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Summer 2006
Recreation
4-H Style: Learning from Experience Recreation
has always been an important part of 4-H and is even more so today with
concerns about childhood obesity. Now more than ever American youth need
to get active. Obesity rates are soaring and youth’s activity rates
are declining. It is hard to compete for attention with the latest video
game, but youth at this age need to develop good habits for active recreation.
We have also found that youth often lack
skills in organizing and playing games independently. In lots of settings,
large group games can get youth active while also helping them learn new
skills. Cloverbuds is a great place for youth to get active and learn
group skills!
Self-determination is one of the Key Elements
that we strive to provide in 4-H activities.
Recreation is a prime opportunity for youth to make choices and develop
group skills. Choices are being made constantly. Which team do I
want to be on? What should I do next? How can I get better? Many
times our programs are structured so that youth have few or limited choices
based on the focus of the program. Youth need this structure. However,
they also need to have opportunities to make their own choices.
What works?
Based on our experiences, the following group games rank towards the top:
- Kickball – The ultimate “many kids, few adults”
game where mixed ages can all
shine.
- Foursquare – This lower activity game moves fast and keeps
a nice sized group
engaged.
- Garbage Game – Take any old combination of balls, string, flags,
etc. The group makes up a game and defines a set of rules.
Making
it 4-H Style (Learning by Doing)
˜ Have caring adults or teens facilitate the recreation experience.
˜ Go beyond the mediator role - help youth make decisions and learn
from the
results.
˜ Ask questions (What did you learn? What should you do differently?)
˜ Provide individual support that develops a positive relationship
with the young
person and guides their
growth.
Get your Cloverbuds ACTIVE to build social and physical skills!
Graham Cochran & Nate Arnett
Extension Educators, 4-H Youth Development
Ohio State University Extension, Adventure Central – Dayton, Ohio
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Coffee
Filter Flowers with a Recycled Vase It
is summertime and flowers are popping up everywhere! Bring the flowers
inside with this great arts and craft activity. Create a single flower
or go wild and make a bouquet of beautiful flowers. Follow the easy steps
and complete this activity in 15 minutes with your 4-H Cloverbuds!
Materials Needed for Coffee Filter Flowers:
Coffee Filters
Construction Paper
(2 pieces per child)
Wide-tip Markers
Tape or Stapler
Bendable Straws/Green Pipe Cleaners
Glitter (optional)
Spray Bottle with Water
Instructions:
Step 1: Place the coffee filter
on construction paper and begin scribbling on the filter with
the wide-tip
markers. (Note: Scribbling is best, not coloring)
Step 2: Once scribbling is done,
spray the filter with water (about 4 squirts). Make sure
to lightly spray the entire filter but don't soak the coffee filter.
Because the
coffee filter is so absorbent, the colors will bleed together.
This
is a great moment to show Cloverbuds how the colors from the
markers are
“moving” across the filter. Ask the Cloverbuds what
makes the colors move.
Step 3: Place a second piece
of construction paper on top of the filter to soak up the
extra water. Remove the top construction paper after 30 seconds
and let the
coffee filter air dry.
Step 4: Once the coffee filter
is dry, gather the middle of the coffee filter and twist. Place
on tip
of a bendable straw or pipe cleaner. If using a straw, tape or staple
coffee
filter onto straw. If using pipe cleaner, bend pipe cleaner around
coffee filter.
If you want flowers to have fragrance,
purchase any type of flowery body spray and spray on flowers, just make
sure you don’t spray too much or it will become overwhelming. Once
you have completed your coffee filter flower creation, place flowers in
a recyclable container such as; the bottom half of a ½ gallon milk
jug then decorate the outside with a picture collage; a plastic drinking
glass filled with colored sand; or brown lunch bag with colorful artwork
on the outside.
Kelly Nichols
Extension Program Assistant
4-H, Agriculture & Horticulture
Ohio State University Extension, Washington County, Ohio
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Getting
Out to the Farm Teachers
across the country agree farm field trips and visits are one of the best
learning opportunities available. In fact, 82% of the kindergarten teachers
in Tennessee who completed a recent survey said they are ‘very likely’
to take their students on a farm field trip. So, it must also be a great
opportunity for our Cloverbuds to learn and have fun!
The best time to visit a working farm is
from mid-June through the fall season when
visitors can do pick-your-own
activities at the farm. Taking home a farm grown product can show Cloverbuds
the connection between the farm and their local supermarket. Many pickyour-own
farms start with berries in early summer and end with pumpkins in October.
Some specialty farms will also allow vegetable picking in mid-late summer.
Other farms offer a sample of wool or lama fleece for the connection between
animals and fiber.
From corn mazes to hay mazes and even goat
walks to pig races - a farm visit can also be a great time for activity
based learning which is amazingly disguised as play! Organized activities
are best for Cloverbud groups whether it is a narrated hayride, a map/question
related format for a corn maze or a guided tour of the herb garden. They
can learn many social skills while interacting and learning from folks
at the farm.
When selecting a farm, visitors should
expect to pay a fee for a tour. This usually guarantees the farm is accustomed
to visitors and has all safety precautions in place for those visitors.
For a list of farms to visit in your county, check these farm promotion
sites:
www.farmtomarkets.com; www.ohioproud.org; or www.ourohio.org.
Eric Barrett
Extension Educator, Agriculture
Ohio State University Extension,
Washington County, Ohio
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Munchies
for Meetings!
All
foods count when it comes to calories. Make them mean good nutrition too.
Choose to eat foods with little added sugar and fat. Plan now to make
the foods offered at your 4-H meetings a good balance of good nutrition
for your calories.
Offer these foods most often:
* Fresh fruit – try washed cherries, bananas, strawberries (washed
and in a big bowl with the stems on), grapes, pineapple (purchase cored
and cut into chunks, or slice into quarter circles, leaving the outer
covering attached for people to grab and nibble), watermelon wedges,
cantaloupe and honeydew chunks (leave the rind on for people to grab
and nibble off the fruit)
* frozen fruit pops (100% fruit; not just fruit flavored)
* low-fat yogurts – vanilla flavor makes a good dip for fresh
fruit and granola bars; or try yogurt pushups.
* granola bars – get the crunchy kind; they are usually
a higher quality nutrition choice.
* trail mix – you can make your own by mixing equal parts nuts
(peanuts, almonds, pecans), dried fruit (raisins, dried apricots, cranberries
or cherries, dates), and lowfat granola or popcorn. Or buy it ready-made.
Portion it into 3 ounce paper cups.
* GORPP (good ole raisins, peanuts, and popcorn)
* popcorn
* cereal mix (homemade or purchased)
* sugar-free beverages or bottled water
* 100% fruit juice (no – ades, drinks, cocktails, or punches)
There
are plenty of opportunities for punch, pop, cookies and cake. It doesn’t
need to be at a 4-H meeting. Don’t use the excuse “The
kids won’t eat it.” If they don’t eat something, they
didn’t need it. Too many calories, even when they are nutritious,
are not needed.
Sharron Coplin, MS, RD, LD
Extension Associate, Food and Nutrition
EFNEP Program Manager
Dept. of Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University
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Campus
Connections Hello again!
It feels good to make another 4-H Cloverbud Connection with you!
A number
of years ago a 4-H Cloverbud Horse Curriculum was developed and is now
available on the state 4-H web site. It was designed within Ohio’s
4-H Cloverbud program policies and goals for children age 5 and in kindergarten
until age 8 and in the third grade. The material accounts for the developmental
needs of children in this age group for promoting overall well-being by
empowering young children through successful learning and positive social
interaction in cooperative learning and non-competitive environments.
Some of the curriculum activity titles include:
1) Making Sense of Horse Senses and Language
2) Hoof Beats
3) Hungry Horse
4) Barnyard Safety
The best way to access this curriculum
is through the link to the 4-H Cloverbud resources page: http://www.ohio4h.org/youth/cloverbud/
cloverbudresources.html
Check out item #5 for the horse-related
material. After testing the PDF file, it prints out better than it appears
on the screen.
Until next time, take care and have fun. Thanks
for all you do as 4-H Cloverbud Leaders for improving the lives of children
throughout Ohio!!
Scott D. Scheer, Ph.D.
State Extension Specialist, Preadolescent Education
4-H Youth Development, The Ohio State University
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Eat
Your Veggies
"The
most common vegetable foods U.S. kids eat are french fries, ketchup and
pizza sauce" according to USDA Pyramid Servings Data, <http://www.barc.usda.gov/bhnrc/foodsurvey/home.htm>
as published in the Jump Into Foods & Fitness curriculum (2003), Michigan
State University Extension, p. 13.
Since fresh vegetables are in season, summer
is a great time to encourage Cloverbud
children to eat more vegetables. Young children often prefer raw vegetables
because they have a milder flavor than cooked vegetables.
Scrub and cut a variety of fresh vegetables
and arrange them attractively on a serving plate. Suggested vegetables
include: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, red or green sweet peppers, green
or yellow summer squash, cherry or grape tomatoes, cucumbers and celery.
Serve with fat free ranch dip.
Submitted by: Joyce Shriner, Extension Educator, FCS
OSU Extension, Hocking County, Ohio
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