Hands-on

Camp Season is Just Around the Corner!

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Are you looking for ways to increase participation in your county’s 4-H Cloverbud program? Consider holding a multi-day Cloverbud Day Camp with a wide range of activities designed to engage and excite your Cloverbuds.

Each year, Union County, Ohio hosts a two-day Cloverbud Day Camp. Due to the large number of Cloverbuds in the county, registration is limited to 75 Cloverbuds. Camp is held at the Union County Extension office.

The camp theme in 2023 was “In My Back Yard”. Campers were divided into groups with teen counselors providing leadership. Adult extension staff and 4-H volunteers taught the educational sessions.

Camper groups were named after Ohio birds—Blue Jay, Robin, Goldfinch and Cardinal. Each morning started with songs. Then the groups rotated through four educational lessons. Each lesson focused on animals. Cloverbuds learned about the different birds in Ohio and painted birdhouses. They went on an outside adventure to look for and learn about different animal tracks. Another session was about animal habitats and Cloverbuds created a terrarium in a baby food jar. The final session was a nature game show. They ate lunch outside and had rest time after lunch. The day ended with a big pool noodle game carnival where Cloverbuds used tokens to play each game.

Day two was an exciting day for the Cloverbuds. Camp organizers chartered two Ohio State University buses and took the Cloverbuds to

4-H Camp Clifton. When they arrived at Camp Clifton, they participated in a nature scavenger hunt. After the scavenger hunt, they ate lunch at the campfire circle. The adult staff made smores for each Cloverbud to enjoy. Cabins were used for rest time and changing into swimsuits. Cloverbuds swam in the pool all afternoon. They returned to the Extension office at 3p.m. and then departed for home.

Cloverbud Day Camp was a huge success, thanks to the teens and adult volunteers. Camp continues to grow each year. So, if you are looking for a way to expand your Cloverbud program, consider adding a Cloverbud Day Camp. Whether you host a one-day camp, a two-day camp, or even longer camp, it is a great way to create excitement for your county’s Cloverbud program.

Reading Adventure: The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal

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The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal by Nick Seluk is a new Cloverbud Reading Adventure that you can use with your Cloverbuds to help them understand the solar system and the importance of the sun. This adventure can be used anytime but is great paired with education about the upcoming solar eclipse.

This lesson teaches Cloverbuds about the solar system and the planets and other items it includes. You will explore why the sun is a big deal through a variety of hands-on activities designed to reinforce key science concepts. It will help your Cloverbuds to understand that the sun sits in the center of our solar system and holds it together. Without the sun, life on planet Earth would not exist.

The book does a great job of explaining why we have four seasons, the sun’s role in the water cycle, and how plants need the sun for photosynthesis. Plus, it gives us light and keeps us warm!

Check out this new Reading Adventure and discover why The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal!

From Polliwog to Grown Up Frog

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Frogs are fascinating creatures! Here are some fun facts and activities about frogs for your Cloverbuds. There are many interesting facts about frogs, many books to read (both fiction and nonfiction), crafts to do, snacks to make and even songs to sing! Want to learn more about frogs? Let’s hop to it!

Have you ever seen what looked like little jelly eyeballs floating in the water? What could these be? They may have been frog eggs. Frogs lay their eggs in water and the eggs hatch into polliwogs, also known as tadpoles. Polliwogs live completely in the water, they have no legs yet for jumping, just a tail for swimming! As a polliwog grows, it develops legs and becomes a full-grown frog. Once it is a grown-up frog, it can live on the land.

Ribbit, ribbit, how far can you jump?!   (let’s see how far you can jump like a frog!)

Frogs are amphibians. They can live both in the water and on land. Frogs can be very small or very large. Some frogs can weigh up to 7 pounds while others are so small, they can sit on a dime. Frogs live everywhere in the world but Antarctica, and have been around as long as the dinosaurs! Where can you find frogs near you? (Ask Cloverbuds to share their ideas.) *Note: if you have a nearby location with a frog population, you might want to take your Cloverbuds on a frog adventure!

All frogs are green, right? Not true! Frogs can be yellow, red, orange, blue and even purple! What color of frog would you like to be? Check out this frog coloring page for your Cloverbuds to color as they wish. (You might show some pictures of colorful frogs).

There are many frog crafts available that are suited for the Cloverbud age level. Here is one that you can use or feel free to search for other options that your group might enjoy.

Supplies you will need for this craft:

  • Paper plates
  • Frog feet cut from green construction paper (4 per child)
  • Markers/color pencils/crayons
  • Party horns
  • Jiggly eyes
  • Glue
  • Scissors (adults may want to cut the hole so that it is the proper size.)

What to do:

Give each Cloverbud a paper plate. They will fold the plate in half. Have the Cloverbuds decorate the outside of the plate to look like a frog. Cut a hole in the center of each plate at the fold. The hole should be big enough to slide the party horn in snugly. Glue the jiggly eyes on the top side of the plate. Glue the feet on the bottom side of the plate. Insert the horn into the hole in the plate. Complete–a frog ready to catch some flies!

Would your Cloverbuds like a frog snack that will make them smile? Try the Apples Smiles recipe found in Fall Festival: A Harvest of Fun section of the Big Book of 4-H Cloverbud Activities. To make the smiles look like frogs, substitute a slice of strawberry (replacing the marshmallows) to look like a frog’s tongue. To take an extra leap, place a gummy worm so it appears to be hanging out of the frog’s mouth. Enjoy!

Your Cloverbuds might enjoy these books about frogs—How Does A Tadpole Grow? and I Don’t Want to be a Frog. 

Camp songs are always fun! Try this funny song about frogs.

LITTLE GREEN FROG

Um Ah, went the little green frog one day
Um Ah, went the little green frog
Um Ah, went the little green frog
and his eyes went Um Ah, Um Ah, Um Ah Ah
Beep, beep, went the big Mack truck one day
Squish Squash, went the little green frog
and his eyes diddn’t go Um Ah, anymore
’cause they both got eaten by a dog Woof Woof!

Gestures:
Um-Hands in and closed
Ah-Hands out and open
Beep-Pulling Mack truck horn motion
Squish-press hands together like your squishing something
Squash-Same as above

“Toad-ally” funny jokes to share with your Cloverbuds! 

What kind of music do frogs like best? (Hip hop)
Why are frogs such good basketball players? (They always make their jump shots)
Where do frogs go for breakfast? (IHOP)
What do frogs play during recess? (Hop-scotch)
What do frogs eat in the summer? (Hopsicles)

We hope that your Cloverbuds enjoy learning about frogs. A good way to end this meeting may be to ask your Cloverbuds what other animals they would like to learn about.

Sources:
annex.exploratorium.edu/frogs/mainstory/index.html
unsplash.com/s/photos/frog

 

Incorporating Apples into Fall Cloverbud Activities

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October is a perfect time to visit a local apple orchard. Last year, I took my Cloverbud to an orchard and picked at least 9 different varieties of apples. Some were good for eating. Some were good for baking. Some were good for freezing. We enjoyed trying new recipes as well as seeing the variety of apples that grow here in Ohio. Did you and your Cloverbuds know that Ohio is one of the top apple producing states in the United States?

A few fun and easy activities for Cloverbuds include

  • Tasting a variety of apples- Allow Cloverbuds to have red, green, yellow apples. Make a graph of their favorite ones to eat fresh. What words would they use to describe the taste of the apples they tried? (sour, crunchy, shiny, juicy, cold, sweet, red, bitter)
  • Try a few new recipes. Encourage the Cloverbuds, with your help, to use an apple corer or make a fruit dip to eat with their apples.
  • Read a book all about apples. There are so many wonderful books about fall. Read the book outside while the leaves are falling. A good book to start with would be “Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie”.
  • Make an easy snack for a club meeting.

An easy snack for a Cloverbud club meeting would be apple pie in a cup. It is easy to set up an assembly line and allow each child to visit each station. Don’t forget to wash those hands before you start.

Apple Pie in a Cup

Ingredients needed:

  • Graham crackers
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Can of apple pie filling
  • Whipped cream
  • Cups
  • Plastic Bag
  • Spoon
  • Napkins
  1. Give each Cloverbud a plastic bag, a cup, and 2 graham crackers. Have them break apart the graham crackers and put them in the baggie. They should crush the graham crackers into small pieces. Then they will put a layer of crushed graham crackers at the bottom of their cup for their crust.
  2. You can warm up the apple pie filling in the microwave but not required. Ask each Cloverbud to put 2-3 scoops into their cup on top of the graham crackers.
  3. Put some whipped cream on top of the apple mixture. Sprinkle a little cinnamon or cinnamon sugar on top.
  4. Enjoy!

Source: adapted from https://www.theprintableprincess.com/apple-pie-in-a-cup-freebie/

Reviewing Your 4-H Cloverbud Programming

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Portrait Of Excited Elementary School Pupils On Playing Field At Break Time

As 4-H Cloverbud volunteers and educators, we are always focused on planning for the next big event. Many times, we don’t take time to review our programs. The Ohio 4-H Clovebud program several resources that help with program delivery, curriculum, goals, and tools to help with evaluation. As your 4-H season comes to an end for the year, build in time to take a closer look at your Cloverbud program. Spend time with other club volunteers discussing their activities and events. Sometimes we get so busy throughout the season, we plan activities for the “wow” factor instead of selecting the best hands-on educational activities for our Cloverbud members. Not that we can’t bring in fun age-appropriate activities, but we need to provide and teach the Ohio 4-H Cloverbud program curriculum to our Cloverbud 4-H members.

So where do you start? As you reflect on your 4-H club season, think about each one of your meetings and activities. The Cloverbud program should explore areas of healthy lifestyle, earth/environment, citizenship, plants and animals, consumerism and family science, science and technology, personal development, and community expressive arts. The primary goal of the Cloverbud program is to promote children’s healthy development—mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally. The program should be fun and positive, leader-directed, activity-based, noncompetitive, success-oriented, and group-centered for youth aged 5 and in kindergarten until they reach age 8 and in the third grade. Did the programs that you provided follow the goals of the Ohio 4-H program and did your programming create an environment for Cloverbud members to develop self-understanding (self-esteem), social interaction skills (getting along with others), decision-making skills, learning skills (learning how to learn), and mastering physical skills?

Here are a few Ohio 4-H Cloverbud Guidelines to help make sure you are on track. One of the best ways to start evaluating the program is asking yourself, where did you get your club resources? Often volunteers search online for activities instead of using Ohio 4-H resources. The Ohio 4-H program has done the hard part for you. Visit ohio4h.org/cloverbudresources for information on the 4-H Cloverbud Volunteer Guidebook, The Big Book of 4-H Cloverbud Activities, My 4-H Cloverbud Year, activities, kits, and extra materials used to support Cloverbud programming. Check with your county Ohio State University Extension Office to see if there are free resources, books, or kits for Cloverbud volunteers. 4-H Volunteers must use the Ohio 4-H Cloverbud curriculum when working with Cloverbud members. To use any lesson other than the Cloverbud curriculum, you must submit a written lesson plan for approval to your county 4-H professional.

Did you have a minimum of two youth ages 5-8 and one officially trained Cloverbud volunteer? This can be tricky especially with 4-H clubs with only a few Cloverbud age members. Sometimes it’s hard to have at least two Cloverbuds, so effective communication and planning can help get full participation. There must be a ratio of at least one 4-H volunteer for each six Cloverbud youth.

How often did you meet? Cloverbuds meet a minimum of six times throughout the operating year. The operating year will begin October 1 and end September 31. Offering more than six meetings will help your busy members meet the state requirement.

A great resource is the 4-H Cloverbud Program Foundations available online, ohio4h.org/sites/ohio4h/files/imce/Families/4H%20Cloverbud%20Program%20Foundations%202.20.15.pdf. This tool explains the 10 foundations of the Cloverbud program. Another awesome resource is the Ohio 4-H Cloverbud Program table shown below. This reference will help you be sure each one of your activities is best matched for Cloverbud-age members. This helps separate project members versus Cloverbud members, as well as explain criteria for fair, camp, and animal activities.

 

Utilizing these helpful guidelines and tools when reviewing your 4-H Cloverbud programming will help ensure that your members are receiving curriculum designed just for them. The Ohio 4-H program has developed curriculum, tools, and resources to help you enjoy your role as an Ohio 4-H Coverbud volunteer. For more information contact your county Ohio State University Extension Office or visit ohio4h.org/cloverbudresources.

Get Excited for Fall with this STEM Activity!

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STEM activities are a great way to introduce Cloverbuds to the world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. By participating in hands-on STEM activities, children can learn problem- solving skills, creativity, and decision making skills.

Using the season to build activities around a theme engages Cloverbuds and connects them to real world experiences. Try this favorite Fall-themed STEM activity with your Cloverbuds at your next meeting.

Mini Pumpkin Volcano

Materials Picture of a Mini Pumpkin Volcano made with baking soda, food coloring, and vinegarNeeded:

  • Mini Pumpkin
  • Baking Soda
  • Vinegar
  • Dish soap
  • Food Coloring
  • Spoon
  • Measuring Cup
  • Tray or paper (for the mess)

What to Do:

  1. Cut the stem area of the pumpkin, keeping the opening smaller.
  2. Clean out the seeds.
  3. Place the pumpkin on the tray or paper.
  4. Add 3 to 4 spoons of baking soda to each pumpkin. Add a few drops of dish soap, and a few drops of food coloring.
  5. Pour vinegar into a bowl and have the Cloverbud use a measuring cup to pour vinegar into the pumpkin. Watch as the pumpkin erupts!

To make your pumpkin volcano even more interesting, carve the pumpkin like a jack-o-lantern and watch the eruption from different angles of the pumpkin.

Check out the Cloverbud Connections Pumpkin STEM and the Pumpkin Ideas for Autumn 4-H Cloverbud Activities blogs for more pumpkin and fall ideas to use with your Cloverbuds.

 

Pile of mini pumpkins

Sources:

https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/mini-pumpkin-volcanos-fall-science-experiment/

https://www.kindergartenworksheetsandgames.com/pumpkin-volcano-science-experiments/

Photos from Adobe Stock

 

Fall Fun with Cloverbuds

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Autumn is here! Temperatures are getting cooler and days are getting shorter. Fall is a favorite of many families. There are so many things to enjoy about the fall, but what happens when chilly and rainy days upset your plans for a sun-filled perfect autumn day? Most of the following activities can be done inside, with warm dry clothes, still creating seasonal memories with your Cloverbuds.

Rainy Weather? Go out Anyway! In his 1973 book, “Coast to Coast”, Alfred Wainwright wrote “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” Sometimes, rainy days make the best days outdoors. Popular outdoor areas, like pumpkin patches, the zoo, and the parks see a reduced attendance rate on less than picture perfect days, so you’ll have smaller crowds. Places like the zoo or aquarium have interspersed buildings that can provide a quick place to duck in if the weather is especially blustery. If you’re looking for an inexpensive outdoor experience, local metro parks or your own backyard are the perfect solution. Take your Cloverbuds (be sure to tell parents in advance so they can dress their Cloverbud for the weather) on a wet weather scavenger hunt for the biggest and smallest puddle, see who can create the biggest splash, find animals tracks in the mud, or make leaf boats to float. A bonus of parks and trails is gathering fallen leaves or materials to use to make art but be sure to leave the wildflowers for others to enjoy. (Know and follow your local park guidelines. Some have policies that state the only thing you should take is pictures.) So be prepared for a little rain and a little mud. Pack that extra change of clothing, strap on those rainboots, grab the raincoat, and enjoy the wet weather!

Looking for indoor activities to use with your Cloverbuds this fall? If you have leaves available in your backyard (or collected after a hike), use them to make some amazing works of art. Leaves can be used to make a nature art frame, or used outside for games and activities. Fall wildflowers such as ironweed and goldenrod make beautiful backgrounds for your frame too.

Thinking ahead to upcoming holidays, floral arrangements or wreaths make excellent indoor activities. Using materials from the discount store and hot glue, fun fall decorations can be made with budget friendly materials. Cut the center out of a paper plate and glue leaves and pinecones around the edges for a fall look or go spooky with tissue ghosts and black construction paper handprints.

Homemade play dough never goes out of style and can be used more than once if it is stored properly. Check your spice cabinet and add cinnamon, pumpkin or apple pie spice, or nutmeg to create a fragrant hands-on fall theme play day! Be sure to tell Cloverbuds not to eat the homemade play dough.

Carve pumpkins and use the seeds to make a salty snack or dye them and use for counting, making patterns, color sorting or creating seasonal art! Learn how to dye the harvested seeds and find a list of STEAM seed activities here.

Don’t forget to check out the Great Lakes Great Apple Crunch in a few weeks to register those apple crunches for Ohio which helps celebrate October as Farm to School month. Every tasty bite counts!

Resources:

childsplayabc.wordpress.com/2021/06/06/leaf-boats-and-rafts/

honeyandlime.co/fall-leaves-wreath-craft-for-kids/

munchkinfunathome.com/arts/playdough

messylittlemonster.com/2020/10/how-to-dye-pumpkin-seeds.html

STEM Days for Cloverbuds

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Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities can make learning fun for our Cloverbuds and instill a lifelong desire to learn new things! Doing STEM based learning has many benefits for youth so Morgan County implemented Cloverbud STEM days. Events typically last 2 hours and consist of different STEM activities for Cloverbuds.  The day ends with a snack.

The event is completely conducted by Older Youth in Training and Junior Leaders.  With guidance, they choose a theme and plan what activities they want to do. Older youth lead the activities throughout the day.

The last STEM Day was on April 7th. It was called “Swing into Spring.” One of the activities for the day was based on the lifecycle of the Monarch Butterfly. It was an interactive game where the Cloverbuds become the monarch butterfly, beginning as an egg.

Supplies Needed:

  • Cotton balls
  • Laminated Monarch Caterpillars
  • Laminated Monarch Butterflies
  • Laminated milkweed leaves
  • Laminated Flowers
  • Milkweed seeds for a giveaway (optional)
  • Popsicle sticks (optional, to hot glue onto butterflies and caterpillars for easy holding)

What to Do:

  1. Explain what the Cloverbuds will be doing (experiencing the lifecycle of a monarch butterfly.)
  2. They will start off as an egg (cotton ball) and then hatch into a caterpillar. To hatch out of their eggs, each Cloverbud must jump 5 times. After they do so, hand them a laminated monarch butterfly caterpillar.
  3. Next the caterpillars must eat to form into a chrysalis to become a butterfly. Monarch caterpillars love milkweed. Each Cloverbud must collect (eat) 5 milkweed leaves so their caterpillar can form a chrysalis (explain the chrysalis is the shell a caterpillar will stay in while it is transforming into a butterfly).
  4. To simulate emerging from the chrysalis, they will put their caterpillars into a green cup. They must take ten steps to break out of their chrysalis (The actual time frame for this is 8-15 days).
  5. Once they have taken ten steps, hand each Cloverbud a laminated Monarch Butterfly.
  6. Now that they have hatched, it is time to get ready for the great migration to Mexico. Explain that just like birds, Monarch butterflies migrate too. They fly over Lake Erie to Canada all the way to Mexico where it is warmer. In order to prepare for migration, monarch butterflies must eat. Butterflies eat the nectar in flowers. Cloverbuds must collect eight flowers to successfully migrate to Mexico.
  7. Lastly, they will cross the finish line making it to Mexico.

There are many different variations you can do with this activity. Consider adding predators or other environmental factors. Morgan County 4-H partners with their SNAP-Ed program assistant to teach a short/fun lesson on nutrition during snack time right before dismissal. Cloverbuds enjoy that aspect of this event.

Consider implementing Cloverbud STEM days in your Cloverbud program.  STEM days have been a huge success in Morgan County!

 

Expanding Cloverbud Opportunities: County-Wide Cloverbud Clubs

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Are you looking for additional ideas to expand your current Cloverbud program?  Do you have 4-H clubs with one or two Cloverbud members that would benefit from opportunities beyond the community club?  Consider hosting a county-based Cloverbud Club to maximize outreach efforts.

Each year, Union County, Ohio, hosts a county-wide Cloverbud Club. To accommodate the large number of Cloverbuds in their county, two sessions are offered: one on Wednesday evening and one on Saturday morning. Meetings are held at the beginning of each month, February through May, with an additional session at the end of May to conclude the Cloverbud year. The theme for 2023 is “In My Backyard”. The meeting schedule utilizes a camp approach in which the Cloverbuds rotate in groups to different stations. Teens serve as counselors and supervise the Cloverbuds as they rotate through the activities.  Adult volunteers lead the sessions and teach the Cloverbuds about the selected topics.

The February meeting topic was “All About Bees”.  Cloverbuds learned about the life cycle of a bee, made beeswax candles, learned about pollination, and had a honey tasting station. The March meeting focused on worms. Cloverbuds conducted experiments with Red Wiggler Worms. During the April meeting, Cloverbuds learned about gardening. They planted lettuce seeds, made fruit pizza, and did a fruit and vegetable taste test. May’s meeting focused on animals. Volunteers brought a dog, horse, lamb, goat, pig, and turkeys.  The final meeting in May included a visit to a local farm and fishing.

The Cloverbud Club is a huge success, thanks to the teens and adult volunteers, and continues to grow each year.  Consider adding a county-based Cloverbud Club to your existing Cloverbud opportunities and expand your 4-H outreach.

STEM and Cloverbuds

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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities have a large impact on children. STEM focuses on hands-on learning which helps children develop STEM skills including problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, decision making, and many more. It is never to early to teach these skills which are important not only now, but in the future. Try this STEM activity at your next meeting!

Important Information to consider before doing this activity.

  • Neodymium magnets are extremely strong! Fingers can easily get pinched when trying to separate the magnets. Be sure to keep the magnets away from cell phones, computer, and other electronics.
  • Iron oxide powder is not good to breathe. Therefore, the iron is mixed in with the glue.  Wear a mask when working with this powder.
  • Iron oxide powder is available from a variety of online sources.
  • Neodymium magnets are available from a variety of online sources.

                                   Magnetic Slime

You will need:

  • Liquid starch
  • Elmer’s glue
  • Iron Oxide powder (wear a mask)
  • Mixing bowl
  • Plastic spoons
  • ¼ Cup for measuring
  • 1 Tablespoon for measuring
  • 1/8 cup for measuring
  • A neodymium (rare earth) magnet, regular magnets aren’t strong enough

What to do:

  • In a mixing bowl add ¼ cup glue and 2 Tbsp iron oxide powder. Stir.
  • Pour in 1/8 cup liquid starch.
  • Stir the mixture well, the starch will react with the glue and slime will form.
  • Use your hands to knead the slime. If it is too sticky add more starch.
  • Use your magnet and play with the slime.