Strawberry picking is a fun (and delicious) outdoor activity to do with your children during the warm summer months. Picking seasonal fruit is such a great activity for kids, it allows them to independently ‘pick their own’, with only a bit of direction from mom and dad. Remind your children to pick red strawberries only, not the green or pink ones (this is a great lesson in color), to be gentle with the plants, show them how to pick the berries and also to take ownership of their own basket with their pickings – a wonderful way for them to see what they accomplished during the trip.
A few weeks ago, I took Wesleigh strawberry picking at Jones Family Farm, a 400 acre farm in Shelton, CT. Wes had a blast picking the berries, eating the berries, carrying her basket through the field and proudly showing me her stash. Since we collected quite a few baskets of berries, we were able to enjoy many fresh and decided to use the remaining berries to make strawberry jam.
A few tips to make the trip a success:
Make sure your child is in sneakers or closed toe shoes. Lots of berries get dropped on the ground and there is no sense ruining nice shoes, plus it will be a lot easier for your child to roam the fields in comfortable and supportive shoes.
Wear a hat, sunglasses and load up on sunscreen. Wes and I were out in the strawberry fields for a few hours where there is no shade so be prepared for lots of sunlight.
Pack water and wipes. As I mentioned, there is no shade and if you hit the fields on a warm day, you and your child will want extra water on hand. If your child is anything like mine, she will spend a lot of time eating the berries and strawberry juice will be dripping down her shirt. Wet wipes will come in very handy for these sticky moments.
Time your trip accordingly. To avoid any crankiness or meltdowns during our visit to Jones, I intentionally took Wesleigh to the farm first thing in the morning. Knowing we would spend a few hours in the fields and the farm was a bit of a drive away from home, I planned our timing so that we would hit the road after a hearty breakfast, enjoy the fields and then nap in the car during the ride home.
Fortunately, we enjoyed a gorgeous day in the fields and I look forward to making this an annual tradition.
Cristina
I bet those strawberries were yummy. This is a great way of encouraging young kids to eat more fruit. And great tips on how to make the trip a success.