This page contains the material submitted to the local paper - The Davis Enterprise - for Explorit Science Center's news column published in that paper on Fridays.

What do robots, eggs and sunrises have in common? If you said they are signs of spring at Explorit, you’d be correct (and you’d be a good guesser!).

Explorit Science Center is offering a full week of science for kids (and even a day for the whole family) during the week of Apr. 1-5.

Jessica Ruskin, program director at Explorit Science Center, noted a new trend in Explorit’s science classes—the drop-in program. “We were so pleased with the interest in the drop-on program during the winter break that we’re bringing it back during the spring break,” Ruskin said.

In addition to four days of classes where preregistration is necessary, Explorit is also offering a one day drop-in program.

On Thursday, Apr. 4, children and parents can stop by Explorit between 2 and 4 p.m. to investigate a variety of hands-on activities in “Exploring Robotics.” Visit the current exhibition “Insides Out: How Your Body Works” and explore the world of robotics all for one admission fee.

Registration for the classes begins March 6. Call Explorit at (530) 756-019 and ask to have a Spring Science Classes brochure mailed to you.

Youngsters in kindergarten can get in touch with their inner scientist on Monday, Apr. 1 in the class “Digging for Dinosaurs.” They’ll learn about different kinds of dinosaurs and the animals around today that descend from these mighty reptiles.

Kindergartners will also be eligible to enroll in “Edible Chemistry” on Wednesday, Apr. 3. What can be more fun than eating your science experiments?

Children in grades 3-5 can get in the springtime spirit with “Science Eggsitement” on Tuesday, Apr. 2. Activities will include a camouflage egg hunt and egg dying. On Friday, Apr. 5, they can experiment with the physics of flight and make their own kite in “Go Fly a Kite!”

All of the above classes are available for children in grades 1-2. Classes are two hours in length. Fees are $15 or $12 for members.

The spring classes help explain the connection to robots and eggs, but what about the sunrise?

On Wednesday, March 20, spring begins. The length of day and night are exactly the same, 12 hours. And that’s the same all over the globe.

As the earth moves along its orbit around the sun, the lengths of the days change. From March to September, those of us in the northern hemisphere have longer days than nights, while those in the southern hemisphere have shorter days and longer nights. The length of the day is the same—or equal—as the length of the night on the spring and vernal equinoxes.

Here’s another springtime tidbit: you can check your compass on the equinox. On the first day of spring the sun rises exactly due east and sets due west.

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