It’s National 4-H Week – Here’s Why Our Family Loves Being Involved in 4-H

Celebrating National 4-H Week

This weekend, my daughter’s 4-H leader posted that it was National 4-H Week, and the kids who are involved have themed dress-up days at school.

I wasn’t in 4-H growing up, but we jumped in when my daughter was in 3rd grade. She wanted to show her horse at the county fair, so we attended a couple of meetings and were instantly hooked. Now, we plan our summer vacations around the Warrick and Vanderburgh County Fairs because it’s her favorite time of year. Her other favorite? 4-H summer camp weekend.

And apparently, the states of Indiana and Kentucky consider participation in 4-H extremely important, as both count participation in activities as excused absences. Two Indiana landmarks have already committed to go green for National 4-H Week: AES Indiana on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis and the MLK Bridge in Fort Wayne.

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What Is 4-H?

If you’ve heard of 4-H but aren’t sure if it’s right for your family, I wanted to take a few moments to share why we love it and why it might be a great fit for your kids too.
If you aren't already in the world of 4-H, you might not be sure what it is or how much you have to be involved.

4-Hers complete hands-on projects in areas like animals, visual arts, science, health, engineering, agriculture, and civic engagement, and receive guidance from adult mentors, which they exhibit for judging at fair. Participants can also attend field trips, go to camps, attend club meetings and outings, and are also encouraged to complete service projects with their club and take on leadership roles.

Kids can concentrate on one focus area, or they can try a variety of programs throughout their 4-H experience. There are projects for just about everything you can dream up, and if it’s not on the list, there’s a category for that, too. My daughter has done projects in baking, photography, sewing, horse and pony, and even started her own business and completed a project outlining what she learned from entrepreneurship.

Even the projects she decided she wasn’t as interested in, like sewing, gave her a basic set of skills she’ll carry throughout her life.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Starting at age 5, kids and teens can jump into 4-H programming, clubs, camps, and after-school activities. Your family can tailor your child’s entire 4-H experience based on their interests and level of commitment.

When my daughter did travel soccer, it was fun, but it came with a lot of time, money, and travel. We didn’t get to choose the level of commitment; it was part of the package. With 4-H, your child can decide to dive into multiple projects or just one. You can put as much effort into your project as you want. You might not win Champion or go to state, but there’s no rule for how much effort your family has to put in.

Lifelong Friendships

My daughter makes friends everywhere she goes, but I’ve noticed that 4-H friends are special. They share a love for animals, getting their hands dirty, and supporting each other. After the fair this year, she became close with a young lady who’s really into horses too. They helped each other get their animals ready and cheered each other on. We’ve invited her to ride with us a few times, and I’m really excited that my daughter has a horse friend to share adventures with.

She has also grown close to the adults involved in 4-H. Her club leader, Jimmie Williams, was actually my husband’s pee-wee football coach. He’s a bit of a legend in the Warrick County community. Jimmie and his family are woven into the fabric of Warrick County 4-H, and my daughter and I know we can go to any one of them at any time for guidance, support, and a general safe space.

Hard Work Pays Off

My daughter is your typical teen. Her bedroom looks like a pigsty, she leaves dishes everywhere, and she doesn’t exactly volunteer for chores. But at the barn, it’s a different story. She’s expected to keep her horse’s stall clean, buckets filled, feed ready, and tack in good shape. She also exercises her horse and learns as much as she can about her “project” throughout the year.

After her first horse (who was an angel), she wanted to grow more in horsemanship, so we found new project horses. They were safe but definitely not champion show horses. This year, her new horse was afraid of our trailer, and my daughter and I have spent months working to get her comfortable with it. Teaching a horse to load when they don’t want to is one of the most frustrating, hair-pulling things you can do, but we’re getting there. Horses will humble you and teach patience like nothing else.

And though we go to several horse shows throughout the year, the Warrick County Fair is her beacon. And now that she's four summers in, she measures herself and growth against how she did the previous year. It's pretty cool to watch your kiddo develop their passion and be able to showcase it in this way.

4-H Is a Family Thing

Notice I said “my daughter and I” in the paragraph above. Even though kids are the ones enrolled, 4-H is truly a family organization.

For her Foods project last year, we spent months trying recipes and finally landed on a strawberry lemon bread. We tweaked it multiple times, learning how different ingredients changed the flavor and texture. She was also expected to make dinner for the family and learn about table setting. Of course, I don’t expect a 13-year-old to know how to meal plan, grocery shop, and cook, so we did it all together. (And yes, we had to Google how to set a formal table!)

Fair Week is the BEST Week of the Year

There’s nothing that compares to fair week for my daughter. Even though it's historically been the HOTTEST week of the year, the kids don't seem to mind. I drop her off around 6 or 7 in the morning, and she spends the whole day at the Warrick County Fairgrounds. I never worry about her because she’s surrounded by great families. She loves helping her friends with their animals and soaking up every bit of the fair fun. She loves it so much that she goes to the Vanderburgh County Fair each year to cheer on her friends who compete there and volunteer.

The Red Ribbons Matter Too

It might sound strange to be proud of a few red ribbons, but not winning first can teach just as much as winning. My daughter learned that effort and attitude matter more than awards.

When she started training her own horse, it was hard to see her rankings drop after being High Point for two years straight with her first horse. But she focused on progress instead of placement. My proudest moments came when she didn't get discouraged or upset by not winning first, but got excited that he had the best ride of his life, and he was making progress in his training. Last year, she regained her High Point status, he won Best Gelding, and they placed first overall in flags. 4-H has taught her that hard work pays off.

And honestly, in life we don't always take first place. Being a "gracious loser" and a good sport are important skills to learn, and it's much easier when you've had practice as a youngster.

Ready to Try 4-H?

When I first signed her up, I thought it was going to be a summer activity. We'd do fair and go home and not think about it until next year, but it has become ingrained in our family. I also didn't realize how much it would shape who my daughter is becoming or how much I would enjoy it. 4-H has taught her that hard work pays off, but more importantly, that growth and grit matter most. I'm so grateful for the experiences it has given us and the opportunity to grow closer as a family.

If you are interested in 4-H, visit them online or stop in at your nearest 4-H office. The ladies at the Warrick County office are so kind and have answered about a million questions for me.