Douglas County 4-H Program enrolling kids in Parker

October 26, 8:37 PMParker ExaminerMelody Jones

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Parker, CO has several active 4-H clubs.  New enrollment begins every year on October 1, and 4-H is seeking Parker families to join these clubs through this well-established youth development program.

When most people think of the 4-H Program, they envision horses and cows.  But today’s 4-H offers much more.

Kids ages 8 – 18 can learn about photography, small engines, ceramics, shooting sports, knitting, entomology, dogs, cake decorating, leather craft, money management, rabbits – and yes, horses and cows. This is a small sample of the projects available.

In the Douglas County 4-H Program, kids have fun learning about projects like these, but the focus is on a family-oriented experience that teaches life skills such as working with others, speaking in front of groups, helping others through community service projects, leadership, and even hard skills such as record keeping.

At the end of the 4-H year, kids display their projects at the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo the first week of August.  Projects are first judged, ribbons awarded, and youth interviewed about what they learned.  Top ribbon winners go to the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo and compete with other 4-Hers from across the stated.

There is also a program for youngsters 5-7 years old called Cloverbuds, where kids can complete their own fun projects in a non-competitive environment.  Cloverbuds attend fun and educational event throughout the year such as Cloverbud Fun Night, Cloverbud Camp, and their very own county fair called Primary Fair.

Enrollment in Douglas County 4-H funs from October 1 – May 1, and it is strongly encouraged families start as early in the year as they can.  This gives kids a chance to work on their projects for a longer period of time.  Some project involving animals require an early start due to certain deadlines.

For more information, log on the to the Douglas County 4-H web site, check out the 4-H blog, or call 720-733-6940.

Melody Jones is the Parker Examiner.  Subscribe to Melody at the top of this page.  Follow her on Twitter and join her Parker Examiner Fan Page on Facebook for all the latest and greatest information on Parker, CO.

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