Eye on Extension: Kids get hands-on with Cloverbuds

VALLEY — Every year, we have parents who wonder why their young children can’t participate in the 4-H club program. The traditional 4-H youth development program is designed to bring life skills to kids ages 8 to 18 through project work. Participants select projects based on their interests, meet with their clubs, and show off their work at the fair each year.

Though kids ages 5 to 7 might be interested in participating, research shows that they have very different developmental needs than their older peers. Programs designed for these younger kids should focus on social interaction, physical mastery, making choices, and learning to learn.

The good news is that, though kids ages 5 to 7 can’t participate in our traditional clubs, we have an activity-based program built just for them called Cloverbuds. It promotes healthy development and life skill building through hands-on meetings, full of activities and fun. It’s also a great introduction into the world of 4-H.

Cloverbud activities are geared to younger kids, who have shorter attention spans. Each meeting is made up of short activity blocks that feature games, crafts, and other small group activities. The overall focus is on cooperative learning. We explore a different 4-H project every month and learn about it together.

Activities are also non-competitive. Young kids who are still developing their self-identity can benefit from non-competitive environments where they can work on their confidence, creativity, and competence. So we focus on cooperative work instead of competition.

When we plan Cloverbud programming, we also make sure it’s designed for the ages and abilities of the youth. We want them to be able to feel a sense of mastery and discovery. Meetings involve excited kids showing off the neat things they were able to make, and sharing their own knowledge. Through all of this we also work to ensure youth are safe to learn and grow, by creating a welcoming learning space.

Our Cloverbuds program is open to all San Luis Valley youth ages 5 to 7. Youth can drop in for one meeting, or attend monthly. The next meeting will be on Saturday, December 1, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Extension office in Monte Vista. Subsequent meetings are typically held the first Saturday of the month at the same time. Each meeting features activities related to a different 4-H project. In November we learned about the electricity project with static electricity experiments and simple circuits.

The December meeting will focus on the quilting project. We’ll be learning about patterns and quilt making through crafts and activities. This includes making a perler bead quilt square, playing with tangram pattern puzzles, and contributing to a group quilt. Cost is $10 per child, and includes supplies and a snack.

If your child would like to participate in the Cloverbuds program, or attend our next meeting, contact the Extension office to RSVP. Families should register to participate no later than November 28 by calling our office at 719-852-7381, or via email at [email protected]. We’d love to see your kids there to take advantage of this program, which is designed just for them.

Amy Henschen is the 4-H Youth Development Agent for Colorado State University Extension. To find out more about Extension and the 4-H program visit http://sanluisvalley.colostate.edu or call 719-852-7381. The Extension office is located at 1899 E Hwy 160, on the eastern edge of Monte Vista. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.