Contents Keep Sun Safe Be a Sun Safety Detective Editors Findings Make A Cloverbud Club "Play Date" Campus Connections Orange Shakin' Sherbet

Keep Sun Safe

Did you know that repeated over-exposure to the sun is the main cause of skin cancer?

Did you know that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States and that it is increasing at an alarming rate?

Did you know that most Americans receive 80% of their lifetime sun exposure before the age of 18?

Some estimates suggest that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime. This is unfortunate because skin cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer. Yet as few as two blistering sunburns increase the risk of developing skin cancer later in life.

Most skin cancer results from a severe burn that was received as a child or during the teen years. Skin cells were damaged from the burn and continued to remain a "weak link." Since sun damage is cumulative, over the years continued sun burning further damages these already weak skin cells. Eventually, the damage is so great that the skin cells cannot mend and skin cancer develops. Help your Cloverbuds (and their parents) develop good sun safety habits. Here are a few ideas you can do to reduce sun damage in the early years and throughout life:

• Apply sun screen with an SPF of 15 or higher regularly. Apply it at least 30 minutes before going out, if possible. Look for varieties of sun screen that are made for children or for sensitive skin. Some come in bright colors, such as blue. They look like skin paint which many children find fun to wear. Be sure to reapply more sun screen if your children are playing in water or sweating.
• Limit outdoor play time during 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - hours when ultraviolet rays are the most intense.
• When outdoors during midday, help children find shady spots to play.
• Encourage children and parents to wear fun hats with a brim that shades their eyes, sides of face and back neck. Make sure they wear them in the sun.
• Have children wear shirts with sleeves, especially to cover the upper back and shoulders where the sun hits more directly. Choose clothing made of tightly woven fabrics to keep more sun out. Hold the cloth up to a bright lamp and see how much light shines through. The less the better.
• Wear sunscreen even on cloudy days. Most of the sun's rays are still coming through.
• Sunscreens are a way to protect your skin from the sun's damaging rays, they are not a reason to stay in the sun longer.

Finally, as a Cloverbud leader, be a good role model. When you are in the sun, be sure your buds see you wearing a broad brim hat and sunscreen, too.

Reference: Protecting your child from the sun. (2000). American Academy of Pediatrics.

By Joyce Ann Smith, Ph.D., Former Extension Specialist, Textiles & Apparel, and Kirk Bloir, M.S.,
Extension Associate, Human Development & Family Science, The Ohio State University.

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Be a Sun Safety Detective

Cloverbuds can become "Sun Safety Detectives" by making sun sensitive bracelets. Purchase ultraviolet (UV) detecting beads (also called pony beads) and pipe cleaners, strips of rawhide, or yarn from a craft store. If you can not purchase the beads locally, they can be ordered on-line at: http://skin-savers.com/Information/Kid_s_Korner/index.html or by calling 1-888-991-5200.*

Ask the Cloverbuds to string several beads onto the pipe cleaner, rawhide, or yarn. Help them to secure the ends with a knot. The beads remain white indoors or when shielded from UV light but turn colors when exposed to UV light. When the bracelet turns colors the Cloverbud is being exposed to ultraviolet light and should be wearing sunscreen.

*No product endorsement is intended or implied.

Submitted by Joyce Shriner, Extension Agent, FCS/Chair, OSU Extension, Hocking County

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Newsletter Editors Report Findings

The 4-H Cloverbud Connections Newsletter is an innovative, statewide publication targeted specifically for volunteers working with K - 2 youth. The newsletter has been published quarterly since 1997 for adult volunteer leaders and Extension professionals. Recently, it has been made accessible over the Internet to new audiences. It contains five sections: a headline article, Cloverbud activity section, campus connection, children's recipe, and educational articles.

During 2002, the editors of 4-H Cloverbud Connections surveyed newsletter readers using a questionnaire attached to the Winter issue. Two statewide surveys were conducted to measure the usefulness and utilization of the newsletter from 4-H volunteers (n=205) and 4-H professionals (n=77). Quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed to gather the data. Here are a few highlights from the respondents.

The volunteer survey indicated that 81% had five years or less of volunteer 4-H service. Most of the volunteers, 89%, indicated they "use or read or file" the newsletter. On a 4-point Likert-type scale measuring usefulness, 99% rated the newsletter as very useful (highest rating) and useful. The activity section was ranked most useful, followed by educational articles. Ninety-seven percent of the volunteers want to continue to receive the newsletter.

95% of the professionals reported the newsletter's contribution to K-2 programming as excellent (highest rating) or good, 97% rated its usefulness for Cloverbud volunteers as excellent/good. 73% indicated they accessed the newsletter 1-6 times per year for information and 97% want the newsletter to continue as a resource. Half, 50% are willing to contribute an article.

Thanks to everyone that participated in the survey and made this study possible, we have gained some very useful information to help us improve the newsletter. The following recommendations have been gathered from the study:

1. Include more activities for Cloverbud Volunteers;
2. Need to continually educate Cloverbud Volunteers about Cloverbud Policy & Procedures;
3. Include a Cloverbud Volunteer job description in the newsletter;
4. Market the 4-H Cloverbud Connections website; and
5. Correspond with 4-H Staff to mail the newsletter to volunteers.

The Editors
Bruce P. Zimmer & Joyce A. Shriner

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Make A Cloverbud Club "Play Date"

At your next Cloverbud Club meeting, gather all of your "buds" together in a circle. Make a list of fun activities that you would like do together. Pick out the top 5 fun activities you all would like to do. Next, pick out days in the next couple of months and make club play dates to carry-out your activities. Each member, and their parent(s), should have a part in planning the activities and commit to fully participating on these days. Some ideas to get you going: go to a state park and spend an afternoon talking about trees or fish, or birds; have a picnic in someone's back yard with everyone bringing one part of the meal; go to a zoo and have an animal scavenger hunt; make musical instruments and give a concert; build a town or spaceship from cardboard boxes; paint rocks; make-up silly rhymes.

Source: Kirk Bloir, M.S., Ext. Assoc., Human. Dev. & Family Sciences, OSU Extension.

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Campus Connections

Hello Cloverbud Volunteers!!!

Play is an important component for the healthy development of Cloverbud children. One of the life skills that we target is "social interaction" or "getting along with others." Through Cloverbud curriculum and play activities we can promote this life skill.

Martha Bronson (1995) with the National Association for the Education of Young Children recommends general play activities for this age group to promote positive social development.

Below are some of her recommendations:

• Puppets: to represent familiar figures for children acting out their own stories.
• Stuffed toys/play animals: to incorporate into scenes and models that may include animals or objects that are part of the current Cloverbud curriculum such as ants or dinosaurs.
• Small people figures: to foster imaginative play and cooperative communication as children use the people figures to represent themselves, friends, or family members.
• Costumes: to help children interact with each other in various roles from medical doctor to construction worker.

These play materials can be used along with the Cloverbud curriculum to supplement the curriculum pieces or as stand-alone activities. By including them in our Cloverbud meeting, we can advance even further the social skills of Cloverbud kids.

Thanks for all that you do as Cloverbud Leaders and Advisors!!

Scott D. Scheer
State Extension Specialist,
4-H Youth Development, Preadolescent Education
The Ohio State University

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Orange Shakin' Sherbet

Ingredients

In a 1 Quart freezer bag mix:
1 cup Orange Juice
2 cups Skim Milk
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2/3 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Orange Rind (optional)
Optional drops of food color: 2 red and 4 yellow

In a 1-gallon freezer weight bag, mix: 5 cups cubed ice, 3/4 cup rock salt, 1/4 cup water. Place 1 quart sherbet bag inside 1 gallon bag. Wrap in terry towel to protect hands from cold. Agitate 8-10 minutes. When firm, remove sherbet bag from rock salt mixture. Dry bag on towel. Use scissors to cut hole in a bottom corner of the bag. Squeeze mixture into serving cups. Makes 7-1/2 cup servings.

Sherbet for Two

For 2-person Orange Shakin' Sherbet combine in a 1-pint freezer weight bag: 1/2 cup orange juice , 1 cup skim milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon orange rind (optional), optional drops of food color: 1 red and 2 yellow.

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Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ad. Admin. and Director, OSU Extension TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868