RONAN — Plenty of smiles were on faces as kids and parents explored the scientific wonders of the world during Family Science Night at K. William Harvey Elementary School last Thursday.

The event, in its fifth year, was once again a hit, with about 400 people attending, said Carey Swanberg, a third-grade teacher at the school who helps organize the event.

Liquid nitrogen ice cream was a big hit, as usual, Swanberg said. But the event exposed people to more than just the qualities of nitrogen, and people could make and launch paper rockets, hold chicks and a python, pan for sapphires, look at strawberry DNA and check out technology used in classrooms, among other things.

Originally, the event was part of the Big Sky Science Partnership, in which the school no longer participates. “But we have continued to keep the community outreach part of it,” Swanberg said, adding the K. William Harvey PTA covers costs.

Local professionals who volunteer their time make the event an affordable successful, she said.

“We couldn’t do this without the fantastic community support that we have.”

All exhibits at last Thursday’s event were interactive, Swanberg said.

“Kids like to explore and experiment and touch,” she said.

“And what we want to do is to encourage our students and parents to explore together.”

“As a mother, it’s exciting to be there with my children and see how happy it makes them and how interested they are in science,” said Jacinda Tenas, who came with her children. In between bites of root beer-flavored liquid nitrogen ice cream, Jeyani Tenas said it was “awesome” to learn with her family. Jacinda Tenas said she also likes how the event encourages her children to look toward higher education.

“It’s fun,” Kaitlyn Croft said about learning with her dad, Jesse Croft, as the two launched paper rockets.

“It’s great,” Jesse Croft said. “It’s just good to see the kids running and smiling and building something they can learn from.”

The goal is to get students excited and keep them learning with parents.

“Science excites and engages students as they’re learning,” Swanberg said. “I just think that the more excited a student is about what they’re learning, the more they talk about it at home”