May 15, 2023
4-H Cloverbud Policy & Resources
Kansas 4-H offers an educational, youth development opportunity specifically for 5- and 6-year-old children known as 4-H Cloverbuds. To be eligible to participate, a child must have celebrated his or her 5th or 6th birthday before January 1 of the current year. Five- and 6-year-old children do not pay a State 4-H program fee.
The goals for Kansas 4-H Cloverbuds include:
- Self-understanding skills (Initiating independence and self-direction)
- Social skills (Getting along with others)
- Decision-making skills (Making positive choices)
- Learning skills (Learning to learn)
- Mastering physical skills (Enjoying constructive and creative play)
As we enter county fair season, we want to remind you of the animal exhibits for Cloverbuds. While animals and the animal subject matter can contribute to the objectives of 4-H Cloverbuds, for safety, liability, and competitive reasons, there are some necessary restrictions. Cloverbuds are not permitted to show livestock. Kansas 4-H does not sponsor or support pee-wee events or exhibition (pee-wee refers to non 4-H age youth). Please refer to Section 14.1 (Projects Requiring Special Policy: Animal Exhibits for Cloverbuds) of the Kansas 4-H Policy for further details.
Additionally, we have several resources available to you to help with 4-H Cloverbud programming. The 4-H Cloverbuds webpage can be found by going to https://www.kansas4-h.org/ > 4-H Programs > Cloverbuds. On this page, you will find a link to the 4-H Cloverbud Policy Book.
Kansas 4-H also has a self-study training course in Canvas which provides information on the basic fundamentals for a 4-H Cloverbud program. To be added to this course, please send Sarah Maass (semaass@k-state.edu) an email requesting to be added.
For questions regarding 4-H Cloverbuds, please reach out to your Regional 4-H Extension Specialist.