The summer school break has begun, and most students are happy to stop thinking about learning and focus on fun instead. The debate may be ongoing regarding summer academic loss but most educators agree that engaging kids in hands-on activities over summer creates opportunities to spark their interests and reinforces academic learning. (Brookings, 2017)
Consider 4-H Resources
Summer is busy with travel and camps for the kids, but that does not mean the 4-H learning needs to end. In fact, the summer is arguably the best time for 4-H project activities. There are hundreds of 4-H project specific activities that children of all ages can complete independently over the summer when they are not spending all day in school and working on homework. The Shop 4-H site offers more than 450 titles including topics like biology, computer science, cooking, electricity, entomology, gardening, honeybees, photography, robotics and more. All the materials are research-based, hands-on, and fun.
A more recent addition to the 4-H learning options is CLOVER, provided by the National 4-H Council. Through CLOVER, children ages 5-18 can choose from more than 190 interactive activities that allow them to explore STEM, healthy living, citizenship, leadership, and agriculture. To access CLOVER, families create a free account that gives them access to this resource supported by partnerships with one hundred top-tier universities. CLOVER is supported through corporate sponsors including well-known names like Google, Walmart, and Microsoft. It is even available for mobile devices by downloading the free apps through Google Play or the Apple App Store.
For more information about these or other Orange County 4-H programs, please visit 4-H Youth Development – Orange County – University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences – UF/IFAS (ufl.edu), email orange4H@ifas.ufl.edu or call 407-254-9222. The 4-H program is open to all youth without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital or family status.
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