Each spring, we inspire Active Badgers everywhere to get up, get outside, and get moving. Inspired by National Recreational Sports and Fitness Day, Active Badger Day is a full day of opportunities to play hard, get fit, and live well.
Past activities have included healthy meals at campus dining halls, tennis clinics, group fitness around campus, wellbeing workshops, fun activities in our Teaching Kitchen, and more.
March 5, 2026
2026 Schedule
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All Day: Active Badger Meals
University Housing Dining is keeping you fueled with delicious food all day. Stop by Gordon Avenue or Four Lakes Markets all day for healthy, protein packed items for each meal period.
Menu
- Breakfast: Avocado Toast, Blue Banana Smoothie, Mahnomen Porridge, and Scrambled Egg Whites
- Lunch: Miso Cod, Spicy Sweet Potatoes and Quinoa, Green Beans with blistered peppers & shallots
- Dinner: Curry Stew & Basmati Rice, Wheat Berry Pilaf, Ginger Glazed Salmon, Swiss Chard & Roasted Root Vegetables
All Day: Free Group Fitness Classes
Location: Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center and Nicholas Recreation Center
Group fitness is on us for Active Badger Day! Enjoy free walk-in classes all day at both of our facilities. Spots are available on first come, first serve basis. Check out our schedule below.
Try Shake Smart's Most Popular Shakes!
Location: Shake Smart in Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center
Have you been dying to try some delicious, protein-packed shakes at Bakke? Now’s your chance! Shake Smart will be sampling their most popular shakes! So stop on over, grab a sample or two!
6:30 - 7:30am: Free Masters Swim
Location: Cove Pool at the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center
Come try out our Masters Swim program without purchasing a pass! Enjoy the benefits of swimming with the support of a coach and a welcoming community.
Rec Well Membership required.
6:30 - 8am: Taekwondo Sport Club Open Practice
Location: Spark Studio at the Nicholas Recreation Center
Join the Taekwondo sport club at an open practice and see what their club is all about! This event is open to all students. Check out the Taekwondo club Instagram for more information!
9:30am - 4pm: Follow the Trail, Discover the Prize
Location: start at the ALPs office at 333 East Campus Mall, room 3125
More event information to come!
10am - Noon: HSLC Tabling Sessions
Location: Health Science Learning Center – Atrium
Want to learn more about a Rec Well program? Come visit us at our resource tables! We will have representatives from our program areas excited to talk to you and get you more involved as an Active Badger. We’ll have fun giveaways too!
11am - 1pm: Dining Hall Tabling Sessions
Locations: Gordon Dining and Dejope Residence Hall
Want to learn more about a Rec Well program? Come visit us at our resource tables! We will have representatives from our program areas excited to talk to you and get you more involved as an Active Badger. We’ll have fun giveaways too!
11:30am - 1:30pm: Business School Tabling Sessions
Location: Grainger Hall – West Atrium
Want to learn more about a Rec Well program? Come visit us at our resource tables! We will have representatives from our program areas excited to talk to you and get you more involved as an Active Badger. We’ll have fun giveaways too!
We will also have Business School Success coaches there to share about their program!
Noon - 1pm: Facility Tours with the Disability Cultural Center
Location: Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center and Nicholas Recreation Center
Join us for tours of our buildings and see everything we have to offer, for all abilities!
Noon - 1:15pm: Active Badger Day Tennis Clinic
Location: Nielsen Tennis Stadium
This tennis skill clinic is designed for players looking for a beginner friendly introduction to the fundamentals to tennis. This clinic is free for students and Rec Well members and $28 for community members.
Registration is required and can be done here.
Noon - 1:30pm: Exploring Mindfulness in Nature
Location: Outdoors! Begin at the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center
2 - 3:30pm: Free Public Skate
Location: Sub-Zero Ice Rink at the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center
Drop by for some free ice skating! No skate pass required, skate rental will be available.
2 - 4pm: Floor Curling at OSAS
Location: Office of Student Assistance and Support in Bascom Hall
Want to be a part of our Active Badger takeover at Bascom? Join us for floor curling! We will be taking over the halls for some fun with other faculty and staff, and any students that would like to stop by!
3 - 5pm: Work Where You Shine Tabling
Location: Lobby at the Red Gym
Interested in working at Rec Well? Stop by the Red Gym lobby to find out more about upcoming student employment opportunities and how you can work where you shine here!
4 - 4:30pm: Meditation at Chazen
Location: Chazen Museum of Art
Join us for meditation with a calming backdrop – a gallery at the Chazen. This a free session and is open to the community.
4 - 5:30pm: Leadership in Action with ALPs
Location: 4th floor Multipurpose room in the SAC at 333 East Campus Mall
ALPs is hosting a workshop focused on learning your leadership style and actively engaging in team challenges to practice that knowledge. The workshop is free for students! Gather some friends to come learn about yourself (and others) in a fun environment.
4 - 6pm: Field Hockey Sport Club Open Practice
Location: Courts 3 & 4 at the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center
Join the Field Hockey sport club at an open practice and see what their club is all about! This event is open to all students. Check out the Field Hockey club Instagram for more information!
4 - 7pm: Bowling, Arcade Games, & Jackbox Games at the Sett
Location: Sett Recreation at Union South
Head down to the Sett for bowling and gaming with your buddies! Prizes will be given to the highest score each hour, and attendees can choose between an Active Badger t-shirt or Rec Well performance socks, while supplies last.
4:30 - 6pm: Open Gym at Eagle Heights
Location: Eagle Heights Community Center
Join us for Active Badger Day at Eagle Heights!
Bring the whole family for an afternoon of movement, exploration, and fun. Kids can jump right into a variety of engaging activity stations designed to get them active and smiling, while Rec Well staff will be on-site to share information and answer questions about our Youth Program offerings.
It’s the perfect chance to discover new activities, meet our team, and celebrate what it means to be an Active Badger. Come play, learn, and get moving with us!
5 - 7pm: PEAK Climbing Night
Location: Esports Room & Mt. Mendota at the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center
Join us for a night of climbing fun! Play 12 player PEAK, a game about a group of boy scouts climbing a mountain together, and do so while getting the opportunity to climb Mt. Mendota! Food and prizes will be available for participants. Registration is encouraged!
5 - 8pm: The Wellness Social: Enriching Connection and Community
Location: The Well at Union South
Join Rec Well and WUD Wellness for create-your-own diamond art coasters, board games, puzzles, origami, free pizza, mocktails, and more!
Come solo to cultivate new connections or bring a friend at this drop in event. Registration isn’t required but is encouraged.
5:30 - 7pm: Teaching Kitchen Open House
Location: Wolf Teaching Kitchen at the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center
Celebrate Active Badger Day at Wolf Teaching Kitchen. Drop-in anytime between 5:30 – 7pm for activities and to taste our seasonal food of choice — citrus!
7:30 - 9:30pm: New Climbers Night
Location: Mt. Mendota at the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center
New to climbing and want to learn the basics? Mt. Mendota’s First Time Climb Event is an opportunity for people who want to begin their climbing journey to learn and be encouraged.These free, registration only events will feature several climbing instructors who are ready to teach you what you want to know!
8:30 - 10pm: Swim Sport Club Open Practice
Location: Soderholm Family Aquatic Center at the Nicholas Recreation Center
Join the Swim sport club at an open practice and see what their club is all about! This event is open to all students. Check out the Swim club Instagram for more information!
10pm - Midnight: Women's Rugby Sport Club Open Practice
Location: Courts 3 & 4 at the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center
Join the Women’s Rugby sport club at an open practice and see what their club is all about! This event is open to all students. Check out the Women’s Rugby club Instagram for more information!
10pm - Midnight: Cricket Sport Club Open Practice
Location: Courts 1 & 2 at the Nicholas Recreation Center
Join the Cricket sport club at an open practice and see what their club is all about! This event is open to all students. Check out the Swim club Instagram for more information!
Thank You to Our Partners
Shout out to our friends on campus and in the community for making Active Badger Day the best way to spend a Thursday.
Accommodation Requests
If you need an accommodation to attend this event, email accommodations@recwell.wisc.edu. All accommodation requests should be made no less than two weeks before the event. We will attempt to fulfill requests made after this date but cannot guarantee they will be met.