PBS KIDS Backyard

Cultivate a love for gardening and the outdoors with your entire family in PBS KIDS Backyard! In addition to a variety of educational gardening activities, the area will feature a playset, trampoline and cornhole boards.

Backyard Equipment Sponsored by PlayN Wisconsin.

Every day is “Family Day” at the Garden & Green Living Expo, with special highlights throughout the weekend.

Free Admission

Garden & Green Living Expo offers free admission for children 12 and under, helping make it an affordable family outing in the middle of winter.

PBS KIDS Passport

Calling all kids! Pick up your PBS KIDS Passport in the PBS KIDS Backyard during Garden & Green Living Expo. You’ll collect stamps from participating exhibitor booths, participate in fun activities and pick up giveaways and educational resources along the way. Drop off your completed passport at the PBS Wisconsin booth to be entered into a drawing for one of four PBS KIDS Passport Prize Packages.

A special thank you to Schuster’s Farm, DRAMM Corporation, Firefly Farm & Mercantile and Author Amy Dean, for their generous donations to the PBS KIDS Passport Program.

Children holding up vegetables

2026 Schedule of Activities (check back for updates)

Friday, Feb. 13

All Day

Family fun area with play structures, trampoline, and more! (provided by PlayN Wisconsin)

All Day

Write or draw your own wonders on The Wonder Wall (Supported by PBS Wisconsin)

All Day

Seed Starting Activity with Urban Triage
Urban Triage is a Black-led nonprofit organization focused on advancing equity, housing stability, and community wellness. During this event, their team will engage children in interactive, hands-on activities designed to encourage creativity, curiosity, and fun.

Noon – 3 PM

Bicycle Blender Salsa with Rooted
Rooted is a Madison based organization focused on healthy food access, land access and urban agriculture education. They work with thousands of youth and community members every year getting people outside, growing food, cooking and building community together around food! Come by their table to meet some of the team and get hands-on experience making salsa on their bicycle blender!

Noon – 3 PM

Take-home Crafts with Eagle’s Wing Child Care and Eagle Heights Community Gardens
Visit the Eagle’s Wing Child Care and Eagle Heights Community Gardens table to join a playful, family-friendly craft activity that celebrates creativity and connection. Kids can make a small take‑home project while families explore the resources and community spirit that make their programs unique.

Noon – 4 PM

Balance Bikes and Bike Maintenance with Bikes for Kids Wisconsin

Noon – 5 PM

The Dane County Trash Lab is a mobile education experience housed in an upcycled cargo trailer. This imaginative exhibit was created in 2021 in collaboration with the Madison Children’s Museum to encourage individuals of all ages to rethink our relationship with waste, protect our environment and redesign our production and waste systems. Visitors to the Trash Lab can connect with information about Dane County’s landfill design, recycling and renewable energy programs through over ten interactive learning stations. The Trash Lab is wheelchair accessible and Spanish language materials are available.

1:30 – 2 PM

Meet PBS KIDS Daniel Tiger

2 – 5 PM

Bugs and Biofuels
Join the Wisconsin Energy Institute to learn about the connection between insects and bioenergy! Model a butterfly’s life cycle with pasta, uncover what your “breakfast without bees” would be, and simulate growing biofuel fields and battle hungry caterpillars. 

3 – 3:30 PM

Meet PBS KIDS Daniel Tiger

4:15 – 4:45 PM

Meet PBS KIDS Daniel Tiger

Saturday, Feb. 14

All Day

Family fun area with play structures, trampoline, and more! (provided by PlayN Wisconsin)

All Day

Write or draw your own wonders on The Wonder Wall (Supported by PBS Wisconsin)

All Day

Make Slime and Dirt Cups with Urban Triage
Urban Triage is a Black-led nonprofit organization focused on advancing equity, housing stability, and community wellness. During this event, their team will engage children in interactive, hands-on activities designed to encourage creativity, curiosity, and fun.

9 AM – 5 PM

The Dane County Trash Lab is a mobile education experience housed in an upcycled cargo trailer. This imaginative exhibit was created in 2021 in collaboration with the Madison Children’s Museum to encourage individuals of all ages to rethink our relationship with waste, protect our environment and redesign our production and waste systems. Visitors to the Trash Lab can connect with information about Dane County’s landfill design, recycling and renewable energy programs through over ten interactive learning stations. The Trash Lab is wheelchair accessible and Spanish language materials are available.

10 – 10:30 AM

Storytime with Amy Dean and Vassi Slavova, creators of The Culinary Kid Children’s Book Series
The Culinary Kid series shows children that fruits and vegetables from the garden can be delicious, teaches where food comes from, and how simple ingredients come together to make a yummy meal. Each book includes a kid-friendly recipe and supports community gardens across the United States, so young readers can learn, garden, cook, and give back.

10 AM – Noon

Ignite your curiosity with PBS Wisconsin Education
Discover if your sense of smell is as powerful as a bee? Write or draw your own wonders on The Wonder Wall. On Saturday, create a Hydro Head with cool teachers from Sauk Prairie Schools. Learn about how their students garden all year long!

10 AM – 1 PM

Bugs and Biofuels
Join the Wisconsin Energy Institute to learn about the connection between insects and bioenergy! Model a butterfly’s life cycle with pasta, uncover what your “breakfast without bees” would be, and simulate growing biofuel fields and battle hungry caterpillars. 

10:30 – 11 AM

Meet PBS KIDS Daniel Tiger

11:30 AM – Noon

Storytime with Amy Dean and Vassi Slavova, creators of The Culinary Kid Children’s Book Series
The Culinary Kid series shows children that fruits and vegetables from the garden can be delicious, teaches where food comes from, and how simple ingredients come together to make a yummy meal. Each book includes a kid-friendly recipe and supports community gardens across the United States, so young readers can learn, garden, cook, and give back.

Noon – 12:30 PM

Meet PBS KIDS Daniel Tiger

1 -1:30 PM

Meet PBS KIDS Daniel Tiger

2 – 3 PM

Sound Scape Exploration with The Awakened Center
Explore the world of sound vibration through the lens of Tibetan singing bowls and other instruments in this interactive and experiential presentation. Participants will hear and feel the vibrations of these instruments and be guided in a centering for inner peace and wellness. This is a perfect introduction to a mindfulness practice of being in the present moment and calming the mind and body. Come explore with Krista of The Awakened Center!

3 – 3:30 PM

Storytime with Amy Dean and Vassi Slavova, creators of The Culinary Kid Children’s Book Series
The Culinary Kid series shows children that fruits and vegetables from the garden can be delicious, teaches where food comes from, and how simple ingredients come together to make a yummy meal. Each book includes a kid-friendly recipe and supports community gardens across the United States, so young readers can learn, garden, cook, and give back.

Sunday, Feb. 15

All Day

Family fun area with play structures, trampoline, and more! (provided by PlayN Wisconsin)

All Day

Write or draw your own wonders on The Wonder Wall (Supported by PBS Wisconsin)

All Day

The Dane County Trash Lab is a mobile education experience housed in an upcycled cargo trailer. This imaginative exhibit was created in 2021 in collaboration with the Madison Children’s Museum to encourage individuals of all ages to rethink our relationship with waste, protect our environment and redesign our production and waste systems. Visitors to the Trash Lab can connect with information about Dane County’s landfill design, recycling and renewable energy programs through over ten interactive learning stations. The Trash Lab is wheelchair accessible and Spanish language materials are available.

10 AM – 12 PM

Ignite your curiosity with PBS Wisconsin Education
Discover if your sense of smell is as powerful as a bee and design a spring-y flower that a bee would like to visit.

10:30 – 11 AM

Meet PBS KIDS Daniel Tiger

11:30 AM – Noon

Meet PBS KIDS Daniel Tiger

Noon – 12:30 PM

Mindful Movement with Kristin Johnson Bott of Mindful Wellness

12:45 – 1:15 PM

Meet PBS KIDS Daniel Tiger

Educational Presentations

The following presentations relating to kids will also take place during the 2026 Garden & Green Living Expo:

Seeds in Soil: Finding Your Roots

Saturday, Feb. 14 at 10:30 a.m. in Mendota 5
Susan Apps-Bodilly, Wisconsin Historical Society Press

Gardening has been part of the Apps family tradition for many years. Susan will describe how your family can grow together as described in her book, “Seeds in Soil: Planting a Garden and Finding Your Roots,” published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

 

School Gardens: Growing the Next Generation of Gardeners

Saturday, Feb. 14 at 3:45 p.m. in Monona/Wingra and Sunday, Feb. 15 at 10:30 a.m. in Monona/Wingra
Tracey Rush and Jamie Easley, Dubuque Community School District

Learn the details on how to start a school garden, including getting support, organizing a school garden club, hosting a plant sale and more! Veteran teachers and school gardeners will share their experiences from planning to planting, to harvesting with kids. Learn what works and what doesn’t, as well as why every school should have a garden and how to convince doubting administrators. Presentation Level: Intermediate

Can’t Join us In-person? We are Online!

Go on an adventure to PBS KIDS Virtual Backyard! Cultivate a love for gardening with your entire family in PBS KIDS Backyard! Explore a variety of educational gardening activities like learning how plants grow, how to make a wild bee hotel and you can play online gardening games. Be sure to check out additional educational resources from PBS Wisconsin Education.