The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences' new special exhibit on chocolate, which opens Saturday, is probably best for kids ages 5 and up. It traces the history of the sweet treat and draws connections between that chocolate Easter Bunny that might still be lingering in the basket and the rainforest where chocolate originates.

But the staff at the natural sciences museum has created a whole slew of hands-on activities as part of the exhibit in a space next door where even younger kids can find something geared to them.

The room sits inside the special exhibit gallery and is hard to distinguish from the rest of the exhibit.

For the youngest kids, there's a collection of rainforest- and chocolate-themed books and a couple of puzzles with pieces big enough for small hands.

A large-screen television will show mostly documentaries on the rainforest. And large plush animals decorate the walls (Warning: the cute parrot and other animals are for sale in the gift shop). And there is a collection of mounted birds that live both in North Carolina and the rainforest.

The space also includes "Eco Memory Match," a kind of memory game where players match up cards with different rainforest animals and plants that are part of the life cycle of the chocolate tree.

Visitors can learn about the web of life in the rainforest by connecting animals and plants that live around the chocolate tree in "Cacao Connections." Another section reinforces the relationship between the rainforest and chocolate.

Every visitor to the exhibit gets a chocolate sample. And the museum is offering something even sweeter this weekend for Mother's Day: free admission to moms on Mother's Day (that's Sunday everybody) with the purchase of another ticket for an adult or child.

Exhibit opens Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It runs from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m, Monday through Saturday. The last ticket is sold at 3 p.m. The exhibit will stay open on the first Friday of the month from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (last ticket sold at 7 p.m.). The exhibit is open through Sept. 7.

Also ...

Morehead Planetarium shows in Chapel Hill are $1 this weekend in honor of its 60th anniversary.

Learn all about good health, the body and more at Kids Health Quest! at Marbles Kids Museum, 201 E. Hargett St., Raleigh, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. Find out about creating healthy snacks, take part in the Fruit & Veggie Pageant, enjoy stories about health, nutrition and fitness and more.

Check out all the turtles at Turtle Fest! in Holly Springs. The annual festival includes lots of interactive exhibits, biologists, herpetologists and wildlife rehabilitators, along with crafts, prizes and games. It's 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, at Bass Lake Park, 900 Bass Lake Rd., Holly Springs.

Watch local ballet students perform in Raleigh Dance Theatre's Spring Repertoire at the Fletcher Opera Theater at the Progress Energy Center for Performing Arts at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Saturday. The theatre is a pre-professional performance training program in Raleigh.

Borders stores will be holding "Best Mom Ever" parties at Triangle-area stores at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Send Dad and the kids for a Mother's Day craft, stories and sing-a-longs plus free samples for kids and adults.

Noah's Landing in Coats (about 45 minutes from Raleigh) will be celebrating Mother's Day all weekend with special events at the zoo.

Get tickets for Bread & Puppet Theater's Sourdough Philosophy Circus and Pageant at the Raleigh Little Theatre. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m., May 22 and May 23, and 3 p.m., May 24 at the Raleigh Little Theatre complex at 301 Pogue St., Raleigh. Tickets are $12 for adults and children over age 12, $8 for kids 2 to 12. Children under 2 are free.

Mark your calendars for Trish Miller's concert series at the Carroll Howard Johnson Park on Wagstaff Road in Fuquay-Varina. Miller will start performing the 45-minute concerts this month on the third Friday of each month at the outdoor venue. They are at 7 p.m., May 15, June 19, July 17, Aug. 21, Sept. 18 and Oct. 16. Miller, a local singer/songwriter who has been singing for kids and families for years in the Triangle, just re-released her sweet album for kids called "Hello Yellow." Go to www.trishmillermusic.com for more information about Miller, her music and CD.

Happy Mother's Day!

As always, there is much more on the Mom2Mom calendar.

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