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Accommodation Assistance for 4-H Families

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Children often encounter individuals with disabilities or may have their own. It is important they learn that each of us is unique and face different challenges every day. Helping our Cloverbuds develop an understanding of and appreciation for people with disabilities is a valuable life lesson. They learn that people with disabilities are more alike than different from others. The “Experiencing Disabilities” lesson in The Big Book of 4-H Cloverbud Activities (page 125) lets Cloverbuds experience and appreciate what it means to have a disability. Encourage your Cloverbuds to empathize with others and to accept differences with respect and understanding.

For 4-H members, including Cloverbuds, with disabilities, accommodation is available through the Winning 4-H Plan. The Winning 4-H Plan allows 4-H professionals and volunteers to develop accommodation plans to meet the needs of 4-H youth. By working with families, 4-H professionals can provide reasonable accommodations to help ensure a successful 4-H experience. Parents/guardians can submit a request form to the county OSU Extension office outlining their child’s diagnosis and what accommodations are needed. The 4-H professional will work with the family to develop a plan for participation. Club volunteers may be involved in the process if needed. To learn more about the Winning 4-H plan, contact your county OSU Extension office or click here for a form to print and complete. Click here for a fillable form in pdf.

In addition to inclusion plans specifically for 4-H youth, are you aware Ohio residents can get help bridging the communication gap with first responders? Now available to Ohio families, the Ohio Blue Envelope Program is designed to promote inclusion and improve communication between first responders and community members with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder, dementia, and physical disabilities and/or mental health conditions which may require accommodation or awareness during law enforcement or emergency interactions.
Blue Envelope Packets are available at no cost to anyone with a developmental disability, whether you are a driver or a passenger in a vehicle. The packet includes the following:

  • A blue envelope to hand to a law enforcement officer or first responder with necessary information written on the outside and documents placed inside. Items to include in the envelope include a copy of ID, vehicle registration, and vehicle insurance card.
  • A window decal which discreetly communicates to law enforcement or first responders that a person in the vehicle may have a disability which could affect their actions or speed. The sticker should be placed in the bottom left corner of the rear window.
  • A wallet card which is a smaller version of the envelope with important information. It can be kept in a wallet, pocket, or purse to be used anywhere.

Contact your county’s Board of Developmental Disabilities for availability regarding the Blue Envelope Program and other services in your county. Working together, we can help our Cloverbuds achieve success!

 

Weather Watchers: Fall Forecast Fun

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four children jumping in the colorful autumn leaves As the days get shorter and the air turns crisp, fall is the perfect time for 4-H Cloverbuds to become Weather Watchers. Observing changes in the weather will help youth notice patterns, learn science skills, and connect with the world around them—all while having a blast exploring the outdoors!

What is happening in the sky?

During fall, the weather can change quickly. One day might feel warm and sunny, while the next could bring chilly wind and rain. This is because the Earth is tilting away from the sun, making our days shorter and temperatures cooler. When the sun is lower, shadows are longer, the light is different (softer, more golden), and the air begins to cool more easily. You can demonstrate this by shining a flashlight, to represent sunlight, directly onto a ball, then tilt the ball away, watching the light spread and dim.

Fall is a time of changing air masses where the summer air from the south meets the cooler polar air from the north. When these air masses meet, we get weather fronts and the seasonal shifts bringing changes in clouds, wind, and rain. As the air cools in the fall, humidity often drops, and the sky can look a deeper blue than in the summer with more vibrant sunsets.

Our 4-H Cloverbuds may have questions about how animals and people get ready for the colder days and nights, prompting conversation and observations about what types of clothes and activities change when the weather cools. Encouraging this discussion will build the opportunity for communication and curiosity.

Be a Fall Forecaster

Try out some of these fun ways your 4-H Cloverbud members can explore the weather this season.

Daily Sky Watch

  • Look outside each day and describe what you see—sunny, cloudy, windy, or raining.
  • Draw a simple weather picture in a forecast journal.

Wind Testers

  • Tie a ribbon around a stick and watch how it moves in the breeze.
  • Light wind? The ribbon barely moves. Strong wind? It is fluttering fast!

Weather Reporter Show

  • Maybe you are looking for a quick icebreaker activity for your next club meeting with your Cloverbuds. Have them act as TV weather reporters sharing the day’s weather and a fun fact.

glass jar with water, shaving cream, and blue food coloring made to represent a raincloudRain Cloud in a Jar
(source: thestemlaboratory.com/rain-cloud-jar/)

What you will need:

  • A clear jar
  • Water
  • Blue food coloring
  • Shaving cream
  • Dropper or syringe

What to do:

  1. Fill the jar about ¾ full with water.
  2. Top the water with a layer of shaving cream to represent a cloud.
  3. Mix some food coloring with a small amount of water in a separate cup.
  4. Use the dropper to add the blue water to the shaving cream cloud.
  5. Watch as the ‘rain’ falls from the cloud when it becomes too heavy.

Whether it is spotting rainbows, measuring rainfall, or noticing chilly mornings, fall weather offers plenty to explore. Encourage your 4-H Cloverbuds to keep watching the skies — they might just become the next great weather forecasters!

Hangin’ with Sloths

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a sloth in a tree looking at the camera

Sloth image from stock.adobe.com

Learning about different animals is interesting and an effective way to engage Cloverbuds. Being able to relate to animals is a way to connect to nature and generate excitement about being outdoors. Even when the animals are more exotic than our pets and farm animals, we can still have fun learning about them.

Show the Cloverbuds a plush toy sloth and talk about their appearance. Ask the Cloverbuds: Do you like hanging upside down from the monkey bars or laying on a tree branch in the back yard? Are you a good swimmer? Do you like walking very, very slowly…. especially when it is time to brush your teeth? Then you might just like to hang out with sloths!

Ask your Cloverbuds to share what they know about sloths. Then talk with your Cloverbuds about the characteristics of a sloth, such as what they look like, where they live, what they eat, and so forth. There are many great videos on youtube.com which talk about sloths. Share one of these videos with your Cloverbuds if your meeting space allows.

Sloths live in central and south America and are related to anteaters and armadillos. They like to live alone and do not usually hang out much with other sloths. They live most of their lives in treetops, moving slowly from place to place. You can ride your bike about seven miles per hour, while a sloth moves about four miles per hour. Sloths are surprisingly good swimmers; they move faster in the water than on land.

Sloths weigh between 13 and 17 pounds. That is about the same as a small dog or a really big house cat. A baby sloth is called a pup. It weighs about the same as a box of cereal (have an example to show) when it is born. They are born with their eyes open. Baby sloths like to explore but they always keep one foot on their moms during their first 6 months of life. After that mom moves away and finds a new tree to live in; baby gets the tree where it was born.

If you like to eat, then you might not want to hang out with the sloths. They only eat about the same amount as two and a half slices of bread a day (have available to show). They eat leaves that can take 30 days to digest. You digest your food in one to two days. It can take a sloth hours to go from the treetops to the ground. That is why they only make the trip once a week to poop. Some sloths even bury their poop by doing a poop dance!

We hope your Cloverbuds enjoy learning about sloths. Ask them what other animals they would like to learn about and make plans to share about that animal during a future meeting.

Things to do:

  • Try making a sloth on a stick. You will find instructions here.
  • Have the Cloverbuds make a sloth handprint craft for a fun keepsake.
  • Ask your Cloverbuds to color the sloth coloring page. Begin by asking them what colors they think they will need. Tell them that a sloth’s fur stays wet in the rain forest, so sloths often have algae growing on them. Where else do we find algae? (in ponds, lakes and even fish aquariums)

 

Books to share:

Book cover for The Weird, Wild and Wonderful Adventures of Austin the Zookeeper: Sloths by Tammy GegelThe Weird, Wild and Wonderful Adventures of Austin the Zookeeper: Sloths. Written by Tammy Gegel (This book honors the memory of Austin Gegel, an Auglaize County, Ohio  4-H alumnus. The author, Tammy, is a former Auglaize County 4-H volunteer.)

 

“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth by Eric CarleBook cover of "Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," said the Sloth by Eric Carle

Pumpkins, please!

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several pumpkins in a fieldWith fall comes pumpkins, apples, leaves changing colors, and cooler weather!  Pumpkins offer a great way to incorporate hands-on learning.  Have fun using these seasonal items that are found abundantly this time of year.

Sprouting Pumpkin Seeds: Give each Cloverbud a clear cup, paper towel, cotton ball, craft stick and 4 pumpkin seeds.  Tear 3-inch-wide strips from the paper towel and place around the inside of the cup. Fill the center of the cup with cotton balls.  Help the Cloverbuds dampen the cotton balls by setting the cup under a dripping faucet. The cotton will then get the paper towel wet too.  No water should drip to the bottom of the cup. Put the pumpkin seeds between the cup and the paper towel. Place on a sunny windowsill.

Pumpkin Sink or Float: Gather 3 pumpkins.  Place a tub of water that is deep enough for pumpkins to float without touching the bottom. Get a large pumpkin, small pumpkin, and then a pumpkin with the seeds removed.  Let the Cloverbuds hold the pumpkins and guess what they think will happen when they place the pumpkins in the water. Then, test the pumpkins.

Pumpkin Pie in a Bag: Not only are pumpkins perfect for the fall but they have many health benefits too.  Pumpkins are rich in vitamins and minerals and low in calories.  You can eat fresh or canned pumpkins.  Try pumpkin pie in a bag.  Cloverbuds love this! Setting up an assembly line makes it fun and easy to make. Click here for a list of ingredients and directions.

Tic-Tac-Toe: Using small pumpkins/gourds, have at least four of these of two different colors (orange and white for example).  Draw a tic-tac-toe board.  Give the Cloverbuds the pumpkins to use for their pieces of the game.

five pumpkins of different sizes and colors

Guess the weight of the pumpkin: Have a variety of pumpkins for youth to see.  Members can vote on how much each pumpkin weighs.

Pumpkin ring toss: Use a hula hoop and place pumpkins around.  Have the Cloverbuds throw the hula hoop to see if they can get it on the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Mini Golf: Carve some pumpkins and have mini golf equipment.  The Cloverbuds can try to hit the ball into the pumpkin.

Have fun with your Cloverbuds this fall!

Resources
Pumpkins…Not Just for Halloween-agclassroom.org/matrix/lessons/131/
National 4-H Council. 2006. After School Agriculture: Acres of Adventure. shop4-h.org/collections/afterschool-agriculture-acres-of-adventure-series.

Images from stock.adobe.com

Cloverbuds Share Engineering Skills Across Ohio

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The 2025 Cloverbud Engineering Adventure encouraged teams to experience the science of flight as they used their engineering and problem-solving skills to explore different types of aircraft that interested them. They then created their aircraft out of LEGO®-type bricks. In addition to showcasing the different types of aircraft, they learned about the pioneers of flight and how aircraft are able to fly.

The Cloverbud Engineering Adventure culminated in a one-day showcase event in which teams presented their solution to an engineering problem. The requirements included constructing a model on a 15” X 15” baseplate with interlocking parts such as Legos ® or Mega Bloks®, having at least one moving part or simple machine and creating a poster to highlight the overall engineering challenge.

Each team of two or more Cloverbuds prepared a poster/tri-fold highlighting their overall experience. The teams shared their models, posters, knowledge, and excitement with volunteer judges at the showcase events held throughout Ohio. This year there were nine showcase locations. Teams could choose the location closest to them.

The Cloverbud Engineering Adventure has seen tremendous growth since its inception in 2021. There were 108 participants from 13 counties in 2021. In 2024 there were 450 participants from 32 counties. Sixty-seven teams totaling 367 participants registered for showcases in 2025.

Look for this event to return in 2026! It continues to motivate our youngest 4-H youth to develop an interest in STEM activities. For more information about this year’s challenge, visit the 4-H Cloverbud Connections webpage.

No endorsement from The Ohio State University for products referenced in this curriculum is intended or implied.

Photos courtesy of Bruce Zimmer.

 

She Sells Seashells by the Seashore

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Large collection of sea shells

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

 

“Bee” A Pollinator

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Spring and summer are exciting for children, and Cloverbud meetings can add to the excitement. Consider this engaging pollinator activity to help Cloverbuds learn about the process of pollination.

You will need:

  • Yellow pom-poms
  • Hot glue – use with adult supervision
  • Black pipe cleaners
  • Jumbo craft sticks
  • lid or plate to hold “pollen”
  • Cheese balls

What to do:

  1. Have the Cloverbuds line up and begin using the hot glue (with adult supervision) to attach their yellow pom-poms. Place the pom-poms close together near the tip of a craft stick. Leave room in between the pom poms to attach pipe cleaners.
  2. Take a black pipe cleaner and wrap it around the stick between the two pom-poms. Twist the second pipe cleaner around the stick to secure them in place.
  3. Shape the pipe cleaner into four bendy bee legs.
  4. Set up the pollination station by crushing cheese balls and placing in a lid or on a plate. Use an empty plate to collect the pollen. You can make the plate look like a flower to enhance excitement.
  5. Take the bee and dip their legs into the container of pollen. Once there is a good amount of pollen sticking to the legs, fly them over to the empty jar lid and drop off some pollen. Continue this step until you feel like the flower has been fully pollinated.

Talk to the Cloverbuds about the importance of pollination. Explain that pollination is a process that helps plants produce fruits such as apples, strawberries, and oranges, and it enables the formation of seeds for new flowers. Thanks to pollination, we have a wide variety of delicious foods to enjoy. Pollination is not just vital for food. It is also essential for producing everyday items like cotton for clothing and wood for furniture. Without pollinators like bees and butterflies, many plants would struggle to reproduce, leading to a shortage of food and materials. Therefore, it is crucial to protect our pollinators by ensuring they have plenty of flowers to visit and suitable habitats in which to live.

Include literacy in this activity by reading The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive.

Incorporating fun and exciting ways to teach various STEAM topics can greatly enhance your Cloverbuds’ learning experience. Hands-on activities make learning fun!

Source: blog.kaplanco.com/ii/pollination-steam-craft

Ohio 4-H Cloverbud Spring Themes

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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!

Ohio 4-H Project Bingo

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2025 Ohio 4-H Project Bingo Bingo is a fantastic learning tool for Cloverbud members because it makes word recognition, vocabulary building, and phrase comprehension engaging and interactive. Instead of traditional memorization, children actively listen for words, terms, or phrases and connect them to what is on their bingo cards. This helps reinforce spelling, pronunciation, and word association in a fun way. By repeatedly seeing and hearing the words, Cloverbuds develop stronger reading skills and improve their ability to recognize common sight words, new vocabulary, or subject-specific terms like science or math concepts.

The bingo used in this activity focuses on Ohio 4-H projects and helps to introduce Cloverbuds to the next phase of their 4-H membership. Learning about the wide variety of 4-H projects helps Cloverbuds discover new interests and make informed choices when the time comes to select projects. Knowing the range of projects available can help members stay engaged in 4-H by finding new challenges and opportunities each year.

Bingo Game Instructions ​

  • ​Print Your Bingo Cards & Caller’s Card​ – This lesson includes 30 different bingo cards. You can print all the cards or just what you need for your group. ​
  • ​Optional Sight Caller Cards​ – Depending upon the age of your Cloverbuds, they might need help reading and identifying the project Bingo words. This lesson includes an optional set of words you can print and cut apart for the game. This makes it easier to hold up the word in front of the group and help the Cloverbuds find and identify the word on their bingo card. ​

Materials Needed

  • Bingo cards. One card for each Cloverbud
  • Chips, coins, dried beans, or something to mark spaces (or use pencils to cross them off).​
  • Calling cards or optional sight caller cards. The leader will say a flight word from the calling card or draw a sight word from deck of words. Players will match and find the flight word on their bingo card.​

Game Tips

  • Talk about each of the 4-H project words and explain more about what might be involved with the project.​
  • Keep it simple and start with a bingo as across, down, diagonal, or cover all.​
  • Encourage cheering as Cloverbuds find the projects!

Source: This game of Ohio 4-H Project Bingo was created at myfreebingocards.com

Image from stock.adobe.com

Reading is FUNdamental

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five children reading books while lying on the grassWhy is reading important to our youngest 4-H members?  Being able to read and comprehend is the cornerstone of any child’s education.  Reading introduces educational foundation skills, increases vocabulary, and instills a love of books and reading in children at a young age.  Children who read are better able to make the connection between written and spoken words, not to mention the fact that reading is fun!

Reading just one book per day to a child from birth to kindergarten will result in them hearing almost 300,000 words by the time they start school.  Children will also bond with that caring adult who takes the time to read out loud.

The cool thing about books is that they can be used to begin conversations with children about sometimes difficult or challenging subjects.  Reading provides an opportunity for children to safely explore strong emotions.

Cloverbud volunteers can reinforce the love of reading by incorporating a Reading Adventure (or two!) into their annual Cloverbud activities.  Reading Adventures take popular children’s books and pair them with ideas for healthy snacks, games, and activities.  Reading Adventures are designed to be stand-alone lessons that can enhance your already dynamic Cloverbud program; or, they can be used with different chapters found in the Big Book of Cloverbud Activities.  Each Reading Adventure identifies which chapter of the Big Book can be used with that particular adventure.

Most books featured in the adventures are popular books which you may already have on your bookshelf.  If not, these titles should be readily available from your public library or from an online library source.

Check out Reading Adventures.  Check back often as new titles are added as they become available.  Have an idea for a book that would make a great Reading Adventure?  Send your book recommendation to williams.418@osu.edu.

Reading a book can take us places when we need to stay where we are.  And, a child who reads will be an adult who thinks.

Photo from stock.adobe.com by Adobe Stock.