In the spirit of family togetherness and summer fun, may I suggest you take your kids berry-picking this season? Sometimes local fruit/veggie stands have berry-picking events, as do local farms and C.S.A.s. It's a great way to show kids how the sweet treats are grown and harvested, encourages local eating and supports local farming, and is a fun excuse to get dirty and stuff your faces.
Some pointers for first-time-pickers:
*Go in the morning, before the heat sets in (Heat + fruit + bugs + kids = LAME).
*Wear your grubbies and don't forget the bug spray.
*Be sure to talk to whoever is running the show about what to look for in a berry, what to avoid, and what kind of insect life might be lurking in the vines.
For more tips, jump over to the fabulous Home Ec 101.
