All Spring I have promised Meg and Clare we would go strawberry picking. We missed berry picking last year because I was pregnant and it was very hot. So we were definitely due a strawberry picking outing. But during the best part of strawberry season this year, the girls were finishing up preschool and then we were hit by stomach viruses and migraines. I suddenly realized It was the last week of strawberry season and if we were going to go we had to go now even if it was hotter than would be ideal.
Happily we went to the orchard on Monday when the temperature was closer to 90 than 100. We dressed cooly, put on the girls' sun hats and covered ourselves in sunblock. We were fortunate that some friends were willing to come with us which made the outing extra fun for Meg and Clare (and for me since I had a nice conversation with another mom on the long drive to the orchard and back).
We went to Homestead Farm in Poolesville, Maryland. It is a nice, manageable, walkable orchard. There were a few other families there but it was far from crowded. Since the girls are much older than the last time we went berry picking, we were able to give them a little freedom to move around the fields and find the best strawberries. It is important to the girls that they have the opportunity to explore on their own so I am trying to keep an eye on them while not hovering.
Meg and Clare were very proud of all the berries they picked.
Happily we went to the orchard on Monday when the temperature was closer to 90 than 100. We dressed cooly, put on the girls' sun hats and covered ourselves in sunblock. We were fortunate that some friends were willing to come with us which made the outing extra fun for Meg and Clare (and for me since I had a nice conversation with another mom on the long drive to the orchard and back).
We went to Homestead Farm in Poolesville, Maryland. It is a nice, manageable, walkable orchard. There were a few other families there but it was far from crowded. Since the girls are much older than the last time we went berry picking, we were able to give them a little freedom to move around the fields and find the best strawberries. It is important to the girls that they have the opportunity to explore on their own so I am trying to keep an eye on them while not hovering.
Meg and Clare were very proud of all the berries they picked.
When we came home, we washed the strawberries and made a salad of strawberries, lettuce (bought at the farm), walnuts and grilled chicken. We used an apple cider vinaigrette (also purchased at the farm) and ate quite the healthy dinner. Clare is not a fan of strawberries or most other fruit, but Meg has been faithfully topping her cereal each morning with strawberries. The girls are making plans to pick more berries later in the summer (as the various berries come into season) and I am fully supporting their plans. I love that we are becoming more aware of seasons and when fruits are best harvested. With our ability to get fruits and vegetables any time of the year and our tendency to keep our homes the same temperature regardless of what it feels like outside, anything I can do to make my children more aware of the seasons is a good thing. Berry picking is definitely a worthwhile outing.
RSS Feed
