.: Today in Science: Spring Equinox

What is the Spring Equinox?

Technically stated, equinoxes occur when the Earth’s axis is tilted neither away from nor towards the sun and happens once in the spring and again in the fall. Unlike the winter and summer solstice when we see our longest and shortest days, the equinoxes are special in that our day is split evenly between dark and light.

This can be a hard concept to illustrate to young children, let alone adults, but this graphic from Our Amazing Planet provides an easy-to-digest visual of what's really going on.

Culturally, today's equinox also marks the first official day of spring!

For many in the U.S., this has been a long, cold winter (hush, Florida!) and today is a reason to celebrate, even if you're one of the unlucky few with snowflakes swirling outside your windows this morning.

Whatever today's forecast is where you live, the equinox provides a good excuse to get outside, get some fresh air, and celebrate the changing of the seasons. Below is just a brief list to get you started.

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Ways to mark the Equinox with young children

Go on a nature walk. Dust off your hiking boots, grab a jacket, and get outside! Take along a notebook and plan a quick scavenger hunt. You could encourage your kids to find items matching all the colors on the rainbow or ask them to listen for sounds -- a bird chirp, an insect buzz, moving water. If your children are old enough, consider handing them a small camera or camera phone for a couple of minutes and allow them to capture their finds with photographs. This is an easy way to make the scavenger hunt more fun for today's tech-connected youth, while also teaching your children that one way to respect nature is to leave it untouched.

Balance an egg on its end. Wait, can you really do that or is it an urban myth? Set up a science experiment on your kitchen counter and find out! Walk your little ones through the scientific method and discover the truth together. Parents, has it been a while since you've thought about the scientific method? No worries -- here's a quick cheat sheet.

Ask a Question -- Can you balance an egg on its end on the equinox?
Do Background Research -- If you have time, swing by your local library and ask your librarian for help. It's never too early to teach kids about the value of their library staff. If you're short on time, pull out your smart phone and do some quick internet searches with your kiddo in your lap.
Construct a Hypothesis -- What does your child think? Ask them to make a guess on whether it will work.
Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment -- Try it for yourself! Try balancing the egg on its large end and small end. Try different sized eggs (if you have them) and try it on different surfaces.
Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion -- What happened?
Record Your Results -- Draw a picture to record what you learned!

Plant something! What kid doesn't love dirt? Swing by your local garden center and pick up some seeds. Your local grocery store may even stock some at this time of year. You can go fancy or simple on this one, but all you'll really need are a couple of seeds, some soil, and a container. You can use en existing window box or indoor herb garden or empty an egg carton from your fridge and start your seedlings there. You can grow something decorative like a flower or something edible like an herb or vegetable. It's up to you! Talk about the process with your children -- explain that plants all start from seeds and that they'll need food, water, and care in order to grow strong and healthy. Much like them! If your child is old enough, put them in charge of their new plant. You can create a simple chart to hang on the refrigerator, reminding them to water the plant and make sure it's in a sunny place. Each time they complete their task, they can check off the day or add a sticker. You can also track data, measuring the plant's growth as it starts to sprout.

Whatever you do today, make sure you step outside and take a good, deep breath of fresh air. Spring is on its way!