From theater camps and library programs to coastal dune lakes, trails and recreation fields, Walton County families are finding meaningful ways to help children build confidence, connection and a lifelong love for community.

There is a certain kind of childhood still possible in Walton County.

It lives in sandy shoes lined up outside a library story hour. In children catching minnows beside a coastal dune lake. In afternoons on recreation fields, art classes, nature trails and long days spent outdoors beneath towering pines.

For 10 year old George Glover, it also lives backstage.

“You get to spend time with people you don’t know, and you get to make friends,” George says.

George participates in productions and rehearsals throughout the year through programs connected to the Emerald Coast Theatre Company, whose youth programs now reach children in Santa Rosa Beach, Freeport and DeFuniak Springs. What began as childhood curiosity slowly became confidence.

“When I started, I was nervous because I didn’t know what was going on,” he says. “But over the years I got less and less nervous.”

Theater has taught him something larger than performance.

“You help other people if they don’t know their lines,” he says. “There are no small parts. Everybody gets to have fun and be part of it.”

For children hesitant to try theater, George has simple advice. “You should come do theater with us,” he says. “You make friends quickly, nobody bullies each other and you make a lot of good friends. His words capture something many Walton County families quietly hope for when they enroll children in arts programs, recreation leagues and summer activities. Belonging.

Across Walton County, families are discovering that the experiences shaping childhood often become the foundation for creativity, resilience and connection.

As summer begins, local families are signing up for reading programs at the Walton County Library, attending arts programs connected to the Cultural Arts Alliance, exploring hands-on learning at the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center and participating in programs through Walton County Parks and Recreation.

The experiences may seem small in the moment, but over time they shape how children understand themselves and the world around them.

Growing up here teaches a love for the natural world

For Maia Huff, now in her twenties, childhood was shaped by time outdoors. “We were always outside,” she says. “The beach, the bay, hiking trails, paddle boarding. It is just normal life here.” She describes an education formed slowly through observation and attention to the natural world. “You start noticing everything. Birds, tides, storms rolling in, how the water changes through the seasons. It gives you a deep respect for nature.”

There is a sense in her voice that this awareness becomes something larger than habit, a kind of reverence for God’s creation and its quiet order.

“There is something grounding about growing up outdoors,” she says. “It teaches patience, curiosity and gratitude.”

Experiences like these are strengthened by places such as the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center, where students explore ecology, conservation and the living systems that shape Northwest Florida.

Learning through sports, play and community

Across Walton County, recreation fields, parks and community programs serve as places where children learn perseverance, teamwork and confidence. Many of these opportunities begin through Walton County Parks and Recreation and continue through school athletics and local programs across the county. Children learn how to show up, encourage others and grow through effort.

Childhood in Walton County is changing alongside growth and development, but many families believe the heart of the community is still found in the experiences that shape children over time.

A library card. A first audition. A summer trail walk. A recreation league. A volunteer coach. A community stage.

These moments rarely make headlines.

Yet together, they form the kind of childhood that teaches young people not only how to succeed, but how to care for their neighbors, the natural world and the community they call home.

Share your Walton County childhood story

HWY 331 invites readers to share stories and memories of raising children in Walton County. Selected submissions may be featured in a future community series celebrating the people, places and experiences shaping the next generation. hwy331.com/contact