Kids and teens aged 9-18 can experience painting, cooking or a little bit of everything else at one of the three summer day camps offered by Marengo County 4-H throughout June and July at the Marengo County Extension Office in Linden.

Laurie Palmer and Lee Singleton will teach the Art Camp on June 12-13 from 9 a.m. to noon. Participants will paint an outdoor scene on an 11 x 17 canvas and even add a 3D effect with a bird’s nest made out of clay. After painting, they will make stained glass wind chimes and t-shirt designs and play games.

Beth Yates, the 4-H Foundation Agent for Marengo County said that the organization’s most popular day camp is being offered for the sixth year in a row.

“The art camp’s been going on the for longest.”

Chef 4-H Cooking Camp will be led by 4-H staff on July 10-11 from 9 a.m. to noon. Staff will teach participants about basic food and cooking safety, etiquette and healthy eating. Each day, they will make their own meal, set the table and enjoy the food before going home.

On the first day, the class will make spaghetti with salad and fresh bread. On the second day, they will focus on a hearty breakfast with pancakes, bacon, eggs and chopped fruit. They’ll also learn how to make healthy snacks and will be involved in every part of the meal.

“They’re going to be part of the clean-up and set-up. We’ll take them through everything,” Yates said.

The final day camp of the summer will also be the biggest. Explore 4-H Camp will last from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 18. It will serve as an introduction to everything attendees can do when involved with 4-H.

Participants will be split into groups and rotate to different stations throughout the day. They will get to experience fishing games, yoga, rocket-making, science experiments, archery, ice-cream-in-a-bag, dramas, music and games.

“That’s why we did ‘Explore 4-H’. It’s going to be all kinds of things from fishing to food to science to archery. The whole nine,” Yates said.

The summer day camps are usually filled to capacity, and a lot of attendees are repeats who enjoy making friends while learning valuable skills.

“We try to teach life skills along the way of having fun,” she said.

There are 30 spaces to fill in the art camp, 25 in the cooking camp and 25 in Explore 4-H. Yates said that the organization will make adjustments next summer depending on how popular each camp is.

There is no deadline to apply, but spots are on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a waiting list available for each camp, and each camp costs $5 per attendee including snacks and drinks. To sign up, call the office at 334-295-5959.

Marengo County 4-H is sponsored by Alabama Cooperative Extension System and is part of Auburn University.

(This article originally appeared in the Saturday, May 26 issue of the Demopolis Times.)