With paint on her hands, 3-year-old Jahayza Choat whispered her favorite part of Make it Grow on Saturday was leaf printing.
Jahayza's mom, Melissa Choat of Leslie, said she visited the Impression 5 Science Center, 200 Museum Drive, when she was younger, and it was her daughter's first time visiting.
"(My daughter) is only 3, so it's really great that it's hands-on," Choat said.
Make it Grow is one of the Center's weekly themed activities, which allowed museum attendees to make their own nature inspired items.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Saturday, the Center features different science themes including forensic science, chemistry and environmental science.
"It gives a chance to explore different fields of science," said Jessica Martinson, MSU alumna and interpretive programs specialist at the Center.
Participants made edible, starter herb gardens in small egg cartons and natural stamps from leaves dipped in paint. Museum-goers also saw natural color change by putting celery stalks in colored water and watched them change colors.
Winter serves as the Center's busiest season, and during the summer the it has a decrease in attendance because of the nice weather.
"The weather really helps us - if it's too bad to be outside, but not too bad to drive, then we have high attendance," Martinson said, adding that the rain Saturday morning probably increased the museum's attendance.
As employees noticed high weekend attendance, it led them to start a day dedicated to hands-on science - thus the birth of Super Saturday.
"Someone randomly said 'It'll be a super Saturday,' and it just stuck," said Martinson, who added that the Super Saturday activities have been around for about five years.
The success of Super Saturdays led the Center to start Scientific Sundays, another opportunity for the general public to gain more information about science. Scientific Sundays' exhibits answer questions asked by museum-goers.
The Center heavily relies on volunteers, said Nancy Perez, the Center's interpretive programs coordinator. During the school year, MSU and LCC students make up most of the volunteers, but officials are also seeking teens.
"Volunteers really make the Super Saturdays," Perez said.
