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Fun bubbles up at the fair

Kids enjoy another day just for them at the Henry County Fair

AnnaMarie Kruse

Jul. 24, 2024 1:13 pm, Updated: Jul. 30, 2024 6:33 am

MT. PLEASANT — Kids Day returned to the Henry County Fair for a day of fun and education, but this time they were welcomed with a healthy dose of foam.

Kids enjoyed educational booths, a foam blaster, miniature cows, face painting, and other fun activities at this year’s Henry County Fair Kid’s Day. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Kids enjoyed educational booths, a foam blaster, miniature cows, face painting, and other fun activities at this year’s Henry County Fair Kid’s Day. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

Thanks to the sponsorship of HJ Nugen Public Library and Mt. Pleasant Public Library, kids attending the Henry County Fair Kid’s Day dove into an ever-growing pile of foam blasted from the Absolute Science foam cannon.

While some kids like three-year-old Maverick Willits momentarily lost a shoe in the foam blob, there wasn’t a tear in sight as kids enjoyed tossing the bubbly foam around on a beautiful Saturday at the fair.

LilyAnn Ward plays with foam at Henry County Fair Kid’s Day. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
LilyAnn Ward plays with foam at Henry County Fair Kid’s Day. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Mavrick Willits doesn’t let a lost shoe deter him from enjoying the foam blaster. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Mavrick Willits doesn’t let a lost shoe deter him from enjoying the foam blaster. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

While other new activities like Balloontastic Tracy and mini cows and donkeys from Anderson Ranch also provided light-hearted fun at Kids Day, plenty of educational opportunities also grabbed the interest of kids and adults alike.

Emma Smith enjoys petting mini cows and picking flowers at the fair. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Emma Smith enjoys petting mini cows and picking flowers at the fair. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

Xander and Aevia Box enjoyed visiting the Henry County Conservation booth at Kids Day. There they learned about a variety of different birds and got a close up look at their wings.

Xander Box (in blue) checks out a wing at the Henry County Conservation Center’s educational booth. Conservation Naturalist Kendall Prehn shares with Xander, his sister Aevia and dad Remington. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Xander Box (in blue) checks out a wing at the Henry County Conservation Center’s educational booth. Conservation Naturalist Kendall Prehn shares with Xander, his sister Aevia and dad Remington. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

“If they’re interested, we do the educational bit, otherwise, we do the inspirational stuff,” Henry County Conservation Naturalist Kendall Prehn explained.

Domestic Violence Prevention Healthcare Liaison Shelby Ridenour and Stewardship Coordinator Sam Tuttle share information and offer a free-throw game for kids at the Henry County Fair. (Photo by LilyAnn Ward)
Domestic Violence Prevention Healthcare Liaison Shelby Ridenour and Stewardship Coordinator Sam Tuttle share information and offer a free-throw game for kids at the Henry County Fair. (Photo by LilyAnn Ward)

Others offering education at Kids Day included the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, Public Health, Mt. Pleasant Fire Department, Henry County Iowa State Extension Office, and Henry County Sheriff’s Office.

Henry County Public Health Community Outreach Coordinator Kelly Carr (left) and Public Health Registered Nurse Mandi Morin offer a healthy ranch-type dip made from cottage cheese at Henry County Fair Kids’ Day. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Henry County Public Health Community Outreach Coordinator Kelly Carr (left) and Public Health Registered Nurse Mandi Morin offer a healthy ranch-type dip made from cottage cheese at Henry County Fair Kids’ Day. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

Each offered their own fun way to get kids involved. DVIP invited kids to play a basketball game, the fire department showed off their new ladder truck, the sheriff’s office offered junior deputy stickers, ISU Extension played trivia games about healthy foods and vaping, and public health gave away healthy snacks.

ISU Extension Office Tobacco Prevention Coordinator Chris Kempker asked incoming seventh-grader Shirley Ward what she thought was bad about vaping.

“Well, we haven’t know about vaping for quite a while so we don’t know a lot of the causes and effects in the long term,” Ward told Kempker. “Also, they can explode and it is very dangerous!”

Iowa State Extension Office Tabacco Prevention Coordinator Chris Kemper educates children at Henry County Fair Kids Day. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Iowa State Extension Office Tabacco Prevention Coordinator Chris Kemper educates children at Henry County Fair Kids Day. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

“It is very dangerous,” Kempker agreed. “And they have nicotine in them. We’re finding a lot of kids that started vaping when they first came out are having a lot of lung problems now.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
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