library storytimes and Boo at the Zoo. Tap “Free” in Find your thing.
What are good indoor activities for kids in Madison when it rains?
19 picks this week are indoors, mostly library programs and shows. Tap “Rainy-day OK” in Find your thing.
Where can I find storytimes and toddler activities in Madison?
This week we list 18 library storytimes and baby or toddler programs. Each one links to the library or venue page with the time and place. See them in the list.
How do you pick what goes on the list?
We look at venue and library calendars and local family pages every week. Each listing links to the page we checked it on, and where the organizer or venue has its own page, we confirm the details there. We lean toward things that fit around naps and don’t need a long walk.
How do I get this list every week?
Sign up for the Friday email at the bottom of the page. It’s one short email, and you can unsubscribe any time.
For local businesses
Running something for little kids in Madison?
If it’s good for the under-6 crowd, we’d like to hear about it. Free events go on the list for free, always. If you want a guaranteed spot at the top or in the Friday email, there’s a sponsored option too, and it’s clearly labeled. We’re just getting started, so the first 10 local partners in each city get 50% off your first booking.
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