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How do you balance all the demands of a full schedule of work, family, friends, and community involvement? Do you feel like there is not enough of you to go around? You are not alone. However, some of us thrive on intensity, variety, and challenges. How is that possible? First, acknowledge that your routine pulls you in many directions, spreading you too thin. And then make a commitment to take care of yourself. People have many different approaches to caring for themselves. For me, the key to enduring a daily routine relatively free of stress is by having a positive attitude. Maintaining a good attitude is a choice. You are in charge of your attitude and how you approach the daily demands on your life. Make a conscious decision to be positive in your outlook. You tend to take on the attitude of the company you keep. So, surround yourself with positive people. When a co-worker or friend allows a negative attitude to drive his or her actions, others can easily be brought down by that negativism. Being positive can help you and others around you be happier and more productive. Attitude is the key. Make yours a positive one! Source: Janet Edwards, Extension Associate/4-H, University of Idaho Source: WSU Cooperative Extension Connections, Volume 6, No. 2. Cloverbud Science Family Backpacks Virtually all science instruction in schools is content oriented and delivered through readings, lectures or demonstrations. The Science Family Backpacks adds an exciting avenue to promote science literacy in the family. The Science Family Backpacks promote adult and cloverbud interaction. The activities in the backpack can be done in a short amount of time, inexpensively and successfully by the family. The activities are age appropriate for the cloverbuds and the instructions are in an easy to read manual. The Science Family Backpacks tie science to the world of a child. The Science Family Backpacks were created by Andrea Bowlin through an Ohio 4-H Foundation Grant. The kits were then piloted and evaluated by Dayton Public Schools and Huber Heights City Schools. Over five hundred urban K-2 students participated with their parents in this project. The Science Family Backpacks are divided into 4 science categories. The backpacks contain all the materials and books for the experiments. Parents must provide fresh materials.
Participants were asked to participate in as many activities as they would like. After completing the activities, participants were asked to complete a parent/child survey. The evaluations came back very positive. Their favorite activity was playing in the dirt. The most common request was more than one day with the backpacks. The cloverbuds wanted to complete all the activities in one evening. Due to those recommendations many of the teachers have sent home fewer activities in the Science Family Backpacks and allowed the cloverbuds to keep them at home for several days. Current research emphasizes the value of social interaction for improving learning. The Science Family Backpacks generate enthusiasm for the sciences and could be replicated in any classroom, latchkey or 4-H Club. Andrea Bowlin
Children are the citizens of tomorrow.
Although we often hear such phrases that value children, rarely do we give our youngest citizens the opportunity to contribute their ideas and talents. The Cloverbud 5-8 year olds love to help others. Volunteering is the perfect way for children to be welcomed as productive, active members of our community. In the book, Children as Volunteers, Preparing for Community Service, children said that volunteering makes them feel "good about helping", "proud", "got over my shyness", "felt grown up", " learned a lot", "generous", and "learned about different people", just to list a few. Youngsters listed these as possible ways they could help their community:
Actual projects that youth have done from all over the country include:
Look around and really see what children can accomplish when given the chance. Approach children as a source of innovation and energy and you will rarely be disappointed. Believe in the idea of Cloverbuds as volunteers, It does work! Source: Children as Volunteers, Preparing for Community Service, 1991 revised edition, ENERGIZE. Sarah Jane Lindsey
Hello! It feels good to make another Cloverbud Connection with you again! OK, the summer months are upon us and most Cloverbud children have been exercising their bodies and enjoying the great outdoors, but letís not forget about their minds! A sure fire way to insure overall healthy development is to expand beyond the physical realm and include the mental realm by using "reading" and "retelling" as additional Cloverbud activities. Many of the Cloverbud activity pieces already give reading recommendations and suggestions. Reading with children helps them to stimulate the mind, imagination, and thought processes, all of which are important for developing children. You might be asking what is "retelling" or why do it? Retelling involves asking children to retell the story or book that was just read to them. Children learn the following skills through the process of retelling - a) remembering events from the story, b) learning new vocabulary words, c) remembering facts, d) learning about sequencing and timing, and e) developing the love for reading (Glazer, 1998). Reading and retelling is a perfect way to bring closure to your Cloverbud get-together. Well until next time, take care and have fun. I look forward to sharing more ideas with you soon. Scott D. Scheer,
(30-60 minutes)
Materials: paper, pens and art materials Application: Focus and develop your imagination by recreating natural events as stories. Have the children think of a sequence of events that happens in the natural world. For example: a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, a seed is planted and grows into a tree, a cloud "fills" with water and bursts with rain, a tadpole turns into a frog, a baby bird hatches, eats, grows, and learns to fly. Encourage them to write or draw the events that make up the sequence. Include details that come to mind, such as colors and sounds. Have the children turn these events into an interesting story to share with the group. Source: Ohio 4-H Cloverbud Curriculum, "Story Telling." Julie Banbury Robinson, Belmont County. Ingredients
Source: Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. HE-631, Page 84. Campfires can be a special evening activity for Cloverbuds. Sing-a-longs and stories can certainly add fun to any meeting. But, there is a magic to a campfire that fills the young and not so young with good memories. Fast moving stories with active participation and singing are fun campfire activities that are ideal for Cloverbuds. If you are a natural singer, you may jump right in. Parents or teen leaders are good sources for help with stories and songs. Recommended songs might include A Hole In My Bucket, The Littlest Worm, Lion Hunt, and The Noble Duke of York. Another activity that never fails to get a group involved is a group participation story. A sample story is included below. It seems that these stories are like folktales that get passed along but are not easily found in library books. For the complete story below or others, contact Graham Cochran at (419) 334-6340. Several good sources are also listed below. Finally, the children's section of your local library is an excellent resource for songs and stories. Enjoy! A Terrible Ghost Story (sample portion) The group is divided into small groups with the names of one of the characters in the story and the appropriate noise that each should make.
The following story is read slowly by the leader and each time one of the characters is mentioned, the players must make the noise indicated. "On a dark and stormy night in October, a stagecoach rumbled along a lonely country road. In it a TIMID YOUNG GIRL bounced up and down on the hard cushions and gazed frightened out into the darkness. Suddenly the coach stopped and in stepped an OLD OLD WOMAN. From under one arm peered a LARGE BLACK CAT and around the other twined a LONG BLACK SNAKE. ëYoity! Toity! A TIMID YOUNG GIRL traveling alone tonight!! She exclaimed with a hideous grin. ëLet me tell your fortune, my pretty dear.' Toward the TIMID YOUNG GIRL the OLD, OLD WOMAN stretched a bony arm while the LARGE BLACK CAT arched his back and growled, and the LONG BLACK SNAKE watched with beady eyes." Good Sources:
Graham Cochran
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All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status. Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ad. Admin. and Director,
OSU Extension TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868 |
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