The YWCA summer camp kids spent their summer working in a vegetable garden.

An annual Easter egg hunt at Hover Park will bring families together for an afternoon of fun, prizes and community resources. The event will include thousands of eggs, a special golden egg contest and free food boxes for attendees.

“We had a fantastic group this year. All the kids were really wonderful. Our leaders were great this year. So overall, I think it was a very productive and amazing year for everybody,” Washington-Allen said.

The Playground Program, designed to provide safe and enjoyable activities for youth during the summer, will wrap up next week. The final outings include a trip to Edgewood Skate Arena and a visit from representatives of the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum.

Five- and six-year-olds are spending the week exploring the hidden ABCs of nature.

For many, it was also an introduction to 4-H — a youth development program that focuses on building life skills through hands-on experiences. The name 4-H stands for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health.

“This is an opportunity at these different ages to get them interested in science and hopefully keep that,” said Mark Kleffner, associate dean at OSU Lima and professor of earth sciences. “They’ll see it’s fun, and that’s one of the things I really enjoy so much as a teacher—turning students on to a subject that many people think is not a fun subject when it actually is.”

Friday marks the first day of summer, and with temperatures heating up, many people took the opportunity to soak up some sunshine. Faurot Park was a popular destination, especially the splash pad, where area kids stayed cool in the heat.

The program, which is open to children ages 6 to 12, gives kids the chance to spend their summer meeting new friends and learning more about themselves. Throughout the eight-week program, participants will go on field trips, hear from guest speakers, take part in a variety of activities, and, of course, play games.