WEST BURLINGTON - It wasn't that long ago that the 4-H teenagers judging fair exhibits Thursday afternoon felt exactly like the pre-4-H Clover Kids they were critiquing - nervous, excited and eager to please. Most of them grew up around the Des Moines County Fair, piecing together their own exhibits in hopes of seeing that blue ribbon hanging from it.

But during the Clover Kids and pre-4-H class Thursday afternoon, it was their turn to take on the role of the adult.

"It makes me feel old," said 17-year-old judge Alden Tucker.

Clad in green 4-H T-shirts, the five teenage judges weren't there to designate red and blue ribbons - those are reserved for the older kids (like them) who are judged by professionals. Their job as the teen council was to provide advice to Clover Kids not old enough to join 4-H, showing them how the judging process works.

"I just like to get to know the kids and see what they made," said 15-year-old Kori McLaughlin. "Some of them have better ideas than I ever had as a little kid."

More than 20 children registered for the pre-4-H class, each with unique projects they were anxious to talk about with the judges.

Nine-year-old Bailey Thye of Mediapolis entered a tiny hummingbird birdhouse that she had just painted pink. But unlike most bird houses, this one was covered in fancy beads and sparkles.

"And why did you put sparkles on it?" her mom Karen asked.

"So it will get more birds," Bailey promptly answered.

Bailey officially graduates from the Clover Kids group Saturday, which means her exhibit will be under the scrutiny of professional judges next year. She'll also finally get to show off some of her animals.

"Next year, I'm probably going to take a dog and a cat, maybe," Bailey said.

Kyle Dowd, 8, of Danville, pieced together some of his favorite space vehicles out of Lego blocks.

"I made a voyager probe, a lunar rover, a rocket and a pathfinder robot," he said.

Dowd is autistic, and the Clover Kids program is another way he can let out his creativity and socialize with other children his own age. His creative mind never seems to slow down - in addition to the space vehicles, Dowd also brought along several short stories he illustrated himself.

One of his favorites is the "Star Wars" version of "Cinderella."

"He likes to use things he has and twist them into his own version. He likes to write books and build things," his mother, Tara Dowd, said.

In his story, Princess Leia takes the role of Cinderella, Han Solo is the prince, and Luke Skywalker is a waiter.

"What about C-3PO and R2-D2," his mother asked.

"No," he replied. "I'm still not finished."

While the boys tended to veer toward Lego projects, the girls were adamant in their love for the color pink. That was the case for 8-year-old Lauren Beckman and her 5-year-old sister, Carlea. They both brought in towel holders that featured wood cutouts of their names, appropriately painted pink. They also made their own pillows - green for Lauren and pink (again) for Carlea.

"That's pretty. I'm jealous," McLaughlin said as she looked over Carlea's project. "You probably learned it was hard to put all the glue and letters on it without getting all sticky."

After their projects were judged, each child received a rainbow-colored ribbon for their participation. They also were welcome to leave their projects in the exhibit hall next to the work of older 4-H kids.