Iowa 4-H Clover Kid's Connection

Did I get your attention?

Anyone who has worked with a group that had a child with ADHD in it knows what I'm talking about when I say "surviving" ADHD. It can be a very challenging experience and sometimes you just hope you can survive! Of course we in 4-H want to do more than just survive - we want to help children thrive! Here are a few ideas to help that happen:

I have a few ideas and a few resources to share:
1. Give the child something to do with their hands. I've had great success with a balloon filled with rice or sand. Just use a funnel to fill it and tie it shut. When a child has to sit and listen for an extended period of time, give them the balloon - making sure they know they can keep it as long as they just hold it. Don't be surprised if the rest of the group wants one - in that case - I just tell them they can make one later. (And make sure they get that opportunity.)

2. Keep directions short and simple. Get them DOING right away. I use picture directions whenever possible and I also plan long activities in short steps with stations set up for each section of the activity.

3. Don't add to the energy in the room. Plan quiet activities in between games, use a quiet voice, etc.

4. Keep communication open with the child's family. They will have strategies they use at home and that are used at school to share with you!

5. Remember to use good discipline and group management techniques - choices!

Check out the advice on this site:

http://www.adhd-made-simple.com/ADHD_Children.html

What strategies have you used?

Posted by Joan at 08:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Children's Day is a great opportunity to advertise the wonderful merits of the Clover Kids program. Here are a few quick ideas you can do during the fair to create interest/spread the word.

1. Using the motors from Funtivities, do spin art. Just index cards into about 2 inch squares. Poke a pin through the center. Gently, poke the point of the motor through the hole. Attach the alligator clips and use markers to decorate the square while it is spinning! Glue that to a piece of construction paper - add a label that says "Clover Kids Electrifyling Art, ___County Fair (with a clover of course!). Attach a small magnet piece in the back and you have a great refrigerator magnet as a constant reminder about the program!

2. Set up stations using your county council as leaders - let the children experience a different CK theme at each station - one might be string painting, one might be taking apart fabric or weaving felt placemats, etc. Let children come and experience sample activities while the leaders talk about Clover Kids.

3. Have people handing out Clover Kids fliers during the different shows - the kiddie tractor pull - etc. Use those activities to your advantage - have a booth right there!

What activities do you do in your county?

Posted by Joan at 09:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know everyone is busy getting ready for the fair, but now is the time to make a comprehensive plan to help Clover Kids make the transition into the Club program!

Here are a few more ideas from the State Leaders Retreat:

• Assign older 4-H'ers to a CK group to show them around the fair.
• Talk about the 4-H pledge during meetings - during meetings you can point out which of the H's are being used!
• Give CK's who attend the fair a free 4-H Club t-shirt for completing a tour.
• Plan a 4-H Family Event during the fair - let the Club members volunteer to help with it - you could have a meeting in the food stand for those interested in finding out more about 4-H!
• Send all CK's a postcard inviting them to the fair and letting them know some of the great events they can visit!
• During meetings, relate what they are doing to future 4-H project areas.
• Let the CK groups help with the food stand - they can clean tables, sweep, and find other ways to help the 4-H clubs who are working!
• Let CK groups participate in Share the Fun. NON-JUDGED of course!
• Have a CK activity booth where children can do hands on activities during the fair.
• Specifically invite all CK's to the Working Exhibits. Those are fun and a great indicator of the Club program!
• Let CK's decorate their own display booth.

  Continue reading "Transitioning Ideas - time to make a plan!" »

  Posted by Joan at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My son Patrick wants to drive so bad he can taste it! But, he doesn't get his permit until next month - so he has to wait. Does that bother him? Yes. Is it going to hurt him? Absolutely not! It gives him something to look forward to and gives him time to study the situation and learn what is expected of him when he does start to drive.

In my Group Management Workshops I make the point over and over that we never want to make a group of children wait. But that isn't entirely accurate - there are times when we WANT them to wait.

When?
When they want to do something that they aren't developmentally ready for....like waiting to exhibit competitively in the fair or waiting until they are physically, mentally, and socially ready to exhibit animals at the fair. It's not only OK to wait - it is critical to wait until the children are ready for those experiences.

Quite often, we feel pressure from others to let CKs experience things we know they aren't ready for. We want to make sure we are educating those families, fair boards and other stake holders about the CK program.

CKs have to wait because they don't have the basic physical, social, cognitive and emotional skills to adequately deal with the situation....and like my son Patrick and driving - waiting gives them something to look forward to in the future!

Posted by Joan at 08:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We are getting ready for the fair, what is the rule with Clover Kids and exhibiting at the fair?

Clover Kids is all about providing foundational experiences the children can build on later. The key word in that statement is EXPERIENCES. Exhibiting at the fair should reflect the experiences Clover Kids had during the year. What is brought might look very different than what a Club member brings.

We don't have Clover Kids do project work during the year, so making Clover Kids bring in exhibits based on our Club project areas isn't a good match between the CK program and what we are trying to showcase. What we want to focus on is exhibits that showcase the experience the CK had during the year and that can take many different forms.

Continue reading "CKs and the FAIR" »

Posted by Joan at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)