More Than Picking Berries

We typically go berry picking a few times per year. It is a great family activity that the kids really get to be a part of and they love it. For the past few years, we have been making an entire day of it and doing much more than picking berries. The day has become an educational, fun family day that we now really look forward to.

We try to get up early in the morning and head to a local farm. On the way to the farm, we talk about what we are going to pick. We also discuss things that we can make with it. We then pick a few buckets full of berries. Sometimes we make a race out of it. Boys vs. girls. It is fun.

After we come back home, we usually all eat until we are sick. Well maybe not that much but close. After that, we make something from the berries that we can eat that day. Everyone participates by cleaning the berries and getting the stems off of them. Last time, we made Strawberry Shortcake complete with fresh whipped cream.

We also make something for later.  Last time we made preserves. It was very interesting to make a few jars with my kids because at first they had no clue what we were making. We explained how jellies and jams have a lot of sugar but when you make them this way, you can actually control the sugar. They were fascinated with the process.

We also froze some berries to eat later in the month. Most of all we actually got to take something from ground to mouth and it is not very often that you get to do that with food. I loved sharing that as a family and it was a really great experience. It was a wonderful way to spend some family time plus a great way to support local farmers. 

Comprehensive list of Pick Your Own Farms by State: http://pickyourown.org/statelist.htm#statelist

See Also:

Get the Most from Berry Season
Raspberry Season
10 Ways to Spend Quality Family Time