Fun and sun at Chambers County 4-H camps

BY KADIE TAYLOR

THE LAFAYETTE SUN

CHAMBERS COUNTY — Chambers County 4-H is offering single-day summer camps from June 8 through July 9 for children with any interests. 

“We host camps every year for ages 9 to 18 throughout the summer, and we host those usually in LaFayette at our Alfa building, in Valley at the Bradshaw library or the Valley SportsPlex,” said Chambers County 4-H Agent Katie Hill. “We cover various topics, and we kind of gauge what our community wants and try to kind of provide that for our summer day camps. They're usually free to attend, or if they're not free, it's usually very low cost, like $5-10 just for program supplies.”

Hill said every year, she hears many families are excited to participate in the camps and the diverse experiences offered. 

“We always have a good crowd that comes,” she said. “The parents love having something for their kids to do during the summer, and giving kids different chances to experience things they might not have before.”

With camp options that include floral arranging, jam making, kayaking, beekeeping, time with James Spann the weather man and more, Hill said children have the opportunity to try many new activities they might not have had the opportunity to before. 

“Our goal is to bring opportunities to children that they may not receive otherwise,” she said. “We love to try new things and bring new experiences to our county, especially through our guest speakers and different hands-on experiences, and try to do these at low cost too. I know things are so expensive nowadays, so we really try to bring things that are free, that allow any child to be able to participate no matter what and bring children together. Also, I've seen so many friendships form through our camps, which is always exciting.”

Through summer camp opportunities, Hill said she has seen children try a new activity and fall in love with a hobby that can last a lifetime, or become a dedicated 4-H member with opportunities and open doors through the program. 

“One of our 4-H [participants] from years past, he went to summer camp with me and did our kayaking program,” she said. “He's now a 4-H ambassador. So he's been able to travel to events and do things in the name of 4-H, promoting 4-H and run camps. He's gotten a lot of leadership opportunities from it. Our camps really help spark their inquiries and kind of lead to bigger things.”

Through her work with 4-H, Hill said she enjoys seeing children connect with new opportunities and fun in Chambers County. 

“I try to do a really good job of offering different things, especially when I see these kids in the classrooms every month,” she said. “When I do my school programs, I mean tons and tons of children, and so I just really want to make sure we have opportunities for each child.”

For more information, follow Chambers County - Alabama Extension on Facebook. For registration information, email Hill at ekh0013@auburn.edu.