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.

Article for: The Davis Enterprise
Date: December 26, 2003
Author: Vanessa Gregory

BUILDING, BIRDS AND BANJOS

With the holiday rush over, but the kids still at home, the last week of the year is the perfect time for family learning at Explorit Science Center. Explorit's special programs and extended holiday hours are ideal for energetic young scientists looking for entertainment during the winter break.

The fun starts tomorrow with "Construction Craze," a free Family Explorations program that lets children and adults indulge their inner engineers. Use ingenious building materials and a lot of imagination to construct towers, towns, and bridges. "Construction Craze" runs from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Explorit and is sponsored by Davis Waste Removal.

But it's not too late to enroll children in winter classes just for kids.

For the budding naturalists in grades 1-5 Explorit is offering "Bird Bazaar," a class all about the avian world. Participants will take a nature walk to look for feathered friends, explore how birds use their beaks at the "bird bill buffet," learn where birds go in the winter, and make their own bird feeder to take home. Sessions of "Bird Bazaar" are scheduled Monday from 10:00 to noon and 1:00 to 3:00.

"Learning to observe nature is one of the basics of science," says Explorit's education specialist Tabatha Bruce, who will be teaching the program. "Birds are a great animal for kids to start with. And, of course, it's a lot of fun."

Plus, Explorit's on its holiday hours schedule, which means the exhibit hall, is open to the public this Monday 1 to 4:30. "Get a Clue: Solving Mysteries with Science" just opened on December 13. The exhibit focuses on forensic techniques and has been very popular during its debut weeks.

Future laboratory researchers might prefer Tuesday's "Chemistry Creations." It's a class for mixing and measuring and observing chemical reactions.

Little ones, ages 3-5, can experiment with the science of sound in Friday's "Sound and Music." Kids will have the chance to sing - always a favorite with this age group - and create their own instruments.

The musical theme continues for kids of all ages and their parents with "Sonic Soup," Friday's Family Explorations program. Visitors can ring in the new year as they test the sounds from different instruments and make one to take home. This program is also sponsored by Davis Waste Removal.

Classes require registration and are $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers.

The "Sonic Soup" Family Explorations program January 2 is free with a $3 paid museum admission. To register for classes or to request a Winter Science Classes brochure, contact Explorit Science Center at (530) 756-0191.

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Explorit Science Center is at 3141 5th Street in East Davis. The current exhibition is "Get a Clue! Solving Mysteries with Science", which continues through March 7th. Public hours are Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.explorit.org or call Explorit at (530) 756-0191.