Interested in a
project?
Contact your local extension
office to enroll in the project. Some project books are
available online and will be listed under
"Resources & Links". Other
project books and materials can be ordered through your local
extension office.
Consumer & Family Science
On This Page:
- Child Development
- Clothing & Textiles
- Consumer Savvy
- Home Environment (Arranging Flowers, Extras for Your Room)
- Leisure Arts (Clay and Plaster, Glue Solution, Latch Hooking, Macrame, Scrapbooking)
- Money Management
- Needle Arts (Crochet, Embroidery, Knitting)
Child Development
(Grades 3-12)
Youth learn about how children grow and develop and how they can
care for themselves, their family and community through the "Kids
on the Grow" curriculum. This guide is excellent for 4-H, after
school programs and home school. The curriculum is designed to wrap
around the new "Red Cross Babysitter's Handbook".
Level 1, "Growing on My Own" explores how they grow and develop; how to inspect toddler's toys and make their home hazard free. In Level 2, "Growing with Others", youth learn about self-care, rules, responsibility and safety and are introduced to babysitting. Level 3, Growing in Communities, focuses on child development careers, gaining experience as a teacher or coach, participating in a community service project and learning that children with different abilities have different needs. The helpers guide features nine engaging group activities.
The additional child development resource "American Red Cross Babysitter's Handbook" may be purchased from your local American Red Cross.
Clothing & Textiles
Sewing Expressions (Grades
4-12)
Youth learn to be smart clothing consumers and they have
numerous avenues to create garments and unique costumes.
Clothing Decisions (Grades
6-12)
A Style of Your Own series is designed to help you learn
decision-making skills based on fun, hands-on clothing
activities you can do alone or with youth as young leaders.
Decorate Your Duds
This project is embellishment of a garment or accessory. The
objective is to provide 4-Her's a chance to sample and
experiment with a variety of textile crafts and encourage youth
to develop creativity, individualism, and imagination by
creating "one-of-a-kind" garments and accessories.
Quilting for Fun
Quilting is the process of sewing three layers together by hand
or machine to form one. The objective of this project is to
provide 4-Her's a chance to explore an art form that is
re-emerging as a popular social activity that connects
generations and encourages creativity.
Resources & Links:
- Decorate Your Duds Project Book (CB105)
- Quilting for Fun Project Book (CB111)
- Sewing Challenge Advanced Clothing Project Outline (CB114)
- State 4-H Clothing Revue
- Educational Trunks (trunks related to the Clothing & Textiles project include "Professor Franklin's Photo T-Shirt Program" and "Quilting for Fun")
- Polar Fleece Hood
- Polar Fleece Mittens
Consumer Savvy
(Grades 3-12)
Youth consume more than $175 billion of goods and services each
year. Through Consumer Savvy, youth will become informed and
responsible consumers in today's dynamic marketplace.
Resources & Links:
Home Environment
Arranging Flowers (Grades
3-12)
Youth will learn basic principles of flower arrangement, care of
fresh-cut flowers and arrangements; make a fresh floral corsage,
how to use alternate flower materials, and much more.
Extras for Your Room (Grades
7-12)
Youth will make simple furnishings or accessories to make the
living spaces in your home pleasing and practical.
Resources & Links:
Leisure Arts
Clay and Plaster (Ceramics) (Grades
4-12)
Youth will learn to make articles from clay and plaster for
decorative or practical purposes. You can mold a lump of clay,
work with a piece of pre-molded plasterware, and use paints,
glazes or other finishes.
Glue Solution (Grades 5-10)
Youth will learn about glues and their properties, selecting a
glue and glue safety.
Latch Hooking (Grades 8-12)
Youth will learn to knot yarn to canvas to create a design or
pattern while making a latch hook item.
Macrame (Grades 6-12)
Youth will learn about macrame materials and to make basic
knots needed to make an item from a pattern of knots.
Scrapbooking, Genealogy, and Family History
(Grades 3-12)
This project is an introduction to create a scrapbook to record
life's memories. Use the skills learned in this project to
create a 4-H portfolio.
Models (Grades 3-12)
This project is an introduction to building models. Examples
used in the publication are sailing ships but you can create
any model with the instructions given. Skills learned in this
project include following plans and written instructions as
well as learning about the subject of the model (i.e. cars,
airplanes, etc.).
Resources & Links:
- Macrame Project Book (BCA160)
- 4-H Scrapbooking Project Book (FG108)
- Building Plastic Models from a Kit (FE101)
- Educational Trunks (a trunk related to the Leisure Arts projects include the "Scrapbooking" trunk)
Money Management
(Grades 7-9)
Youth learn about needs and wants, money personalities and values,
money management skills, including deciding whether to make a
purchase, determining whether they can afford it, living within a
spending plan, the benefits and drawbacks of credit, advertising
influences, consumer decision making and how to select financial
services.
Needle Arts
Crochet (Grades 5-12)
This project is an introduction to crochet planned for youth in
grades 5-12. You will discover how to buy yarn, thread and
equipment, learn crochet and finishing techniques, care for
crocheted items and much more.
Embroidery for Enjoyment (Grades
3-12)
This beginning project is aimed at youth in grades 3-12. The
embroidery project is designed to encourage creativity and meet the
needs of each individual member. The project includes crewel
embroidery. You will learn basic embroidery stitches, techniques
and selection of yarn.
Knitting (Grades 4-12)
Youth can learn about knitting tools and yarns, knitting terms, and
how to follow knitting directions. Learn to do basic knitting
stitches and techniques and how to combine them to make various
patterns and knitted articles. Learn how to care for knitted
articles.
Needlepoint (Grades 4-12)
This project is an introduction to needlepoint. You will learn
about materials, basic stitches, and techniques for needlepoint
embroidery.
Advanced Embroidery Techniques (Grades
8-12)
An outline and plan which include advanced embroidery techniques
for youth who want to expand their embroidery skills. You will use
the project outline to develop an individual project using advanced
embroidery techniques.
Resources & Links: