There’s slime in these upcoming plans at Stan State in Turlock. See why and when

Science may not be every student’s favorite, but a community event looks to put some fun in the subject.

Maybe a little slime will go a long way to help.

Stanislaus State Science Day will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 14, in the Naraghi Hall of Science and surrounding spaces on the California State University, Stanislaus, campus.

The event is free.

Activities will give kids a chance to not only make slime, but extract DNA, see fossil displays, enjoy telescope viewing and take part in hands-on chemistry demonstrations, according to a press release from the university.

Stanislaus State faculty and students will join with regional science groups “to create hands-on learning experiences for families across the Central Valley,” the release said. “Through interactive experiments and demonstrations, the event introduces young learners to science fields and possible career pathways.”

Along with creating slime – sounds like a kids dream, right? – participants can extract DNA from strawberries, hosted by BEAM Circular. Fossil displays will be from the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology. Other activities are set for presentation by the California Academy of Sciences and some math organizations.

All ages in the community are welcome to attend, with a focus on students from pre-kindergarten to high school, according to university spokesperson Donna Birch Trahan.

“We encourage families to attend, those interested in science or who want to learn more about STEM fields,” Birch Trahan said in an email.

Science Day last year drew about 3,000 attendees, she said.

Kids should take along “a bag to collect all your treasures,” the event website says.

Those treasures include keepsakes from hands-on activities, demonstrations and swag such as pens, notepads, stickers and more, according to Birch Trahan.

Snacks and T-shirts will be available for purchase.

Stanislaus State is at 1 University Circle in Turlock. For more on Science Day, see www.csustan.edu/science/programs/science-day.

Along the same lines ...

Turlock will be the place to be on Saturday. The same weekend will find another science-oriented event: the Turlock Rock & Gem Show at the Stanislaus County Fairground. The show will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 14-15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, put on by the Mother Lode Mineral Society, according to a story in The Bee. While it’s for all ages, it also has educational opportunities for children. So families can hit two for the price of one — literally, since Science Day is free. The rock and gem show will offer real fossils and replicas that can be held, with others on exhibit; megalodon teeth replicas, with real ones on display; dinosaur claw replicas; marine fossils; a fluorescent room; a variety of rocks and crystals; and more. There also will be a moving velociraptor, which should arrive at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. both days. Admission to the rock and gem show is $8, free ages 12 and under with a paid adult. It’s set for county fairgrounds at 900 N. Broadway. For more on this event, see motherlodemineralsociety.com.