By Matt Wilson

For the FCT

The Franklin County Extension is conducting Summer Fun Shops this summer for kids eight years old and older on Tuesdays in June and July.

The workshops are held in the Franklin County Extension office in the basement of the courthouse in downtown Russellville.

Each workshop will be split into two groups with the first group starting at 9 a.m. and the second group starting at 12:30 p.m.

Franklin County Extension Coordinator Katernia Cole said these workshops will be geared toward showing gardening and other activities to the youth in a different light.

“We want to show the kids activities and share ideas that will stick with them throughout their lives,” Cole said.

“We want to teach them things in a way that will give them a new perspective.”

Cole said the Summer Fun Shops are great activities for kids that can keep them moving and doing during the summer.

“Kids spend a lot of time inside and in front of the television, and this is a good way to get them outside,” Cole said.

The summer workshop series started on June 10 with a crafts-based day of activities. Cole is the instructor for that workshop and said there will be lots of hands-on action that day.

“That workshop is going to be based around doing tile mosaics and some painting,” Cole said.

The second workshop on June 17 is hosted by Cole as well and will be focused on gardening.

“We will be talking about everything from bees to soil needs,” Cole said. “We’re going to be making some crafts to go in gardens, but I also want to discuss with the kids the start to finish process of growing something.”

The next workshop in the series will be hosted by Chris Becker, who is also an Extension agent.

Cole said that his workshop will continue the discussion and activities based around gardening including everything that goes into growing food.

The series continues in July with a workshop focused on the making of jelly. Cole said that the host, Susan Hill, will be including the science of making food and discussing where food comes from.

The last two workshops will be instructed by Leslie Goins and will focus on innovation and the science concepts involved in farming and gardening.

Cole said that she hopes for another good turnout this year for the Summer Fun Shops.

“This is a good program for kids,” Cole said. “It gives them something productive to do during the summer and allows them to get out and network while they are learning something useful.”

For more information including costs for each workshop, contact the Franklin County Extension office at 256-332-8880.