好奇宝宝
Raising curious, bilingual, multicultural kids — one playful afternoon at a time. After-school Mandarin and Chinese culture in Middleton and Madison.
Mandarin that feels like play — plus real-world adventures that bring the language to life.
Kids build real Mandarin skills through games, songs, stories and hands-on crafts — and have so much fun they forget they're learning.
A day of wandering through shops in Chinatown and enjoying dim sum together, while kids practice their Mandarin with locals.
The adventure of a lifetime: two weeks of language, food, history and friendship in one of the world's most exciting cities.
Curious Kids welcomes every family who wants their child to grow up curious about the world.
All elementary school–aged kids are welcome!
Young kids are natural language learners. They soak up new sounds, mimic tones without fear, and pick up words through play. That's why we focus on elementary schools as the home for our program.
Most kids don't get to study a world language until middle or high school. We believe in starting earlier, while learning a new language still feels like a game.
Beginners are kids who are brand new to Mandarin — maybe nobody speaks it at home, and that's perfectly okay. We start from the very basics: sounds, tones, greetings and everyday words, all through play.
Heritage speakers are kids who hear Mandarin or another Chinese language at home. Many understand more than they say! We help them build confidence speaking, grow their vocabulary and start reading characters, on a faster track.
Both are warmly welcome — everyone learns from each other.
We kick off with a snack and friendly Chinese conversation with friends — the perfect way to unwind after the school day.
Hands-on, movement-filled learning: singing Chinese children's songs and rhymes, playing 老师说 (lǎo shī shuō, our version of Simon Says), picture-book story time, brush calligraphy, paper-cutting, and seasonal crafts like lanterns for Lunar New Year.
Pick up anytime between 4:45 and 5:10 PM, right outside your child's local elementary school. 再见 (zài jiàn) — see you next time!
$250 / month
Our program is priced to be affordable for families at $35 an afternoon, or $14/hr for quality instruction.
你好 (nǐ hǎo)! I'm a mom raising my bilingual, bicultural sons Oliver 安安 and Theo 晨晨 in Middleton. I wanted to build a community with other families who want to raise curious kids and give them the chance to explore a new language really early on.
I grew up speaking Chinese and earned my bachelor's degree in Chinese Language and Literature from UW-Madison. This opened doors for me to work in diverse roles at technology companies. In Seattle I also briefly ran a food tour company where I loved helping people discover new cultures through shared meals, history, and exploring hidden neighborhoods.
Curious Kids is a way to bring the world to your kids, and I can't wait to meet your family!
For all of my Northside friends, Go Dolphins! 🐬
Warm, experienced educators who make Mandarin fun.
![Portrait of Curious Kids teacher [TEACHER NAME]](images/teacher-1.svg)
Mandarin Teacher
[TEACHER BIO — 2–4 sentences: teaching background, where they grew up, what they love about working with kids, a fun fact.]
![Portrait of Curious Kids teacher [TEACHER NAME]](images/teacher-2.svg)
Mandarin Teacher
[TEACHER BIO — 2–4 sentences: teaching background, where they grew up, what they love about working with kids, a fun fact.]
[PARENT QUOTE 1 — e.g. "My daughter comes home singing in Mandarin every Tuesday!"]
[PARENT QUOTE 2]
Curious Kids is for all elementary school–aged kids.
Not at all! Plenty of our kids start with zero Mandarin, and we'll teach them all the basics — sounds, tones, greetings and everyday words — through games, songs and crafts. No Mandarin at home? No problem.
Heritage learners who already hear Mandarin at home will move along a faster track, building confidence speaking and starting to read characters.
[SNACK ANSWER — what's served and how you handle allergies]
Classes are small — about 12 kids max — so every child gets plenty of attention and lots of chances to speak.
Yes. All of our teachers are background-checked.
You can request a refund for any remaining sessions with 2 weeks' advance notice.
Traveling? Families who travel can request refunds for the dates they'll be away, with advance notice.