Celebrating science during the summer

Summer science is different. Like the season itself, it is robust, full of possibilities and just plain fun.

Summer science isn't learned to be checked off or passed on a test. Summer science is there for the simple joy of learning, for the excitement of discovering how your world is put together and how it all works. It can be playful — teasing the senses, encouraging the imagination to bloom. It can be loud and noisy — tapping into the hum of the season with its own cadences and rhythms. It can be as huge as the universe or as teensy as a microscope.

You can find summer science in many places. You can find it in your own back yard — in trees, behind bushes, under rocks.

You can find it in books at the library that suggest simple, fun projects to try and offer up ideas to think about.

You can find it on the road as you travel to museums, parks, canyons and historical sites near and far. You can find it in puddles, lakes, rivers and oceans.

You can also find a lot of organized activities that offer rich servings of summer science. If you're looking for some suggestions for those, here are some possibilities:

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Eccles Community Art Center

What:: Weeklong NASA science camps, including Mad Science, June 11-15; What A Blast, July 16-20; Science Wizards, Aug. 13-17.

Where: 2580 Jefferson Ave., Ogden

When: 9 a.m.-noon

Ages: 5-11

How much: $140

Information/registration: 801-392-6935

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4-H Clubs

What:: Utah State Extension Service oversees more than 100 4-H projects around the state — from the traditional cooking and animal projects to computer science and rockets.

Where: Throughout Utah. Contact your county extension office.

Ages: Children of all ages.