4-H campers explore something new every day

By Lil Spinks, West Nassau Correspondent

Cooking, studying marine and wildlife, pets, singing, playing games and making crafts. They did it all and had a ball for one whole week.

Twelve energetic youngsters between the 4-H "Cloverbud" age of 5 and 7 took part in "Discovering 4-H," the third in the 4-H Summer Day Camp Series, from July 9-13 at the Mickler Street County Building in Callahan.

"Discovering 4-H" was designed to introduce youngsters and their parents to 4-H.

4-H Program Leader Amanda Thien also had several helpers during the week including University of Florida intern Matthew Benge and members of the Nassau County 4-H Teen Council, Victoria Hygema, Matthew Simmons, Isaac Carter, Grace Carter and Eric Byrd.

Actually, the 4-H County Council Team planned the events for the whole week and carried out instructing the youngsters. "So, we're here for moral support," said Thien.

Each day of the week celebrated a different theme. Monday was Marine Madness, Tuesday was Farm Day, Wednesday, Wildlife Day, Thursday was Food and Nutrition Day and Friday was Zoo Day.

On Monday, they traced each other while lying on crafting paper on the floor and then colored in the blank features. They also made waves in a bottle and picture frames decorated with shells.

On Tuesday they studied goats, rabbits, cows, chickens and other farm animals while making animal crafts, including sheep puppets, played games and also made their own ice cream for their afternoon snack, which was definitely an outdoor activity.

Since Wednesday was Wildlife Day, the youngsters spent most of the day outside, looking for, finding and then studying all the bugs, insects and other creepy crawlers they could capture. They also brought in their stuffed animals to study.

On Thursday the kids played several games, ran relay races, played musical chairs and sang songs. They talked about a picnic and each youngster told what they would take along to eat based on the first letter of their name. Nassau County Family and Consumer Science Agent Meg McAlpine sat in with the group, ready to answer any questions about food and nutrition.

After working up healthy appetites, they made their own mini pizzas for lunch. They garnished them with pepperoni, grated cheese, chopped onion, green pepper, mushrooms and olives and finished off the meal with watermelon for dessert. Then they made veggie puppets for their snacks with carrots and celery. After lunch they color coded Food Pyramid charts. Everything they did was based on the food and nutrition theme of the day.

And on Friday, they took a field trip to the zoo, where they spent the day visiting the animals there and also ate their lunch on the grounds.

"This week has been a lot of fun. The youths have been exposed to a lot of different activities and opportunities they could have in 4-H and my team has done an outstanding job overall and they got to see what my job is more like now. So, it has been a good experience for them," Thien said at the end of the week.

But Council Team member Eric Byrd admitted he didn't know if he had enough patience to do what "Miss Amanda" does.

Story created Jul 27, 2007 - 11:35:15 PDT.

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