4-H Fair 2013

Have you heard of 4-H?  I know a lot of people who have never heard of it.  Here is a definition:   A youth organization sponsored by the Department of Agriculture and offering instruction in agriculture and home economics.  The 4 H's mean Head, Heart, Health and Hands.  4-H has so much to offer kids from agriculture to sewing, to woodworking, to photography.. I think you get the idea.  Just about everything you can think of.  There is also public speaking and community service.  The friendships you create are amazing!  

Does that sound like fun?  It is!  I was in 4-H when I was younger for about 2 or 3 years.  I have some fond memories of the projects I worked on and the ribbons I won.  I wanted to give that to my girls.  We've been in 4-H now for the past 6 years and we all enjoy it.  

This past weekend was our counties fair.  Our county pairs up with another county and we put on a pretty nice fair.  

Both my girls were managers in the home arts barn, something they really enjoy.  I have watched both of them grow and mature into wonderful young girls and I have to say 4-H is part of that.  Kev and I help out in any way we can.  

The girls work all year long on projects and then put them in the fair to be judged.  The 4-H judges based on the danish system.  The judges do not judge one person’s work by comparing it to another’s, you are judged against yourself. The evaluation is made against a standard. A judge looks to see whether certain requirements are met.  

One project A wanted to do was a desk redo.  We looked around and finally found a desk that cost only $10 at our local Saver's store.  It was a nice sturdy desk.  She learned how to sand, spray paint, sand the spray paint down and spray again till it was smooth.  She also learned how decoupage scrapbook paper onto the desk to give it some pop.  That got her an outstanding exhibitor ribbon.  

Then she got an court of honor of a picture she took.  Between these two that got her into premier.  So then she got to go around and talk to the judges about her projects. 

In the end she got 4th place.  She really wanted 9th place cause she liked the color ribbon.  That's my girl in it for the fun of it not being competitive.

My oldest had a good year too, she didn't make court of honor this year but she is ok with that. She enjoyed making all her projects and learning some new skills in art and jewerly making.   At the fair she had fun teaching kids how to hula hoop and supporting her 'lil sis.  

See what your local 4-H has to offer your kids and family.