Penelope Gibbons, 9, of Ishpeming shows her jar of grasshoppers she collected during Wednesday’s 4-H Summer Day Camp session at the Al Quaal Recreation Area. Campers also took part in a number of games and activities. (Journal photo by Christie Mastric)

ISHPEMING — Youngsters’ scientific and artistic curiosities were brought out during Wednesday’s 4-H Summer Day Camp at the Al Quaal Recreation Area.

What day campers in general don’t experience at an overnight camp, such as sleeping in tents or cabins and making s’mores over a campfire, can be more than made up with fun daytime activities.

Liana Pepin, a Michigan State University Extension educator based in Negaunee Township, said the camp, which is open to everyone regardless if they are in 4-H, has been running off and on since mid-July, and will continue this month.

The purpose of the day camp, she said, is to give young people from the area the opportunity to meet and mingle.

“They get to know each other,” Pepin said. “They get to have fun. (It’s) something for them to do beyond the norm for the summer.

“It’s also supporting parents too, because it’s all afternoon, giving parents something that they know they’re kids are going to enjoy.”

Pepin said that although the day camp is a 4-H program, the agency is partnering with the Marquette County West End Youth Center, a new nonprofit.

“We’re trying to build that up at the same time as bringing 4-H into the west end,” she said.

Wednesday’s session gave the campers time to frolic on the Al Quaal playground equipment, but also take part in a structured activity called team painting.

A camper on each team started with a single “squiggle” stroke on a piece of paper, which then was passed to the next camper at that table. Each youngster had the chance to add to the drawing.

A little bit of time-sensitive suspense was part of the activity, with an adult leader saying “5-4-3-2-1 pass” to signal that the camper drawing at the time had to move the artwork to the next kid.

Of course, the finished drawings came in all shapes and sizes.

Paisley Hartsell, 11, of Ishpeming, has been a regular 4-H day camper this summer.

“There’s been tons of activities and games that have been going on,” Hartsell said. “We’ve done water and air bubble rockets recently.”

The youngsters got a dose of wildlife management as well. She said they watched a presentation on sea lampreys — invasive fish that have decimated streams and lakes — and an ecologist came to visit on more than one occasion.

“It’s just been a lot of fun with that,” Hartsell said. “We also had a miniature therapy horse come this week.”

She recommends the day camp to other kids.

“You get to learn the natural environment,” Hartsell said.

Learning about the natural environment on Wednesday included getting a close-up look at grasshoppers, which Penelope Gibbons, 9, of Ishpeming collected — and planned to release — that day.

“They jump so high it looks like they’re flying,” Gibbons said.