When it comes to stacking Oreos, think straight lines
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Alexus VanFleet, Jenna Koroll, Marcus Zuniga and Katie Landon (left to right) stack Oreo cookies during the 5 to 8-year-old division of a cookie stacking contest at the 2008 Rock County 4-H Fair. The children were brought to the fair by the Beloit YMCA.
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Rock County 4-H Fair President Wayne Flury stacks Oreos during a cookie stacking contest at the 2008 fair.
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JANESVILLE — Here’s what it takes to win a cooking stacking contest: A firm grasp of the principles of early childhood education.
Do you know your shapes? Can you count to 20? How are your fine and gross motor skills?
At Friday’s Rock County 4-H Fair cookie stacking contest, people put their best Oreo forward in an attempt to build the tallest tower of cookies in 30 seconds.
In the 5- to 8-year-old division, the action was simultaneously intense and chaotic.
A group of kids from Beloit’s YMCA day camp, all wearing lime-green shirts, lined up on stage along with Ryan Long, 8, of Center 4-H.
Those camp kids took their work seriously. Tongues were stuck out, reflecting an intensity of purpose usually only found in Olympic athletes.
These were youngsters who knew their shapes, and understood that a leaning tower of cookies would not stand.
But in the end, it was the mild-mannered Long who won. Analysts speculated that Long’s experience in Cloverbuds prepared him for the rigors of competition.
In Cloverbuds, judges quiz young people about their projects in a one-on-one setting. For his projects, Long made a wooden fire truck and a plate of cookies. That means he had to answer questions from two judges.
Yikes.
The YMCA kids were cheerful and gracious losers and had plenty of good advice for other contestants.
Katie Landon, 6, Beloit, advised people to “stack ’em straight” and to work slowly.
Alex Hildreth, 5, Beloit, politely disagreed, saying that a “fast” stack was the only way to go.
When asked what they liked best about the fair, the kids said, “cookie stacking.” When pressed, Hildreth admitted he liked “playing in the corn”—the fair has a large sandbox filled with dry corn. It is less messy than a sandbox and more fun, too.
The kids also were very interested in when they would get to buy something to drink.
Hanna Kearns, 10, of Plymouth 4-H, won the 9- to 13-year-old division, stacking 21 cookies.
In the adult division, those early childhood principles became all-important. Representing the YMCA was teacher “Miss Melinda” Harwick. She was challenged by nine others including fair board president Wayne Flurry and Sally Churchill of the Rock County Pork Producers.
With her kids and fellow teacher cheering her on with shouts of “Miss Melinda! Miss Melinda!” Harwick stacked cookies to a tie.
She won in the stack-off, stacking 22 cookies into a magnificent tower.
Was it the early childhood skills that helped her to the win?
“Yes, that’s it,” Harwick said with a laugh.
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