She Sells Seashells by the Seashore

 

Summertime fun is upon us which means many families might be taking a summer vacation. The beach is a popular vacation spot. And what do people often collect from the beach? Seashells, of course! Talking with your Cloverbuds about seashells is a fun summer activity. Ask an advisor, parent, or youth member if they have seashells they have collected from a recent vacation. Set the shells on a table and take time to explore all the differences.

Explain to your Cloverbuds that seashells are uniquely different in size, shape, and color. No two are exactly alike! Ask your Cloverbuds:

• How are the edges different? Are they smooth or rough?
• Are the shells flat or curved?
• Are the shells pointy or round?
• What colors and patterns do the Cloverbuds see?

Depending on the age of your Cloverbuds, you might ask them what type of creatures live in seashells—hermit crabs, scallops, snails, clams, and so forth. If possible, show the Cloverbuds pictures of these creatures.

Now ask your Cloverbuds to use their creativity to make their own seashell. Ask them to think about the features they observed. Will their shell be wide and wavy, or small and spiky?

You will need:

• a plain paper plate for each Cloverbud
• scissors
• pencils
• crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• glue
• optional decorations: glitter, sequins, buttons, tissue paper, or sand

1. To form a basic seashell shape, fold the paper plate in half like a taco shell.
2. Use a pencil to draw the outline of a seashell such as a scallop, clam, or spiral shell.
3. Cut out the seashell shape.
4. Use crayons or markers to draw curved lines or ridges.
5. Decorate the seashell. Be creative!

Another fun activity is to write questions on a beach ball with permanent marker. Ask the Cloverbuds to stand in a circle and toss the ball. When a Cloverbud catches the ball, they answer the question that is closest to the thumb on their right hand. You might include questions such as What is your favorite ocean animal? What is your favorite fruit? What is your favorite popsicle flavor? and so forth.

There are many fun beach-themed books that your Cloverbuds might enjoy. Check your library for favorites such as “Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach” by James Dean, “The Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister, “Duck & Goose Go to the Beach” by Tad Hills, or “Commotion in the Ocean” by Giles Andreae.

Have a great summer!

NOTE: This summertime topic pairs will with Chapter 19–Nature Fun or Chapter 23–Habitats are Homes found in the Big Book of 4-H Cloverbud Activities.

Image from stock.adobe.com

School is out for the SUMMER, but the rain doesn’t stop!

Take advantage of that soggy ground and gather up some earth worms!

Check out the following activity on Clover Connections!  

Click the link for the full activity with more experiments! 

The Wonderful World of Worms

By Ronda Williams, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development/CED, Darke County (OSU Extension)

Objective

• Increase awareness of the natural environment
• Become aware of the role earthworms play in plant and soil

health

• Learn about the behavior characteristics of worms
• Learn the basics of composting with red wiggler worms

Group Size : 6-8 children per adult volunteer

Time Frame : This lesson is designed for a group meeting between 30 and 60 minutes

Worm Experiments

You will need:

• Red Wiggler Worms
• Flashlights (one per group)
• Sandpaper (one small square per group)
• Paper Towels (one damp paper towel per group; one dry

paper towel per group)

• Vinegar (a small amount)
• Spray bottle filled with water
• Hand wipes (one per participant)

Before conducting the worm experiments with your group, go over some basic worm facts.  This will help them to understand some basic worm behaviors. Distribute the Worm Observation Chart and ask each participant to make their predictions as to what the worms will do during each experiment. After each experiment is conducted, ask the participants to record what the worms did during the experiment. Were the participants’ predictions correct? For best results, divide your group into teams of four or five participants. Give each group two worms on a damp paper towel. Announce that members do not have to touch the worms if they do not want to. Worms should be handled gently, and participants should not “pound” on the table or talk in loud voices as the worms are extremely sensitive to vibrations.

Experiment #1 – Which texture appeals to worms?

Give each group a piece of sandpaper. Instruct them to position their worms so that they are

half on the sandpaper and half on the paper towel. Watch what happens.

Summer activities are around the corner, do your Cloverbuds know how to identify themselves or where they should go if they get separated from their parents or their group?

Discuss who are your safe adults to find? Store worker/ Employee , police officer, security person, other mother/father with children.

Practice  your address and phone number: Use the Know my Address / Know My Phone Number Printable from the Big Book of Clover Bud Activities 

Play: Lost Child Game – Gather the children in a circle. Tell them you are going to play a game that requires using their memory and observation skills. Select one child to be the “Police Officer” and ask that child to leave the room for a minute. Select two different children to be the “parent” and one to be the “lost child”. Tell the “parent” to look carefully at their “lost child”. What does he or she look like? What is he or she wearing? Have the “Child” go back into the group of other Cloverbuds. Have the child who is the “police officer” come back into the room. Have the “Parent” explain that their child is missing and give their description. Challenge the “Police Officer” to locate the “child” out of the group of other children using only the description given.

Encourage your Cloverbuds to use their skills of observation and memory every day!

Utilize Clover Connections for meeting topics!

Ohio 4-H Cloverbud Spring Themes

 by Scott D. Scheer, Professor, Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership

It is wonderful to connect with you through 4-H Cloverbud Connections! With the arrival of Spring, we get to see blossoming plants, people, and places. Even though we may have some cold mornings on occasion, and even snow, Spring is here. The blossoms on our weeping cherry tree were ready to take off when I took this picture at the end of March.

Consider weaving Spring themes into your 4-H Cloverbud activities with the children. Before starting a 4-H Cloverbud group gathering or meeting, encourage the children to share what Spring means to them. Ask them to describe what they see, feel, hear, smell, and taste that signals the season of Spring. This simple activity helps children build life skills such as self-confidence, getting along with others, and decision-making through Spring theme activities.

Here are a few thought-provoking questions for 4-H Cloverbud children related to the Spring theme:

1. How many colors are in a rainbow (7, ROYGBIV – red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, and violet)?
2. How long does Spring last (about 92 days from around March 20 to June 20)?
3. What food products are made from tomatoes (ketchup, spaghetti sauce, tomato soup, pizza sauce, and others)?
4. Do you say potato or pot(ah)to, tomato or tom(ah)to (just for fun 😊)?

Alright, let the fun begin! Thank you for all your efforts as a 4-H Cloverbud volunteers to enrich the lives of children throughout Ohio!

We had our first STEM day of the year on April 18th. The theme was Wildlife Exploration! The kids had a great time!

They got to learn about the frog lifecycle by playing a game and making a Lilly pad craft, they also learned about hibernation and bears with a bear craft, lastly they learned about birds and different bird species by making a bird magnet and putting together a puzzle!

We played games quite frequently!

For snack we had popcorn, fruit and cocoa pebbles.

Thanks to all of our older youth for their hard work and here’s to another great year for our Cloverbuds!

The sun is shining, the ground is warming up, seeds will be going into the ground soon!

Follow this link for LISTENING & COLORING ACTIVITIES FROM THE GARDEN

Click and Do Activities are available on the CloverConnections Website!

Utilize this resource for quick activity ideas for your next meeting.