Forest & Clovers 4-H club: Cooking Unit Kickoff

Kelsey Taylor
Jan 17
2 min read

Updated: 7 days ago

On January 16, 2026, the Forest & Clovers 4-H Club—hosted by NoMi Forest Explorers in partnership with Kaleva Norman Dickson Schools—officially launched our brand-new cooking unit, and what a delicious way to begin!

Our first day focused on the Power of Healthy Food. The kids dove into learning about the five food groups and how each one helps our bodies grow, think, and stay strong. We talked about the difference between natural sugars and processed sugars, and the kids practiced identifying which foods and snacks fall into each category. They were very into this—turns out they’re excellent food detectives.

Next, we got our bodies moving with a high-energy game all about the “powers” fruits give us—like brain power, immune power, and energy power. Learning + movement = a winning combo.

Then it was time for the best part… the kitchen! The kids chopped fruit, added their ingredients, and blended up some seriously amazing smoothies. Everyone gave theirs a taste—some kids were instant fans, others decided they might need a little more practice (and that’s okay!). Trying new things is part of the process.

After cleanup, we headed outside to enjoy the snow. It was a cold northern Michigan day, so after about 45 minutes of snowy fun, everyone was ready to come back inside to warm up and explore. Indoors, the kids followed their interests: some created animals with air-dry clay, others pulled out the microscopes to examine specimens and dream about making their own slides this summer. Of course, the tinkering station was open too—cue the sound of hammering and focused concentration.

Seeing kids work together in the kitchen, listen to their bodies outside, and then choose how they want to explore indoors fills my heart every single time. This is what child-led learning looks like. While winter sometimes means adjusting expectations (when the air hurts your face, you adapt!), it also teaches us to appreciate each season for what it offers—and how creativity helps us make the most of it.

If you’re interested in joining us, check out our membership pass options or sign up for one of our public drop-in events to see what Forest & Clovers is all about. Some drop-in sessions include a suggested $5 donation per child.

We can’t wait to keep cooking, learning, and exploring together! 🥣🍓❄️