Plenty of family fun on tap at Ogle County’s 4-H Penny Carnival

OREGON — Kids could try tossing rolled up socks into a cardboard washing machine or become ‘Hungry Hippos’ and munch up plastic balls with small clothes baskets — all for pocket change at the Ogle County 4-H Penny Carnival.

The 2023 event, held from 5-8 p.m. at the Blackhawk Center in Oregon on March 18, allowed kids to play a variety of games created by 4-H Club members — for a quarter.

Connor Clark, 8, of Rochelle had so much fun trying to guide a pink balloon pig into its pen with a flyswatter at the The Leaf River Soaring Eagles’ booth that he played twice.

When asked if he had experience herding pigs he smiled and said: “No, I live in an apartment.”

Brother and sister, Alana (7) and Allen (5) Smith of Leaf River laid flat on scooters armed with a plastic baskets and became hungry hippos to try and catch as many balls as they could during their timed turn at the Blackhawk Crossing 4-H Club’s booth.

And Wyatt (6) and Eileen (2) Frewin of Oregon giggled as they tossed rolled up socks toward a cardboard washer and dryer made by the Ogle County Clovers.

Some of the other games offered by clubs included the Grand Detour Greens’ ‘4-Hopoly’ with big inflatable dice, Pinecreek Valley’s ‘Tic-Tac-Toe’ with velcro tennis balls, a walk-around ‘Chutes and Ladders’ game by the BY Badgers, and the Carefree 4-H Club’s memory card game.

Prizes were awarded win or lose during the “4-H Family Game Night!” theme. 4-H is the youth development program of University of Illinois Extension.

For more information about the Ogle County 4-H program, call Ogle County Extension at 815-732-2191 or visit online at https://extension.illinois.edu/bdo/4-h-ogle-county.