We’re excited to share that the Morgridge Family Foundation has generously pledged a $50,000 matching gift to support our Annual Appeal! This gift means that every dollar donated to the Annual Appeal will be doubled, amplifying the impact you can make on our programs, community initiatives, and inclusive, play-based learning experiences we provide for children and their families.
“We are incredibly thankful to the Morgridge Family Foundation for their matching challenge and continued support of our mission,” said Oliver Zornow, President of the BFK. “Their generosity will amplify the impact of other supporters, helping strengthen our ability to serve families and build momentum for the future of play-based learning in our community.”
The Morgridge Family Foundation invests in organizations that reimagine solutions to some of today’s most significant challenges and has supported hundreds of projects through its innovative, hands-on approach to philanthropy.
Michelle Morgridge and Nate Angell, active leaders for the Foundation who focus on strengthening community with strategic funding decisions, recognized the value of the play-based learning opportunities provided by the BFK when they visited with their two young sons.
“Our family has deep ties to Wisconsin,” said Michelle. “And we love how the Building for Kids brings so much joy to kids and families through play-based activities in the arts and sciences.”
Nate added, “Making a matching gift is not only a great way to support an organization, but also to signal our confidence so others also will join in. There’s nothing like momentum to ensure success.”
You can participate in the matching challenge by making a gift to the Annual Appeal between now and December 31, 2025. Every donation during this period will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000. Learn more about our Annual Appeal or make a donation at https://www.buildingforkids.org/support-our-mission/
We have an exciting lineup of storybook stars coming to visit the BFK this fall! Once per month, we host character events that include pizza, after-hours playtime, storytimes, themed activities, and plenty of photo opportunities with a famous storybook character. Our fall events include:
October: PJ Party with Llama Llama
November: Pizza with Pigeon
December: Pizza with the Grinch
For the first time, we are also hosting sensory-friendly character events! These are free for families in the autism community and include everything above but in a lower-sensory environment. You can expect dimmer lighting, no music, loud exhibits turned off, and an opportunity to meet the character in a separate, designated space.
We’re excited to dedicate the month of September to celebrating our incredible members!
Our members are at the very heart of the Building for Kids. Every visit and moment of discovery is enriched because of all the families who choose to be a part of the BFK community. You bring energy, curiosity, and joy into our spaces, and your support allows us to grow, innovate, and continue to create valuable experiences for kids and their grown-ups.
As our way of saying thank you, we’re launching Member Appreciation Month, a month of exclusive deals, events, and hours just for members. Here are all the ways you can take part in the celebrations:
Membership Renewal Bonus: During September, members who renew their membership will receive 14 months for the price of 12! Your renewal will extend your current expiration date by 14 months, so everyone can take advantage of this offer regardless of their current expiration date. Renew your membership in person, over the phone at 920-734-3226, or online, and we will apply the additional two months.
Exclusive, Member Evening Hours: Throughout September, members will enjoy more opportunities for evening play at the BFK! Every Tuesday in September, we’ll be open exclusively to members from 4 – 6pm, in addition to our regular member morning hours.
Member Gift Shop Discounts:All month long, members will receive 20% off any gift shop items. From BFK merchandise to hands-on educational toys, our gift shop is filled with items you won’t find anywhere else. Learn more about our gift shop here.
Members-Only Preview Night: The Amazing Castle: All members are invited to explore our new traveling exhibit, The Amazing Castle, before it opens to the public! Be one of the first to check out the exhibit and enjoy exclusive, after-hours playtime during this free members-only event taking place on September 19 from 5 – 7pm. Register here!
Member Appreciation Month’s exclusive offers will run from September 1 – September 30. If you’re a member with us, we hope you will take part in all the celebrations dedicated to you. If you’re not already a member, we would love for you to join the BFK community! Learn more about membership here.
The Building for Kids is excited to be opening new traveling exhibit, The Amazing Castle™, on Sunday, September 21!
In this exhibit, families will be immersed in a magical castle village, learning what it’s like to be a part of a medieval community. Featuring costumes, props, and everyday roles in a medieval society, The Amazing Castle encourages role-playing and collaboration as kids and their grown-ups work side by side to build a thriving village.
Become a tailor, carpenter, or blacksmith in the Royal Workshops; gather vegetables from the garden; and prepare a hearty stew in the Great Hall. Plus, don’t forget to solve the puzzle to wake Herald, the sleeping dragon, atop his tower!
In celebration of this exhibit, we’re also offering a variety themed events and opportunities:
Member Preview Night: On September 19, members are invited to be among the first to explore The Amazing Castle, with this after-hours event exclusively for members.
Royal Birthday Parties: From September 27 – January 4, you can book a Royal Birthday Party to have a castle-themed party experience.
Night at the Castle: On October 4 – 5 we’re hosting a lock-in at the BFK! During this overnight event, we’ll have dinner and themed activities before you can find a cozy spot to sleep for the night.
The Amazing Castle traveling exhibit will be open until January 4, 2025. It will be in our Exhibit Gallery located near Station 99 and Construction Junction.
We look forward to embarking on medieval adventures with you!
You’re invited to participate in the 16th Annual BFK Children’s Parade, presented by ThedaCare, on July 23!
Get your crew, costumes, and creativity ready because the BFK Children’s Parade is returning on Wednesday, July 23! During this annual tradition all about celebrating the kids in our community, families and groups stroll through downtown Appleton in themed costumes and non-motorized floats (bikes, wagons, strollers). Gather your family and friends, or form a group from your school, daycare, work, business, or organization, and start brainstorming your theme. Common themes include superheroes, sports teams, characters from your favorite movie, or repurposed Halloween costumes. Keep your theme simple or get as creative as you’d like. A panel of judges will be awarding trophies for creativity, imagination, and confidence.
The parade kicks off at 6pm. Participants are welcome to arrive at Houdini Plaza between 5:50 – 6:15pm and will be sent down College Avenue in waves.
After the parade, join us in City Park for free activities, entertainment, and the award ceremony. Grab dinner from one of the food trucks provided by the Fox Valley Food Truck Association and enjoy a trolley ride back to Houdini Plaza at the end of the night!
This is a free event, but registration is required. We’ll see you there!
The BFK Children’s Parade, presented by ThedaCare, is one of the signature events of U.S. Venture Children’s Week. This community-wide celebration of kids will take place July 20 – 26 and offers a week full of free or reduced-cost activities for the whole family.
As school wraps up and summer begins, the Building for Kids is excited to add Mondays to our hours of operation! Starting June 2 and continuing through the end of August, we’ll be open every day of the week from 9am – 4pm, giving your family even more opportunities to visit us and enjoy our play-based learning experiences.
The BFK is a great way to keep your child engaged and learning while they are out of school for the summer. Our exhibits and activities spark curiosity and creativity, allowing kids to learn through play without even realizing it. Plus, our rotating daily activities, engaging events, and two-floors of hands-on exhibits ensure that there’s always something new and exciting for kids (and their grown-ups) to explore with each visit. Check out our Activities & Events Calendar here.
Designed to better support the autism community and those with sensory sensitivities, we recently opened a brand-new quiet room called the Space Station! The room, now equipped with a fresh coat of paint, updated lighting, new furniture, and enhanced self-regulation tools, embodies a space theme throughout it. The space theme carries dual significance, using the tranquil imagery of outer space to provide a retreat for children and their families who need “space” from the stimulating environment of our museum.
Additionally, to better accommodate sensory-related needs beyond the updated room, we are also introducing mini “Space Stations” at various locations. These mini space stations feature bags containing self-regulation tools such as noise-cancelling headphones, sunglasses, and various fidgets. Families can now more easily and efficiently address sensory needs, regardless of where they are in the museum.
This project supports our mission to make the Building for Kids an inclusive place where all families can thrive and is one of the several ways we work towards ensuring the autism community is supported in our museum.
We’re thrilled to bring back our Summer Explorer Camps for 2025 with some exciting changes!
Similar to last year, Summer Explorer Camp will run throughout July and August and will continue to provide children with an unforgettable experience, blending hands-on learning, social engagement, and free play. Additionally, we will continue to explore weekly themes that cater to every interest — from visual arts and robotics to food and music!
New this year, is we have extended the camp week to include Mondays, providing a full week of play-based learning. Camps now run Monday – Fridays, with half-day and full-day options available for 4K – 4th grade. Additionally, due to popular demand, Summer Explorer Camps are now exclusively open to BFK members. If you’re not a member yet, we’re always happy to help you set up your membership so you can join us!
Our Summer Explorers leave the experience with new friends, new skills, and an increased readiness for the new school year. Spots are filling up fast, so register today to ensure your child’s spot!
Introducing Building for Grown-Ups, our 2025 series of adult-only nights at the BFK! We’re kicking off this series with Building for Grown-Ups: Agents + Aliases, a spy-themed event taking place on Saturday, February 1 from 6 – 9pm.
During this night of espionage and excitement, you’ll get to feel like a kid again as you explore our exhibits and participate in a variety of spy-themed activities! Test your knowledge in spy-themed trivia, become a detective as you take part in a QR code scavenger hunt, unlock your creativity at the build-your-own gadget station in The Studio, and write secret messages with invisible ink in The Lab. A DJ and dance party, snacks, and a cash bar will also be available as you explore the activities and exhibits!
For participating in the activities, you’ll earn raffle tickets to enter for a chance to win some amazing prizes, among them being tickets to our next Building for Grown-Ups event. You’ll also want to dress up as an undercover agent for this event to earn a bonus raffle ticket!
If you can’t make it to Agents + Aliases, stay tuned for information about our next Building for Grown-Ups events! We’ll be hosting two more later in the year in August and November. We would love to have you join us for these events that are all about letting loose and unleashing your inner child!
Building for Grown-Ups costs $20 per person and is for ages 21+. Please note that an ID will be required at check in.
From parks and recreation centers to schools and nonprofits, we have so many wonderful places to be grateful for in our community. But all of these places, including the Building for Kids itself, wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for those who decided that they were going to “make it happen” through their hard work, planning, executing, fundraising, and generosity.
At the Building for Kids, we want to empower children to recognize what they value in our community, and to believe that they too “can make it happen!” But how do we teach kids that they have the power to help build the community that they want to live in and make an impact on what matters to them?
Introducing the BFK Impact Crew! Through facilitated programming opportunities and engaging milestone challenges, we aim to inspire the next generation of community change makers.
Children involved in Impact Crew get their own fundraising pages to raise money for the BFK. They will have the opportunity to earn exciting prizes for the following milestones along the way:
Raise $50 and get a special-edition Impact Crew baseball cap.
Raise $100 and expand your Impact Crew swag collection with a t-shirt.
Raise $500 and receive an invitation to a donor reception on Giving Tuesday at the BFK.
Raise $1,000 and receive an invite to an overnight Impact Crew family lock-in at the BFK!
Not only can they earn fun prizes, but they will also take away habits of community involvement and a belief that they can make a difference in our community!
Want to be a part of our Impact Crew? You can contribute in the following ways:
Create a Fundraising Page for Your Child
If you want to inspire a change-making attitude in your child, help them join the Impact Crew by creating a fundraising page for them. Simply visit our Impact Crew site and click on “Become a Fundraiser.”
Join the Match Crew
The Match Crew will contribute to a match of funds raised during the campaign. Donate to the match pool by heading to our Impact Crew site and clicking on “Match Crew.”
Donate to a Fundraiser
Choose a child’s story that inspires you and make a donation to their fundraiser. Find a list of fundraisers on our Impact Crew site.
