Back to School!

 

It’s back to school time!  Please click here for a fact sheet with some tips on helping your child succeed in school this year.  There are suggestions on how you can stay in touch and be involved with what is going on in your child’s classroom and school.  There is also a recipe included for Pumpkin Pie in a Bag!

Come To The Farm Zone at The Butler County Fair

 

The Farm Zone is a great place for KIDS!  This year, we have exciting activities and special events every day of the week.  Butler County’s Master Gardener Volunteers will have a fun, interactive display on wildlife throughout the week and the “I’m a Farmer” area will run all day, every day:  Sunday, July 22nd through Saturday, July 28th from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.  This area, where kids can experience life on a farm by picking produce and milking a pretend cow, is always a favorite!  Kids of all ages will have fun trying new things in the Farm Zone at the Butler County Fair.

Sunday, July 22nd  –  For the opening day of the fair, our theme is Farm Day. We will have a Soybean Sensory Pool open all day long.  Kids can see and feel real soybeans up close, then have fun playing the soybean with different types of realistic toy farm equipment. The Butler County Farm Bureau will also have a water quality activity to teach kids about the importance of keeping our water supply clean.

Monday, July 23rd  –  Is it play-dough, or is it soap?  It’s play-dough soap! For Health Day, kids can visit Central State University Extension’s hand hygiene display to learn about hand washing and then visit Ohio State University Extension’s activity display to make their own soap.  This craft can be squished like play-dough and bubbles like soap, and can be made in many fun colors!  This event will run from 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 24th  –  Have fun with Community Day at the Farm Zone.  Not only is there a new craft, MetroParks will have a fun activity for youth, and Hueston Woods will have a special display about raptors!  Kids and adults alike won’t want to pass up this opportunity to learn about some of Ohio’s most fascinating birds.  After that, kids can make a stylish bracelet that changes color in ultraviolet light from the sun.  This is a great way to find out just how much UV light you’re exposed to every day!  All of these events will be running from 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 25th  –  Come on down to the Butler County Fairgrounds to see our Cloverbuds race their fruit and veggie cars!  They have been working hard on these all summer, so you won’t want to miss your chance to see their handiwork.  This event will take place from 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m. in the Swine Show Barn.  Awards will be presented to the participants after all races are completed, and the cars will be on display in the Junior Fair Exhibit Building for the rest of the week.  All of the cloverbud Veggie-Fruit Car Race participants hope to see you there! Kids will also want to come and see Central State University Extension’s bee display, which will run from 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. Today is a great to learn where your food comes from!

Thursday, July 26th  –  To celebrate Natural Resources Day, the Boy Scouts will have a special display set up.  You will want to make time to see their exhibit on outdoor skills, which includes a fire building demonstration and a demo of how to set up a tent for camping.  If you think you might like to try camping, be sure to come learn about it from the Boy Scouts! Three Valley land Conservancy will also be in the Farm Zone from 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. with a fun station!

Friday, July 27th  –  Kids can learn about STEM with a variety of fun activities.  From 1:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., we have a galaxy jar craft.  Kids can explore space by making their very own pocket-sized galaxy to take home!  Young astronauts can also blast off to space in the rocket tent, which will be set up all day.  Then stop by our cool robotics demonstration from 1:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. to learn about some great robotics technology.

Saturday, July 28th  –  Remember to visit the Farm Zone on the last day of fair!  We will be running a craft from 1:00 – 4:30 p.m., but it’s a surprise!  Come on down to see what is going on.  This will be your last chance to visit the Farm Zone until next year, so be sure to make the most of it!

Please contact the OSU Extension Office with any questions at (513) 887-3722.

hio State University Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring that all research and related educational programs are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or veteran status.  This statement is in accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA., Ohio State University Extension TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868/Butler County/July 18, 2018

Thank you to participants of Sewing Camp for donating drawstring fabric bags to the Development of Living Skills!  Nina Solomon, DLS Instructor, spoke with the participants about how the bags will be used by our families such as carrying snacks and toys for their children.  Thank you very much for your hard work!  We appreciate it!

 

Happy National Pollinators Week!

Without pollinators, most plants can’t produce fruits or seeds.  Some examples of pollinators include Bumble Bees, Honey Bees and Monarch Butterflies.

Here is a Bee Craft that you can make:

Paint a wooden clothes pin with black and yellow stripes

Paint a face on the clothespin with white paint

Make antennas with a black pipe cleaner

Cut 1″ off around a coffee filter and scrunch it up to make wings and attach to the back of the clothespin.

OSU Extension, Butler County and the Butler County Master Gardener Volunteers will be at the West Chester Farmer’s Market on Saturday, June 23, 2018.  They will have bee crafts to make, samples of honey lemonade and answers to your gardening questions!  If you have time, please stop by!

Butler County Lunch Sites Announced

Several Butler County summer food service lunch sites have been announced!

WEST CHESTER/LIBERTY TWPS.

Lakota Local School District summer lunches are served May 30 through Aug. 8. Lunch will not be available July 4.

Lunches are free of charge for ages 1-18 and up to age 21 with a disability.

Locations are:

  • Countryside Village, clubhouse, 5050 Hamilton Middletown Road, Liberty Twp., from 11 to 11:35 a.m.
  • Deer Run/Mill Creek Apartments, 7846 Mill Creek Circle, West Chester Twp., from noon to 12:30 p.m.
  • Lakota Pointe Apartments, clubhouse, 6840 Lakota Pointe Lane, Middletown, from 12:55 to 1:25 p.m.
  • Princeton Village, 8953 Princeton Glendale Road, West Chester Twp., from 11 to 11:20 p.m.
  • Meadow Ridge Apartments, playground, 5270 Aster Park Drive, West Chester Twp., from 11:40 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
  • Boys and Girls Club of West Chester/Liberty, 8749 Cincinnati Dayton Road, West Chester Twp., from 12:40 to 1:15 p.m.

HAMILTON

  • Hamilton Living Water Ministry, 510 S. 8th St., Hamilton, offers free lunches from noon to 12:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, June 4 through July 26. Children must have completed registration form. For more information, call 513-894-9892.
  • Hamilton 2018 Summer Playground Program will be held at Crawford Woods Park and Benninghofen Park, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays for ages 6-12. Lunch is served at noon. Snack served at 3 p.m. for children ages 1- 17. Call Leah at the Central YMCA at 513-887-001 for more information.

MIDDLETOWN

  • 3 R Development Inc. Summer Meals will be held at 1224 Elm St., Middletown. Entrance on Delaware Avenue for ages 1-18. Breakfast served from 9:30 to 10 a.m. Lunch from noon to 1 p.m. Beginning June 4. For more information, call 888-539-1652 or email info@3rdevelopment.org.

The Salvation Army Middletown Citadel Kid’s Summer Free Lunch Program will operate at several sites throughout the city. Sign up at the site. For more information, call 513-423-9452. Free lunches must be eaten at site locations, which are:

  • The Salvation Army, 1914 First Ave., Middletown, from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, through Aug. 31
  • Damon Park, 1500 Pershing Ave., Middletown, from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, through Aug. 31
  • Sherman Park, 1800 Sherman Ave, Middletown, from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, through Aug. 31
  • Smith Park, 500 Tytus Ave., Middletown, from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, through Aug. 31
  • Douglas Park, 1825 Minnesota St., Middletown, from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, through Aug. 31
  • Oakland Park, 519 Baltimore St., Middletown, from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, through Aug. 31
  • Lefferson Park, 2201 S. Breiel Blvd., Middletown, from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, through Aug. 31

NEW MIAMI

New Miami Local Schools will serve meals Mondays through Thursdays, June 11 through July 19 in the New Miami Elementary Cafeteria. No food service on July 4-5. Breakfast served from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. Lunch from 11 a.m. to noon.

New Miami Local Schools will also be delivering lunches to these locations:

  • The Pines Trailer Park, 2174 Jackson Road, Hamilton, from 11:15 to 11:35 a.m.
  • Armco Park, 401 Augsberger Road, Hamilton, from 11:50 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.
  • Cherokee Park, 1586 Wichita Drive, Hamilton, from 12:20 to 12:40 p.m.

Food is free for any child ages 18 months to 18 years old.

For more information or to find a location, call 866-3-HUNGRY (486479).

Wear Blue

Wear Blue is a statewide awareness campaign that takes place on the second Wednesday of every April, Child Abuse Prevention Month. Ohioans are encouraged to wear blue that day – to work, to school, to a community event – to show support for preventing child abuse and neglect. The next Wear Blue day will be April 11, 2018.  #OhioWearsBlue