Johnson County 4-Hers learn new skills through static projects

The projects fill nearly three buildings at the Johnson County Fairgrounds.

Posters, artwork, photography, clothing, plants and even Legos are displayed inside Scott Hall, Magill Hall and a portion of Fitzpatrick Hall. All of this is the work of Johnson County 4-Hers, and fair week is their time to shine.

Often 4-H is thought of as involving animals, like showing a pig, cow or goat. But many 4-Hers opt for projects like sewing, photography, cooking or poster-making — eager to earn a blue ribbon or two.

Inside the exhibit halls at the county fairgrounds this week are a diverse array of projects by 4-Hers and Mini 4-Hers. Projects span from cakes decorated to look like other foods to hand-sewn dresses. Dioramas, photography and gift-wrapping projects are present too.

While numbers for 2024 were not yet available, there were 1,894 static projects exhibited during the 2023 Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair. For comparison, 1,417 animals were shown the same year, according to data from the Johnson County Purdue Extension.

4-H projects are designed to be opportunities for children to study something in a hands-on activity. Categories include healthy living, communication and expressive arts, leadership and animal science.

Once completed, the projects are judged and displayed before and during fair week. Each project has a beginner, intermediate, and advanced level which allows youth to build on their skills gradually. It also is a unique opportunity for kids to bond with their most common helpers — their parents, according to the Purdue Extension.

Like animal projects, non-animal projects also promote personal growth and development. Through these educational experiences, participants in the program practice life skills while also embracing creativity. These projects also foster feelings of belonging, independence, generosity and mastery of their work, the Purdue Extension says.

At 4-H, there is a category for everyone. For Mini 4-H’ers, in grades K-2, an emphasis is placed on exploring friendships, the way things work and small and large muscle control, according to the Purdue Extension.

Mini 4-Hers Bethania and Jonahbelle Joseph participated in many projects this year, including cookie decorating, Rice Krispies Treats and a project involving bugs. The Rice Krispies Treats were their favorite projects to work on because they could eat them, they said.

For Jonahbelle, bugs are of particular interest for her, and she does not fret whenever a bug finds its way on her. Stink bugs are her favorite, she said.

Mini 4-Her Ava Dilley has two posters displayed inside Magill Hall featuring some of her favorite animals: dogs and horses. Now in her third year in Mini 4-H, Dilley has learned about horse shows and different horse breeds from putting together her posters, she said.

For her posters, Dilley wanted to let others know that dogs and horses are gentle animals. She also said her mom helped her with putting them together.

Dilley likes to walk around the fairgrounds to see all the animals in the livestock barns and at the petting zoo. Her favorite animal she saw was an owl, and she said she saw some birds she had never seen before, she said.

“Every time you see its wings, it starts flapping,” Dilley said. “[I saw] one bird with a bunch of different colors.”

A photography project fairgoers and 4-Hers alike will have the opportunity to see is Kason Vaught’s. The 9-year-old saw a butterfly at the zoo and was inspired to take a photo. He wanted to earn a ribbon for his work, he said.

For 4-Her Taylor Robards, 15, doing 4-H projects helps her learn new things, as she tries to do a different project each year. However, this year, she opted for something she felt experienced with — photography, which Robards has been doing for seven years, she said.

In regards to the fair itself, Robards gets the best of both worlds, as she also likes showing her animals.

“My favorite part about the county fair is making new friends and learning new things about different things,” Robards said. “I also like showing my livestock. I love my livestock.”

4-Her Jackson Kaylor, 8, dedicated his time to building a yellow Lego truck. He did so all by himself, and this was the only project he entered this year, he said.

It took Kaylor a long time to complete the Lego build and have all of its moving parts operational, he said.

“I really like Legos. [The Lego truck] moves,” Kaylor said.

4-H projects will continue to be on display through the end of the week.