A Fruity Summer Adventure

Creating memories is something that summer is capable of offering us unlike any other time of the year.  Although there are some families that will go away on an extravagant vacation, you do not need to feel like you are slighting your children if that’s something you can’t do!!

I know that for us, a day-cation is all we can usually pull off with a family of 8.  As I was doing a little writing this week for Mom Central Food, I had yet another fun summer adventure idea that is so simple yet memorable that I had to share it with you.

This week, my posts at Mom Central Food are very Fruit and Summer focused.  One of them is about Smoothies and offers a great Blueberry Banana Smoothie recipe, and the other is all about making homemade popsicles.

But here’s the super fun part, you can create an amazing experience for your children just centered on making them fresh homemade popsicles. How? you may ask….. Here’s how to create a Fruity Summer Adventure for your kiddos.

• Find a local farm that has a u-pick area. Check for season information so you know what berries are available when.
• Tip: Go in the morning, fairly early with well fed children that aren’t desperate for a nap. This also avoids being caught in what can often become unbearable heat if you aren’t careful about your timing.  Make sure to still bring sunblock and hats for all.
• If you aren’t familiar with picking berries, most farms will have an employee that can tell you where to go to find them and even basics on how to pick them.  If you don’t bring your own containers for the harvest you pick, most farms will have them available there. Tip: Keep in mind that what you picked gets weighed before you pay so although this is intended to be a fun experience for the kids, don’t let them pick the field dry (hehe).
• Once you get home from berry picking {tip: you will have some very colorful and

  sticky little ones so you may want to bring along wipes for the

  trip home}, you will want to start by cleaning the berries thoroughly.

• From here you simply process the berries as needed. If they are for smoothies, lay them on a cookie sheet and stick them in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours until firm then move them to a gallon size zipper bag for storage and return to the freezer. If you are using them for popsicles you can simply store them in a container in the fridge until you are ready to make the popsicles {tip: best if you can use them within a day or two for freshness}.

The best part about all of this is that the kids were involved in the process from start to finish.  They can help with not only the berry picking, but consider taking them to the store with you to pick out the other ingredients (if necessary for the intended purpose), and even have them help (or watch) you puree the fruit and make their treat!!!

Kids love this and they love being involved. It makes them feel important and “big”!  They are far more likely to try anything that they have been involved in the creation of, so for picky kids that aren’t used to what you are making this is a great way to try new things.  You can’t go wrong when you know what’s in your children’s food.

Overall I think this is a fantastic way to create a very fun and memorable summer experience for your children.