4-H Camp

It’s here! The week of 4-H camp has finally come! After many weeks of working hard to help get everything ready for this camp, I can finally take a breath and enjoy this awesome experience. This being my first time ever going to camp, it was going to be a complete learning experience. Although I was very excited to go to camp, I was also very nervous because I have never had much experience working around kids. But my inexperience was soon to be changed as close to 300 kids were to be arriving at camp.

We started out the week by arriving at Rotary Field and gathering all the Patrick County Campers. After all campers arrived, we loaded them on the bus and we were off to Smith Mountain Lake! We arrived and all the other campers from Pulaski and Craig were already there. We headed to Open Air, which is a large building with all open sides, and had an opening assembly where all staff members, adults, and teens introduced themselves. The rest of the day was spent getting kids sorted into the packs that they would be in for the entire week and getting everyone in their right lodge. The packs included the squirrels, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, wolves, rabbits, deer, and ducks. At the end of the day, there was a carnival with blow up slides, bouncy houses, and all kinds of other games that the kids could play with. We ended the day with the opening campfire which was led by the wonderful staff.

The next day was a completely different day. Through Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, there were three class periods that the kids would attend. They got to choose between several fun classes like canoeing, rock climbing, archery, riflery, airplanes and rocketry, and many more. After the classes on Tuesday, the kids were treated with a pool party, competed in Field Olympics, and were given watermelon to finish the day.

On Wednesday, the kids went to classes just like on Tuesday. After classes were finished, it was time for the camper talent show. Everyone gathered around the amphitheater and watched some great performances. Later that evening, the kids had the choice between going to the neon dance party or going to a movie. I chose to go to the movie because I’ve never really been a dancer. They played Hotel Transylvania 3 as the movie and a little girl ended up falling asleep on my arm by the end of the movie.

On Thursday, it was the last day of classes so I spent most of the day flying the drone around and taking pictures of the kids at their classes. After all the classes were finished up, the adults and teens had their own talent show which was really funny. The kids got a big laugh out of the teens performances. To finish the day off, we had the closing campfire which was led mostly by the pack leaders. Each camper at the campfire was given a candle to light and once every camper lit there candle it looked like the entire camp circle was glowing.

Friday was our very last day of being at camp. We woke up and went straight to open air to take a group picture. We were going to take the picture at the amphitheater but it was rainy day so open air was our only other choice. We then went to breakfast and began to pack all of our things after that. We left out just before lunch from camp and got back to Rotary field around 2:00 p.m. From then, kids were picked up by parents and the week was over.

During the week of 4-H camp, I gained a lot of experience from working with all the kids. I learned that there are many opportunities to work in the field of extension outside of agriculture. Youth education is a big part of extension and being able to be apart of kids learning something that everyone can enjoy.