Children who participated in Picayune School District’s Camp Health is Precious Health is our Priority were treated to an end of summer celebration complete with play.

Camp HIP HOP was funded by the Safe Harbor program through the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation to give children fun and educational activities during the summer months.

Friday was the last day of the camp for Picayune school district and also the day they held a play based on the Organ Wise Guys learning material. Organ Wise Guys teaches children about how each organ of the human body works and how to properly care for them, said Picayune School District Project Coordinator Dawn Bechtel in previous interviews.

Children dressed as organs for the play and the script was based on information the children learned during the camp, how to properly care for those organs. Songs about drinking plenty of water each day to eating plenty of fruits and vegetables were incorporated in the play. The children knew the songs so well that even if it wasn’t their time to sing small mouths still moved to the words, including those of children in the audience.

During Camp HIP HOP children learned how each part of the human body functions and how to properly care for those parts. Bechtel said the children also learned how the nervous system and muscular system worked.

Other instructional activity included character education, such as loyalty, integrity, dignity, honesty and respect, Bechtel said. Safety instruction was also covered during the camp such as fire, water, sun, gun, seat belt, Internet and sharp object, Bechtel said.

The children were not the only ones to receive something from the camp. Small lives devastated during Hurricane Katrina found aid from small hands at Camp HIP HOP.

“The kids even made little bird houses for the Crosby Arboretum,” Bechtel said.

Picayune school district is waiting to learn if it will be able to fund an after school program for children who have working parents. A determination will be made after the school board next meets, Bechtel said.

“We definitely would like an after school program,” Bechtel said.