Running out of ideas for kids’ activities during the Dog Days of summer? The folks at Mecklenburg County Extension and 4-H have partnered to offer some great programs. And they’re free!
Garden crafts, science, and food-themed activities started back in June but will continue through August. If your kids missed learning to make a basil-seed necklace and a “pizza garden in a glove,” there are plenty of sessions remaining.
Kids ages 5 to 8 have their own program called “Cloverbuds,” where they learn make-and-take crafts. At “4-H is Poppin’,” kids ages 5 to 12 will see how and why popcorn behaves the way it does, and will then make their own popcorn treats. Fledgling biologists and botanists can learn how to extract DNA from strawberries. Star Wars-themed crafts are also on the menu.
Rural families know all about 4-H. City dwellers may be unfamiliar with the youth development program, administered across the U.S. by the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s a mouthful but put simply, its mission is to teach children about “health, science, agriculture and citizenship.”
Programs for adults are also offered at a nominal fee, including one on July 18 that will teach pickling and another on August 9 that will teach yogurt making.
All children’s activities are two hours long. They are free but require advance registration. Most are held at the Mecklenburg County Extension office adjacent to Independence Park, 1418 Armory Drive, Charlotte, NC, 28204; those taking place elsewhere are listed. Age ranges are indicate for each event. For more information and to download a registration form, use this link.
