Nokesville 4-H Club

 

This page was last updated
 Monday, September 14, 2009
   

CLOVERBUD INFORMATION

What is a Cloverbud?
Cloverbuds are 4-Hers who are ages 5 to 8 years who are not turning age 9 within the 4-H calendar year of October 1st to September 30th. In our club, children of 4-H age may also participate in the Cloverbud program as we have designed it to be inclusive of all ages and the whole family. The Cloverbud program is a great way to introduce new 4-Hers and their families to 4-H. Children just turning age 9 in their first year of participating in 4-H have the option to participate as a Cloverbud for their first year to become familiar with the 4-H programs and offerings. Typically, Cloverbuds participate in field trips and in short projects that are completed during regular meetings or within the same month of the meeting.

When do Cloverbuds meet?
Members are expected to come to Nokesville 4-H Club’s General Community meetings at the Nokesville Church of the Brethren. Field Trips are scheduled on the calendar. Cloverbuds are expected to participate in county sponsored activities such as Project Day, Presentation Day, and Recognition Day. A Project consists of a specific area of investigation and must be conducted over a period of at least 6 hours. Projects are typically designed for the 4-Her age 9 and older, but Cloverbuds may participate at the discretion of the Project Leader. Cloverbuds are not required, like the 4-Her, to complete a project in the 4-H calendar year but may report their projects in their portfolios.

What is the Cloverbud program?
The Cloverbud program attempts to cover a broad range of topics to meet the broad interests of the club members. Our goal is to help children acquire knowledge to enhance their existing education repertoire and develop life long skills, such as record keeping, being a responsible citizen, maintaining good character, taking challenges, and public speaking. Our ultimate goal is to drive home the basic 4-H premise of preparing our youth to realize their full potential and become effective, contributing citizens.

Our Cloverbud program utilizes fully the talents and skills of our club leaders and parents as well as local private and government resources. We typically focus on a theme to study each month. During our monthly club meeting, we may have a specialist give an interactive presentation to the children on the topic of interest which is then followed by an experiment or activity to reinforce the lesson at hand. Sometimes activities, crafts, or experiments are begun at the meeting and finished at home. Some of our community club meetings and field trips have developed into projects, covering more than the required 6 hours of involvement time (per year). Below are listed a few examples of past Cloverbud project activities. As one can see, most of these would also qualify as a project for a 4-Her.
  • Our first year (2005) the children completed an embryology project. They incubated and hatched chicken eggs at one central location. One Cloverbud took two of the chicks home and raised them to adulthood. One was shown in the Prince William County Fair and sold.
     
  • One year the children studied Chinese culture. A club parent, who is from China, gave a very colorful presentation on Chinese culture to the children. They learned to speak and write Chinese numbers and about many Chinese customs. The associated field trip was to Chinatown in Washington, D.C. to eat at a Chinese restaurant and visit the shops.
     
  • In the past, we have had the Bureau of Land Management educator give interactive lessons to the children both at meetings and during field trips on animal tracking, birds, and watershed management. During one month last year the children studied birds, went on a bird watching field trip, and many children participated in the National Backyard Bird Count on their own time. They made bird feeders and dissected an owl pellet during the community meeting.
     
  • Our Cloverbud program has covered the following topics: embryology, birds, bees and honey, farms, Alpacas, watershed management, cooking, sewing, crafting, community service, trees, animal tracking, horse adoption, singing, acting, apple orchards, history, scrapbooking, Chinese culture, giving presentations, camping, record keeping, and fitness and nutrition. Separate from the community club meeting and field trip activities, project areas for Cloverbuds have included cooking, fine art, and horse studies.

 

 2008-2009 Activities
Download Flyer of dates (pdf)

NOVEMBER 2008
14 - 4H Club Meeting
15 - 4H Project Day
22 - Hike at Sky Meadows State Park (See Hiking Project on website for more information)
30 - N.C.O.B. Christmas Craft Night (5:30pm at the Nokesville Church of the Brethren)

DECEMBER 2008
6 - Saturday, 10am Manassas Christmas Parade
begins at Mathis Avenue and concludes at the intersection of Center Street and Grant Avenue. Call Sandy cell to coordinate where to sit and watch as a group on the day of. 703-201-4322 
19 - Community Christmas Caroling at the Nokesville Church of the Brethren, 7pm, refreshments to follow. Our club has participated in this annual event for many years and we have a great time together strolling through the town streets of Nokesville.

JANUARY 2009
10 - New Year's Resolutions ~Being Safe (watch John Walsh Safety Video & Do a Craft) (Sydney)

FEBRUARY 2009
06 - 4H Club Meeting
13 - Share-The-Fun

MARCH 2009
14- Hike at Manassas Battlefield (See Hiking Project on website for more information)
22 - Kids Fun, Fitness & Exercise Program (Chris Taylor), 1-2pm, NCOB

APRIL 2009
03 - Presentation Day
08 - Scavenger Hunt (Cheryl Lackey)

MAY 2009
08 - 4H Club Meeting

09 - 1771 Claude Moore Farm Tour
16 - Nokesville Day Parade
23 - Hike at Prince William National Park (See Hiking Project)
16 - Nokesville Day

JUNE 2009
06 - Virginia Renaissance Fair - Celtic Heritage

JULY 2009
11 - Hike at Big Meadows Federal Park - Skyline Drive (See Hiking Project on website for more information)


Additional Ideas (for anyone wishing to coordinate a field trip or activity):
Please do not feel limited to what is listed below - these are just ideas.  Feel free to suggest other activities that might be of interest to the Cloverbuds.

  • Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum (www.discoverymuseum.net)
  • Dinosaur Land (www.dinosaurland.com)
  • All About Music (Music of Life worksheet)
  • Bike Driving & Safety (worksheets available in Cloverbud Book)
    • Bike driving skills test
    • Better biker checklist
    • bicycle care & safety
    • 4h bicycle safety inspection checklist
    • Oooops worksheet - bike accident page
  • Tongue Experiment (taste test with sweet, sour, bitter, salty)
  • Money Management Worksheet
  • American Flag Etiquette


 

PDF    PDF" NOTE - When using this website you will find that some information is in a downloadable document labeled as a "PDF". You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to read these forms. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader for free. If you need the flyer mailed, please call 703-791-4586 and leave a message with your address and form needed. The document is not likely to get mailed right away, so please have patience with this.

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