At the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, play is more than just fun, it’s fundamental to learning!

Ninety percent of brain development happens before the age of five, and research confirms that when young children engage in play-based learning, they build essential skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, physical coordination and social-emotional development.

The Betty Brinn Children’s Museum’s exhibit spaces are intentionally designed for children ages birth to eight years old and offer hands-on, technology-free opportunities for unstructured play that encourages curiosity, creativity, imagination and exploration.

In addition to its interactive exhibits, the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum features a variety of programs that provide dynamic ways for families to learn, specifically in the areas of music, art and culture. The Museum is proud to partner with a multitude of Milwaukee-based artists to lead these interactive programs, including Panadanza, Ko-Thi Dance Company, Pink Umbrella Theater Co., Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and Chinese Cricket Academy, among others.

In 2025, the Museum also launched an artist-in-residence program with Milwaukee-based, Grammy-nominated cellist and music educator Malik Johnson. Throughout his residency, Malik shared nearly 10 hours of live cello playing with Museum guests and hosted several community conversations, which helped families see how powerful creative expression can be in early childhood development.

The Betty Brinn Children’s Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that opened its doors in 1995 thanks to a grassroots effort begun by three Milwaukee women who were determined to create a place where families in southeastern Wisconsin could learn and play together. The Museum’s namesake, Betty Brinn, was a Milwaukee resident who dedicated her life to securing health care for under-resourced women and children. The Museum carries on Betty Brinn’s legacy by serving as a community gathering place that offers programs and experiences where children and families of all cultures, abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds feel welcomed, valued and inspired to learn and play together in a space designed just for them.​

Follow Tom, a young teacher, who is nervous about his first day of teaching. He tries to relax by watching TV, when various characters representing facets of his personality emerge from the set and show him how to win his students over with imagination and music. Memorable songs such as “Just a Bill,” “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly” and “Conjunction Junction” bring his lesson plans vividly to life.