More than 125 people were on hand Tuesday of last week to participate in the Clinton County Extension Office’s Longest Day of Play event. Below right, Lelan Gibson enjoys one of the Longest Day of Play activities last Tuesday at the Extension Office.

After two-year COVID-19 hiatus

The Clinton County Cooperative Extension Office held its annual Longest Day of Play last week on Tuesday.

This was the first year since 2019 the event had been planned due to COVID-19 and according to Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Education Christy Nuetzman Stearns, it was a success.

“We were excited to offer Longest Day of Play this year since we hadn’t been able to host it since 2019,” Stearns said. “It was even more exciting that our building expansion project is completed and we held the event onsite, making more people aware of our location and what all we offer.”

Stearns said there were around 125 people who attended the event Tuesday.

“All activities offered focused on play and healthy living,” Stearns said. “Participants were able to play a variety of games, bounce on inflatables, prepare to grow their own salad, see the amount of germs on hands and learn more about proper handwashing, launch rockets, play in water, and have lots of fun while learning along the way. It was great to see families playing together and enjoying themselves. No one is ever too old to play and learn.”

Agencies partnering with the Extension Office included the Clinton County Public Library, Kentucky Cancer Program, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kentucky, Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, Lake Cumberland Community Action-Kynect Program, Medical Center at Albany, Albany Elementary and Clinton County Early Childhood Center, Family Resource Center, Twin Lakes Family Wellness Center, and Clinton County FFA.

“Improving the quality of life for individuals and families is what we are all about. It’s always rewarding to see the impact of programs like the Longest Day of Play,” Stearns said. “Our next program is the Summer Smart Start Academy for those entering preschool and kindergarten on July 11th and 12th. We will kick off a variety of other family programs in August. We encourage folks to follow us on Facebook or call our office at 606-387-5404 to be placed on a mailing list.”