Ohio's 4-H Cloverbud Program is for youth age 5 and in kindergarten until they reach age 8 and in the third grade.
Cloverbuds explore areas of healthy lifestyle, earth/environment, citizenship, plants and animals, consumerism and family science, science and technology, personal development, and community expressive arts.
The primary goal of the Cloverbud program is to promote children's healthy developmentâmentally, physically, socially, and emotionally.The Cloverbud program provides an excellent opportunity for children to reach his or her highest potential because early life experiences, even subtle ones, affect future development.
The Cloverbud program is developmentally-age appropriate, therefore it is:
- fun and positive
- leader-directed
- activity-based
- noncompetitive
- success-oriented
- group-centered
The Cloverbud program allows for and encourages creativity and play.
- The goals of Ohio's Cloverbud program are for children to develop:
- self-understanding (self-esteem)
- social interaction skills (getting along with others)
- decision-making skills
- learning skills (learning how to learn)
- mastering physical skills
Children possessing these life skills are less likely to have problems with drug use, school failure, delinquency, and depression later in life.