Freeport, IL – University of Illinois Extension hosted its annual 4-H Super Saturday on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at the Stephenson Farm Bureau Office. Super Saturday is a 3-hour event designed to give area youth ages 5 to 18 a chance to explore the many project areas available through the 4-H program.  This event is open to all area youth, regardless of 4-H membership.

Youths between the ages of 8-18 attended and experienced three hands-on workshops where they could choose what they wanted to learn about. The workshops for this year’s Super Saturday were: Esports, Friendship Bracelets, Woodburning, Macrame Art, Forest Dioramas, Games & Activities, E.M.T/First Aid, Vet Science, Cooking – Appetizers, Farming Simulator, Pharmacy, Propagating House Plants, & Animal Science- “Eggs-periments.”

Youth between the ages of 5-7 were invited to participate in our 4-H Cloverbud Super Saturday at the same time and location. The younger youth explored everything about bugs! They learned about bugs that are helpful and those that are not, they made a bug collecting jar, took a bug hunt, made delicious “buggin” snacks, and did some arts and crafts!

“Super Saturday is a morning full of fun! Our 4-H volunteers, ambassadors, & leaders all come together to provide a fully-engaged morning where kids can just be kids, and try something new,” says Brenda Heimann, Stephenson County 4-H Program Coordinator.  

Besides the 4-H volunteers that help make this morning possible, there were also several local businesses helping out this year too. Stephenson Service Company provided their Farming Simulator, along with staff to help teach the kids what it’s like to operate a large sprayer. Star Ambulance brought out an ambulance along with 2 licensed staff to help teach first aid and what being an E.M.T. is all about. And the UIC College of Pharmacy at Rockford, led the Pharmacy workshop and provided a professor and several pharmacy students to help lead the activities.

4-H Super Saturday is a morning full of excitement that kids will remember for days to come. If you are looking for more programs and events such as our Super Saturday, please check out our website at: go.illinois.edu/jsw

About 4-H: Illinois 4-H strives to help youth learn skills for living. 4-H programs are offered in every Illinois County by University of Illinois Extension. Illinois 4-H aims to impact the lives of 250,000 youth each year through sustained learning clubs and groups and short-term programming. 4-H is a community of seven million young people around the world learning leadership, citizenship, & life skills. For more information, contact University of Illinois Extension-Stephenson County at 815-235-4125.