With the whole summer ahead of us we wanted to share a few ongoing ideas for family-friendly outdoor activities to enjoy (almost) anytime and hopefully add some variety or discover a new favorite spot, friends, or both! And don’t worry, each week we also highlight five timely activities or ideas for cheap family fun, and our regular calendar is updated with local summer festivals and special events.
1. Outdoor music and hangouts. We love relaxing with (grownup) friends, being outside with open space where you can keep an eye on kids easily, and having only a loose schedule based on when the music starts. Some of our favorite spots:
- The Olbrich biergarten - with a small sandbox and large (the beach), snacks, , lawn games, and plenty of open space to run, plus some of the best summer views.
- And nearby at the gardens on Tuesdays or Garver Feed Mill Fridays
- Seven Acre Dairy, Paoli. Not that far south, they've got specials every night of the week with pizza, ice cream, movies and a beautiful spot along the Sugar River.
- And if you like cows - Sassy Cow Creamery has regular tours with the animals, along with great food and ice cream in their cafe
- Madison Parks teams up with the Museum of Contemporary Art for free Art Cart activities during the day and evenings at rotating parks, and Madison has “parks alive” events, plus outdoors movies and music throughout the summer.
- The Memorial Union Terrace – hang out anytime and enjoy the food/drinks/live music, and for kids see the Terrace Art, family outdoors boating, hikes, and other fun this summer.
- Other Breweries/Biergartens-the Wisconsin Brewing Company in Verona has big outdoor space with firepits and music, as does the Capital Brewery in Middleton, and Doundrins Distilling in Cottage Grove even has a play structure! Plus Sun Prairie has regular pop-up events and later this summer at Stone horse Green in Middleton.
- #FlocktoState - downtown on State Street cars are prohibited in the afternoons, and there are special kids days and activities each week
2. Semi pro sports - the Madison area teams make games fun with plenty of promotions, competitive but laid back feel, silly contests, easy parking/biking access, and surprisingly good stadium foods. Our favorites:
- At Warner Park, the Madison Mallards baseball (so many between-inning activities) and new Night Mares softball
- At Breese Stevens, the Forward FC Soccer with a nice family pack deal, Madison Radicals Ultimate Frisbee
3. Pools, splash pads, and parks.
- Splash + play. We know it's easy to get cold or need a quick change, so we like the splash pads with fun playgrounds nearby. Don't worry about open hours, nap times, or memberships and check Fireman's Park in Verona (also next to a beach and bike trail), Mckee Park Fitchburg, Bakken Park Cottage Grove, Elver Park in west Madison, and Lakeview Park Middleton -- are all free have lots more to see nearby.
- Pools. The Goodman pool in Madison and the Aquatic Center in Verona have zero depth-entries, Monona has a little pool and hours for littles-only, plus Middleton and Sun Prairie’s public pools
- Madison lakes aren’t always the cleanest (understatement), but Troll Beach in Stoughton and Ripley Park in Cambridge have nice, clean beach spots
4. Outdoor adventures - boats, bikes, and hikes.
- Whether or not you jump IN the lakes, there’s plenty to do ON them, renting with Madison Boats at Wingra, Brittingham, the Edgewater, or Marshall. Plus their Friday burgers on the bay, special ice cream boat floats, and other
- Want to get your family ready to explore? The Lussier Center offers classes for kids to learn to fish, bike, and paddle.
- Explore nearby state parks, or stay closer to home:
- North - Governor's Island or Cherokee Marsh on Madison’s northside for wooded trails and lots of side options to add variety.
- South/East - Edna Taylor (connected to Aldo Leopold Nature Center) Lake Farm Park
- West - Indian Lake and Donald parks-with options for hills or flat by the lake
- Central - UW-Arboretum start at the nature center, or off Seminole Hwy for nice wooded hikes with different loops, and while Picnic Point gets all the pictures, there’s plenty more to see at the Lakeshore Nature Preserve on campus.
5. Weekend getaways. The Dells, Door County, Milwaukee and Chicago are popular and have plenty to see, but for fewer crowds, check out:
- Bay Beach amusement park (Green Bay). Run by the city, the prices are amazing, plus there’s a nearby children’s museum and wildlife sanctuary.
- Driftless boating. The Kickapoo river has a bunch of outfitters for canoes or kayaks, plus it’s a beautiful drive through rolling hills, and stop at Peck’s Farm en route for food and animals. And downtown Viroqua has great food and a huge playground.
- New Glarus. Also in the rolling hills, the Swiss town is just southwest of Madison. In addition to the famous brewery, there’s a state park, public pool next to a big park, and some nice food options for kids. Plus cute stores, and a toy store on the main street if kids need some motivation.
What did we miss? You can add events to our calendar (it's free!) and contact us about promoting your event or organization.
