It’s 4-H Camp Time in Tennessee!

Canoeing on the lake, laughing on the water slide, campfire and s’mores; these are just some of the great times had by kids attending 4-H Camp. If you’re looking for a way to get the kids out of the house this summer, maybe one of the 4-H Summer Camps is the answer for you. There are several camping options available to youth this summer.

Putnam County 4-H members attend camp at the Clyde York 4-H Center located in Crossville, TN. The camp offers many different educational and fun activities for your children. Facilities include Olympic sized swimming pool complete with diving boards and a water slide, air conditioned cabins, dining hall and recreation hall, and first aid center staffed with a full time nurse. Activity centers located at the camp include wildlife, rifle range, archery range, crafts, tie-dye, wood working and canoeing at the lake.

4-H members also participate in group leadership activities and project sessions relating to the summer camp theme. During the camp week, 4-H members are supervised by trained adults, teen leaders and camp staff as well as the Putnam County 4-H Agent.

We will be offering two different weeks of 4-H Camp this summer. Junior 4-H Camp for 4-H’ers in grades 4 – 6 will be held June 12-16, 2017. Sign-ups are currently underway for this camp.  The cost to attend the week long camp is $300 and the price includes transportation to and from camp, lodging and meals. This year we are pleased to offer a payment option, with families making three monthly payments of $100 until May. Parents are welcome to attend camp with their children, leader forms and information can be picked up at the 4-H Office. After camp sign-ups are completed a full orientation for youth and parents will be held to answer questions regarding what to pack, meal menus, schedules and other important information.

Jr. High 4-H Camp for 4-H’ers in grades 6 – 8 will be held May 29 – June 2. Sign-ups are currently being accepted for this camp at the 4-H Office until May 12. The cost for Jr. High Camp is $290 and transportation is on your own. Jr. High 4-H Camp focuses more on leadership skills through participation in group games and team building activities. This year’s theme is “Technology Revolution” and will include activities on drones, robotics, and engineering.

There are also specialty summer camp options including Taste of Culinary Camp and Electric Camp. Taste of Culinary Camp is open to youth in grades 6 – 8 and will be held July 11 – 13 in Murfreesboro. Space is limited to 40 campers from across our region and the cost is $150. This camp focuses on cooking related classes and other activities such as cupcake decorating, recipe preparation, learning about farmer’s markets and more. The deadline to sign up is May 31. Electric Camp is open to youth in grades 6 and 7 and is held on the UT Knoxville campus. This camp focuses on electricity and energy sources, science and technology. Youth participate in building workshops and learning sessions. The cost is $275 and includes all class materials, transportation, and trip to Dollywood. The deadline to sign up for this camp is May 1.

There are also two options for senior high youth. FCS Behind the Scenes is a career oriented camp for grades 9 – 12. This year’s camp will focus on interior design and includes a trip to Atlanta to the Savannah College of Arts and Design, Decorative Arts Center, Carpet Research Center, and much more. The cost is $175 and the deadline to register is April 7. Agrimania is agriculture related camp for grades 8 – 11. This camp will have classes on animal science topics and careers in agriculture. There is also a canoe trip. The cost is $150 and the deadline to register is June 1.

4-H Camps are open to all 4-H members in Putnam County regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion or disability. For more information please call, the 4-H Office at 526-4561, or visit our website https://extension.tennessee.edu/Putnam/Pages/Camps-and-Conferences.aspx for more details about each camp.