This is the place for hands-on science discovery!  The Explorit Science Center in Davis features interactive exhibits, a Discovery Room, and a Wet Lab.  Their mission is to “engage people in science experiments that touch all our lives.”

Whether your kids are already interested in science or you want to get them interested, there is no better place to explore.  My kids are still young and haven’t had any experience with science yet.  We walked in the door and they were instantly in engaged.  They wanted to check out every single fossil in the Discovery Room and know exactly what they were.

We moved on to the interactive exhibits and I was amazed at how Explorit has come up with such fun ways to teach important principles of science.  We learned things like:

What happens to the energy of a moving object.
Which objects fly best.
What happens to your body when you exercise.
How gears work.

To get the most out of it, be prepared to be hands-on right along with your kids.  Each experiment has step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow.  Kids that are over eight may be able to figure them out on their own, but younger kids need help understanding the how and why.  There was a friendly, knowledgeable staff on hand that helped us out when we were a little unsure of how to do something.

Upstairs, we conducted little experiments in the Wet Lab.  My four-year-old loved sending scents through a large tube with a fan and weighing the liquids.  Even as I am writing this post, he is looking at the picture and recalling that he learned “which one was heavier”!  My seven-year-old was in love with the craft room that was filled with recycled materials that she could be creative with.  My two-year-old’s favorite spot was the booth he could sit at and play with plastic molecules.  There was definitely something for everyone!

Check this place out and be prepared for a wonderful combination of fun and learning!

Hours:
Saturdays & Sundays: 11 am - 5 pm (both floors)
Tuesdays: 10 am - 5 pm (first floor only 10-2:00; both floors 2-5:00)

Admission:
General Admission $4.00, Kids 3 and under FREE
*FREE Admission Day is the 3rd Tuesday of each month!
*Admission is FREE on the first weekend of each month to individuals with Bank of America credit or debit cards through the bank’s “Museums on Us” program.

Explorit Science Center
2801 2nd Street
Davis, CA 95618
(530) 756-0191

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Fri, July 23rd - Sun, July 25th

1. Enjoy an enchanting night of dancing and fireworks at THE STRAUSS FESTIVAL of Elk Grove.
2.Sit under the stars to see ALIENS IN THE ATTIC at Gibson Ranch.
3.Watch THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA at the 24th Street Theatre.
4. Examine a 14 foot CROCODILE skin at the Discovery Museum.
5. Laugh along with the PIRATES OF PENZANCE at Civic Theatre West.
6. Last chance to see MONKEY KING: Bollywood Superstar at Fairytale Town.
7. Play games, dance and win prizes at the Central Library’s BACK TO THE BEACH PARTY.
8. Giggle at THE FROG PRINCE by The Fair Oaks Theatre Festival.
9. Picnic at Carmichael’s CONCERT IN THE PARK.
10.Dig for dinosaur fossils and pet jungle creatures at the CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR.

Fri, June 18th - Sun, June 20th

1. Listen to Native American stories under the stars at Maidu’s FAMILY CAMPFIRE.
2. Jump, eat pizza & ice cream at Bounce Spot’s FAMILY BOUNCE NIGHT.
3. See YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN! at Civic Theatre West.
4. Enjoy Curious George STORY TIME at the Arden Faire Barnes & Noble.
5. Create a WOOLY MAMMOTH banner at the Discovery Museum.
6. Laugh at the RILEY THE WILEY RABBIT puppet show in Fairytale Town.
7. Picnic at the POPS IN THE PARK concert in Bertha Henschel Park.
8. Sing and Dance with Elmo in SESAME STREET LIVE at the Arco Arena.
9. Celebrate World Juggling Day and LEARN TO JUGGLE at the McKinley Library.
10. Treat Dad to Free admission at Cal Auto Museum for FATHER’S DAY.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a weekly event called Art Safari that is held at the Valley-Hi North Laguna Library.  It’s presented by the Crocker Art Museum and geared for school-age kids.  You can see the post with the details here.

Last Tuesday we checked it out for ourselves and had a great time!  The theme for the day was animation.  Employees of the Crocker read a story and led two art projects that helped the kids to better understand how animation is created.  The kids were serious about their projects and pleased with their results.   This new library branch is very cute and updated.  I am looking forward to attending Art Safari when the weather is better because the kids are dying to try out the new park in front of the library.  We’ll head over there right after school, play on the playground and then go inside for the activity.  Fun and free!

Art Safari is held every Tuesday at the Valley-Hi North Laguna Library.  Click here for all the details and the bonus is each participant receives a FREE family admission pass to the Crocker Art Museum!

1. Spend hours exploring your creativity at ARTBEAST STUDIO.

2. Get your wiggles out at FUNTASTIC’s indoor playground.

3. Relax and enjoy entertaining activities or storytime at the LIBRARY.

4. Meet up with friends to jump and play at BOUNCETOWN or LAGUNA’S AWESOME PARTY PALACE.

5. Explore the RAILROAD MUSEUM or the DISCOVERY SCIENCE MUSEUM and learn something new.

For more ideas visit my INDOOR page or go to the Indoor Activities category.    Stay Dry!

Stake your claim at the Discovery Museum’s gold panning event this weekend.  Rent a pan for $3 per person and try your luck at finding gems and semi-precious stones to keep!  A real gold miner will show you the ropes and answer gold-hunting questions.  Don’t miss seeing the large gold specimens in their Gee Whiz Geology exhibit, discovered right in this area! Kids 12 and under bring home a gold-panning activity sheet.

When: Saturday, April 10th and Sunday, April 11th;  12:30 - 3:00pm (Museum open 10:00am - 4:30pm)
Where: Discovery Museum, 3615 Auburn Blvd., Sacramento
Cost: Admission for Adults on the weekend $6.00, Kids 4-12 $4.00, 3 and under FREE
Info: Call 575-3942 or click here

Looks like this weekend we’ll need to find our fun indoors!  Here are three great events you may want to check out with the kids…

Prehistoric Fish Prints

Did you know that fish have been around even longer than dinosaurs? Learn about these prehistoric creatures, touch real fish fossils and make a fish print poster to take home.

Where: Discovery Museum Science and Space Center, 3615 Auburn Blvd, Sacramento

When: Saturday, March 6th and Sunday, March 7th; 12:30 - 3pm

Cost: Free with admission: $6 adults, $4 children (4-12), free for age 3 and younger

Info: www.thediscovery.org or 575-3942

Seed Planting Workshop – Flowers

The first seed planting workshop was a huge success!  Come in and pick up your own soil, seed containers, and seeds. Kids get to decorate the containers, and learn how to plant and care for their seedlings.  This is sponsored by Green Acres Nursery of Roseville and Sacramento.

Where: Trailmix.Net - Family Adventure Products in Old Sacramento
116B I Street, Sacramento

When: Saturday, March 6; 1:00-3:00pm
(activity can be done any time between these hours)

Cost: FREE!

Info: www.trailmix.net, facebook.trailmix.net or 888-95-TRAIL

Family Concert with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra

Bring the family to a free concert with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra.  Instrument Petting Zoo at  1 p.m. in the West Meeting Room.  Enjoy a pre-concert program.  See various musical instruments and meet musician ‘zoo keepers’ as they demonstrate how many instruments are played.  Concert at 2 p.m. in the Library Galleria.  The Camellia Symphony Orchestra will present a free concert designed to introduce children and their families to live classical music. The orchestra will be under the direction of guest conductor, Michael Goodwin and features guest artist soprano, Carley Neill.

Where: Central Library, 828 I Street, Sacramento

When: Sunday, March 7th; 1:00 - 3:00pm

Cost: FREE!  (and free parking downtown on Sundays)

Info: www.saclibrary.org or 264-2700

If you’d like more ideas for places to go with your kids in Sacramento that are indoors, check out my INDOOR page here.

It’s here!  One of the most fun days of the year in Sacramento!  This Saturday, February 6th is Sacramento’s 12th Annual Free Museum Day.  The museums will all be open from 10 am to 5pm (last admission at 4pm).

Take advantage and visit museums you’ve never been to or revisit your favorites!

Here’s a list of all of the participating museums:

Aerospace Museum of California
California Automobile Museum
California Foundry History Museum
California State Military Museum
California State Capitol Museum
The California Museum
California State Indian Museum
California State Railroad Museum
Crocker Art Museum
Discovery Museum Science and Space Center
Explorit Science Center (Davis)
Fairytale Town
Folsom History Museum
Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park
Heidrick Ag History Center (Woodland)
Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
Museum of Medical History
Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum
Old Sacramento State Historic Park
Sacramento Zoo
Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
Sacramento History Museum
Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Museum
Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park
Wells Fargo History Museum (Old Sacramento and Downtown locations)

Click here for more details and tips from the Sacramento Museum Guide.

Take advantage of Free Admission to the Crocker Art Museum, courtesy of Target.  This is the perfect opportunity to check it out if you’ve never been there before or go back for more of what you love!  Check out my post here and get a taste of what you and your family can experience.

When: Saturday, November 14th, 10:30 AM-4:30 PM

Where: Crocker Art Museum, 216 O Street, Sacramento

Activities: A docent-led tour at 10:30 AM and 12:00 Noon.

Enjoy “Build It!” discovering the architect within you as you build your own museum with wooden blocks.

Explore a variety of children’s books and enjoy Story Time at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 & 3:30 PM.

An art workshop (creating art-infused pages of your family’s memories with artist Sharon Bloom) will be held from Noon-3 PM.

A dance expert will show you how to use body language, dance and movement to communicate what is depicted in a work of art from 1:30-4:30 PM.

Have a great weekend!

Tomorrow is a  “Target Family Saturday” day at  The California Museum.  This means admission is FREE!

There is a musical theme and families can sing songs in a karaoke lounge, create fun craft instruments, play games, win prizes, and enjoy a variety of live performances that include blues, minstrel, classical, bluegrass and Native American music!

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