By HEATHER JAMES
EBCI 4-H AGENT
It’s that time of year again to be preparing your youth to participate in the Cherokee Indian Fair by taking part in a time old tradition of entering their items for display and judging for all the community to enjoy. Did you know that anything created during the last year is eligible for entry in the youth, young adult and Cloverbud division” Those amazing arts/crafts your child has been creating all year at school and in their free time are perfect to share with the community by entering them into the fair. This is a way to encourage your child to be active in the community, as well as help the Cherokee Indian Fair exhibit hall be a spectacular sight to enjoy during fair week. As an added bonus, your child may earn a little spending money to boot!
Don’t worry if you have not thought about what your child is entering yet because there is still plenty of time. The first thing to do is to check out what categories are offered for your child to enter their creations in. This can be done by looking online at https://www.theonefeather.com/2012/08/cherokee-indian-fair-cooperative-extension-prize-list-2/ for the categories, or coming by Cooperative Extension to pick up a full book of entry categories.
One category that has always been a favorite of mine is the recycled craft. This can be done using a variety of things around your house that you already have! This is also a wonderful opportunity to teach your child about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, recycling isn’t always the number one priority. But, with our environment in need of greater awareness and care, it’s important that we teach our kids about the importance of taking care of the world in which we live.
Did you know?
The average person generates 4.5 pounds of trash every day – about 1.5 tons of solid waste per year. And, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 75 percent of solid waste is recyclable, only about 30 percent is actually recycled.
There’s no better day than today to talk to kids about recycling, why it’s helpful and what we can do as families to make our own positive footprint on Mother Earth.
