Red, White, and Wellness Day Camp
Lawrence County Cooperative Extension Services held a patriotic themed Nutrition and Cooking Day Camp last week titled Red, White, and Wellness. Over the course of two days, participants (children ages 9-13) learned about safe and sanitary food preparation techniques, as well as, fun ways to 
incorporate healthy food and exercise habits into their lifestyle.
They discovered that exercise does not have to be running and jumping jacks. Exercise can be fun, such as a game of tag with your friends or taking your dog for a walk.
The children also expanded their knowledge of added sugars vs. natural sugars, reading food labels, and the benefits of buying local produce. These were taught to the children through their participation in a wide variety of activities, including getting to shop at the Lawrence County Farmers’ Market using Veggie Bucks.
Additionally, participants were able to make a complete healthy meal including a main dish (vegetable pizza), side dish (fruit and vegetable kabobs), drinks (two types of smoothies), and fruity dessert. To prepare their culinary creations the kids learned and applied safe knife skills and proper measuring techniques. The participants furthermore enjoyed being able to use the fresh produce and herbs they purchased from the Farmers’ Market in their dishes.
Overall, the day camps were a successful learning experience for all of the participants. This was made clear based on the number of kids who finished the camp wanting their parents to have fruits and vegetables available for them to eat at home. The success of the day camp was also reinforced because of the number of students who left the camp smiling and telling their parents what they had learned.
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For more information on events like these call Alivia Faris for Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences at the Lawrence County Extension Office at (606) 673-9495.
