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4-H camps help youth stay engaged over the summer

Youth enjoyed hands-on learning activities at Extension’s 4-H day camps and overnight camps

Two smiling boys lay on grass against a wooded background with two houses.

A couple of campers take a break from a busy week of activities during the 4-H Camp for youth from central Â鶹ӳ»­ held at the Â鶹ӳ»­ State 4-H Camp at Lake Tahoe. Photo by Robert Moore.

4-H camps help youth stay engaged over the summer

Youth enjoyed hands-on learning activities at Extension’s 4-H day camps and overnight camps

A couple of campers take a break from a busy week of activities during the 4-H Camp for youth from central Â鶹ӳ»­ held at the Â鶹ӳ»­ State 4-H Camp at Lake Tahoe. Photo by Robert Moore.

Two smiling boys lay on grass against a wooded background with two houses.

A couple of campers take a break from a busy week of activities during the 4-H Camp for youth from central Â鶹ӳ»­ held at the Â鶹ӳ»­ State 4-H Camp at Lake Tahoe. Photo by Robert Moore.

This summer, youth across the state once again got the opportunity to engage in positive learning experiences and make new friends and memories that will last a lifetime by attending summer camps provided by the . It’s a Â鶹ӳ»­ tradition that goes back more than 80 years.

In both urban and rural communities, there were day camps for all ages, providing various hands-on learning opportunities, as well as healthy outdoor adventures. Some were offered in partnership or collaboration with other organizations or helped fill in gaps for children who attend community centers or other programs. Others were open to the general public and were held at 4-H facilities. There were even some field trips to state parks and other sites, where youth got to learn about fossils or geology, for example.

“I really enjoyed the whole thing. The activities were really fun and I got to discover new hobbies (like making salve). I also made a lot of new friends and I learned a lot about myself and overcame a lot of anxiety I had.” – a Â鶹ӳ»­ 4-H camper

There were also several overnight camps where youth travelled to spend several days at either the or at the , about 100 miles north of Las Vegas. Both settings provide an unparalleled opportunity for outdoor environmental education and STEM-related, hands-on learning activities. There’s also plenty of time for 4-H campers to participate in and learn about healthy, physical activities, whether kayaking at Lake Tahoe or rock climbing in Alamo.

We invite you to take a quick journey look back at this summer, through the eyes of our 4-H campers. For more information on our 4-H camps, contact Â鶹ӳ»­ 4-H Youth Development State Leader Lindsay Chichester at lchichester@unr.edu.

4-H Camp Round-Up - 2024

  • During the 4-H Round Mountain Geology-Paleontology Camp, campers from Northern Nye County travelled to Berlin Ichthyosaur State Park, where they learned about the Ichthyosaur, the official state fossil. Â鶹ӳ»­ houses the only complete Ichthyosaur skeleton, which is approximately 55 feet long. Photo by Sara Sweeney.
  • During the Health Rocks! Elko Day Camp, campers play a team-building game passing buckets of water, alternating between over and under, with the team spilling the least winning the game. Photo by Brittany Marich.
  • 4-H Ambassadors Leena McGarr makes cereal necklaces with the young campers at the 4-H Cloverbud Day Camp in Elko. Photo by Jill Tingey.
  • Campers engage in an activity exploring the positive and negative characteristics of leadership during the 4-H Camp for youth from northern Â鶹ӳ»­ held at the Â鶹ӳ»­ State 4-H Camp at Lake Tahoe. Photo by Amanda Brock.
  • Campers pose for a group photo during the Tribal College Prep Camp at the Â鶹ӳ»­ State 4-H Camp in Lake Tahoe. Photo by Trevon Tiger Barnes.
  • Campers enjoyed acting out the roles of figures such as Hades, Zeus and Persephone in a play about how ancient Greeks explained winter during the 4-H Camp for youth from northern Â鶹ӳ»­ held at the Â鶹ӳ»­ State 4-H Camp at Lake Tahoe. Photo by
  • Campers holding geodes (spherical rocks that contain hollow cavities lined with crystals) that they just broke open themselves during the 4-H Tonopah Geology Day Camp at the Tonopah Historic Mining Park. Photo credit by Kat Galli.
  • Campers from northeast Clark County worked on teambuilding, leadership, and more, including planning a free community mental health resource fair for the fall, during the 4-H Teen Leadership Corps Retreat held at the 4-H Camp & Learning Center in Alamo. Photo by Dianna Walker.
  • A camper has some fun with the “slime†he created during the 4-H space-themed Day Camp in Douglas County, where campers learned about space and engaged in STEM-related activities, such as making slime and rockets. Photo by Tara Ansotegui.
  • Campers participate in a team-building activity during the 4-H Camp for youth from central Â鶹ӳ»­ held at the Â鶹ӳ»­ State 4-H Camp at Lake Tahoe. Photo by Robert Moore.
  • A couple of campers take a break from a busy week of activities during the 4-H Camp for youth from central Â鶹ӳ»­ held at the Â鶹ӳ»­ State 4-H Camp at Lake Tahoe. Photo by Robert Moore.
  • Campers measure ingredients while learning how to make healthy baked goods during the 4-H Baking Camp held at Extension’s Lifelong Learning Center in Las Vegas. Photo by Nataly Galfrascoli.
  • A camper observes natural plant life at Red Rock National Park during the 4-H Garrett Junior High School Day Camp in Boulder City. Photo by Tammy Haddad.
  • Youth from Clark County showcase their artistic projects during the 4-H Paint and Poetry Camp at the 4-H Camp & Learning Center in Alamo. Photo by Ashley Vargas.
  • Three campers from Clark County enjoy their homemade fruit popsicles during the 4-H Healthy Living Camp at the 4-H Camp & Learning Center in Alamo. Photo by Jillian McDonald.
  • Campers from Clark County make a natural electrolyte drink during the 4-H Down the Rabbit Hole Camp at the 4-H Camp & Learning Center in Alamo.
  • Campers from Clark County climb the rock wall during the Game of Life 4-H Teen Camp at the 4-H Camp & Learning Center in Alamo. Photo by Anay Gomez.
  • A 4-H camper from Clark County takes aim at the target during the 4-H Archery Camp at the 4-H Camp & Learning Center in Alamo. Photo by Arianna Castro.
  • Campers from Clark County climb up the sedimentary columns at Cathedral Gorge State Park during the 4-H Explorers Camp based at the 4-H Camp & Learning Center in Alamo. Photo by Anay Gomez.
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