You might not think it, but 4-H and Summer go hand in hand, like the sun and heat. We will be raising the temperature on the level of fun for this summer, with some new offerings and opportunities for our 14- to 18-year-olds as well. Robeson County 4-H Summer Fun is more than a series of day camps. We have the opportunity to do some hands-on activities that allow our youth to “accidentally” learn while having fun.

Let’s start with one of our favorite camps for our 5- to 8-year-olds. Cloverbud day camp is at the end of the summer and allows youth to start getting back in the swing of school, schedules, and just a daily routine. Each day for this camp our youth will have a theme, such as Wacky Science Wednesday, Team Building Tuesday, Fry-Day Friday. Youth will get to experience all sorts of different activities with Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Math (STREAM), and it won’t feel like learning at all. They will have fun and have all sorts of things to talk about when they get home.

For our 9- to 13-year-olds we have a variety of opportunities. Some of our old favorites are back, such as Jr. Chef and Biotech. These are probably our two most popular day camps. However, we are adding some new opportunities this year. Our Etiquette Mini Day Camp, a one-day event this year, is a fun way to learn how to be comfortable in any setting, and make others feel comfortable as well. We go over table manners, cell phone manners, introductions and much more. We are also adding a new camp – Bricks, Games, and Robots. This will be hands-on with coding, building robots, engineering Lego structures, and learning about technology and strategies.

For our teens, we have a couple of unique opportunities. Island & Sound is a one-day trip to a North Carolina research island where youth will get to go shelling, crabbing, learn about salt marshes, and so much more. We are also offer our teens a one-day Dorm Life 101 camp, which is going to focus on living on your own after high school, budgeting, cooking in a dorm room, and other ingenious things they might need to know when the time comes. Our Etiquette Mini-Day Camp is also open to our 13- to 18-year-olds. The skills they will learn here might make the difference between getting into college or even getting a scholarship.

Let’s not forget our week-long overnight camp at Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Center in Reidsville, N.C. Youth will get a chance to go swimming, learn about archery, go horseback riding, canoeing, and more. It is the traditional overnight camp you remember as a child and offers all the same fun, excitement, and the opportunity to make friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

How do you sign your child up for all of this fun? Well, that’s the easy part. Registration is currently open for our 4-H Families. We will open  it to the public on May 1, 2023. It is an online registration and payment system making it easy for parents to get your child registered. Feel free to scan the QR code for registration or download a free brochure from our website at robeson.ces.ncsu.edu. Just click on 4-H Youth Development and scroll down to downloadable forms. Click on the 2023 Summer Fun brochure and you will be able to download or just print your own. Just know if you register your child for 4-H Summer Fun, they will be having fun, fun, fun, and the learning won’t go away.

For more information, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Youth Development agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276, by email at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu, or visit our website.