Blueberries Month - post

National Pick Blueberries and Blueberry Muffin Day!

Summer presents an ideal opportunity for practitioners seeking seasonal, standards-aligned activities that advance gross and fine motor skills, cognitive processes, and socio-emotional development. ChildCareEd Child Care Training supports this work: enroll in Lesson Planning for Preschoolers Buy Now $24.00 or Meaningful Lesson Planning for Infants/Toddlers Buy Now $24.00 to adapt blueberry-themed curricula across age groups. Below we provide activity protocols, health and safety precautions, and curricular alignments to facilitate planning and documentation.

• Lesson Planning for Preschoolers Buy Now $24.00
• Meaningful Lesson Planning for Infants/Toddlers Buy Now $24.00
• Lesson Planning to Meet School Age Needs Buy Now $16.00

Blueberries Everywhere!

The 10th of July is designated National Pick Blueberries Day, which is always held during the warm summer months, making it the ideal time to participate in this pastime.

Blueberries are one of the most well-liked types of berries in the United States, and it is well-known that they contain a lot of antioxidants. Raw blueberries are not only the most nutritious but also offer the best flavor.

All these reasons are enough reason for getting out of the classroom and going blueberry picking with your kiddos so that way you can bake some muffins on July 11th which is National Blueberry Muffin Day! 

How can I use blueberries to teach and engage children?

Go pick some blueberries.

Blueberry picking is a lot of fun to do in the summer, and you can do it from June to the middle of August. Make sure you follow the guidelines for picking blueberries as they should come off easily, without needing to be pulled.  What a great way to help develop farm motor skills and to teach the children where our food comes from! (If you can't go to a blueberry picking location, create one in your classroom and have the children go on a blueberry hunt). 

Plant blueberries in your program garden.

You can grow blueberries in your program garden as a multi-week science project. Choose a full-sun location with good drainage, and select varieties adapted to your hardiness zone; blueberries prefer acidic soil (ideal pH about 4.5–4.8), consistent moisture, and 2–2.5 feet spacing between plants. Use mulch to conserve moisture and protect shallow roots, and plan netting if birds are an issue (How to Grow Blueberries — ScottsMiracle-Gro). Children can record plant height, leaf development and berry counts in journals to practice observation and data recording.

Make a blueberry dessert.

On Pick Blueberries Day, make a tasty dessert. It can be anything from a sweet salad to a smoothie, cheesecake, pie, or yogurt with blueberry compote. Don’t forget about baking your blueberry muffin on July 11^th!  What a fun way to sneak in some math and science, and to encourage healthy eating! 

Paint with Blueberries.

Place blueberries in a microwave-safe bowl. Add a tablespoon of water to the blueberries to thin out the mixture. You may need more if using fresh blueberries. Mash the blueberries with a fork or a potato masher. Microwave for 1 minute. Have the children use different-sized paintbrushes to paint with the blueberry paint!

What safety, licensing, and health considerations should I plan for when we pick, cook, or taste blueberries?

When planning off-site blueberry picking or in-center baking, document parental permission, allergy screening, and food-safety steps in advance. Obtain written permission for field trips and for activities that include tasting; check each child’s allergy/medical form and have substitutions ready. Follow safe food-handling practices (gloves, single-serve portions, supervised handwashing) and ensure that any cooking activity complies with your state licensing rules for food preparation and field trips. For state-specific guidance, consult your ChildCareEd state pages on licensing and staff responsibilities: New Jersey, Washington, Michigan, North Carolina, and Maryland. Review your program’s ratios and supervision guidance before you leave the facility; see related ChildCareEd guidance on safety, supervision, and reporting and on infant room ratios when planning staffing. Finally, create a simple documentation checklist (permissions, roster, contact numbers, allergy list, first-aid kit) to keep with staff during the activity.

What are some engaging facts about blueberries to share with children?

Children respond well to concise, research-backed facts. Share these nuggets as part of a health or science mini-lesson—for example, blueberries are rich in vitamin C, fiber and vitamin K and their anthocyanin pigments are associated with measurable cognitive and cardiometabolic benefits when eaten regularly (K‑State: The Bountiful Benefits of Blueberries). Here are some interesting facts to share during Pick Blueberries and Blueberry Muffin Days:

1. Used by Native Americans: Blueberries were a common remedy for chronic coughs among the Native American population, and they were also thought to improve eyesight.
2. Star berries: Because the bloom end has five points that resemble a star, native Americans referred to them as "star berries."
3. Genuinely blue: The pigment known as anthocyanin is responsible for giving blueberries their characteristic color; as a result, blueberries have a natural tendency to be blue.
4. Several species: There are around 30 distinct species of blueberries, each native to a particular region's climate and soil conditions.
5. Consumption: Over 13,000 years ago, mankind began eating blueberries. This practice continues today.

What is the history and cultural significance of blueberries?

Pick Blueberries Day is celebrated every year in July, which is the height of summer and a great time to pick these sweet and juicy berries. This day is part of National Blueberry Month, which was started by the National American Blueberry Council and has been officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since 2003.

There are two different kinds of blueberries: low-bush blueberries, also called wild blueberries, and high-bush blueberries. The first kind is easy to spot because it has small berries about the size of peas that grow on low-lying bushes. The high-bush are bigger berries that grow on bushes that are grown to be taller. People can pick blueberries easily from semi-wild or wild bushes.

When they were brought to Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands in the 1930s, high-bush blueberries were a big hit. After that, they spread to other parts of Europe and are now enjoyed by many people.

The northern high-bush blueberry is the type of berry that is grown most often in North America. Canada grows most of the world’s low-bush blueberries, while the United States grows about 40% of the world’s high-bush blueberries. High-bush blueberries are grown in many popular places, such as British Columbia, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Washington, to name a few.

Native Americans were the only ones who used blueberries at first. Now, blueberries are used in many ways, like as a topping for many dishes or as a healthy snack on their own. Blueberries are good for your health in general, which is reason enough to spend a day picking them.

How can I bring Blueberries Month into my classroom next week?

Plan one short, scaffolded experience for each age group: a supervised blueberry-picking sensory walk or a classroom 'blueberry hunt' for toddlers, a cooking/math activity (muffin recipe scaled for fractions) for preschoolers, and a garden-observation journal project for school-age children. Use the linked ChildCareEd trainings above for lesson planning and for adapting activities to meet learning goals and licensing expectations. Keep a safety checklist and allergy plan on file, and document learning outcomes with photos and journal entries. For more ideas on field trips, seasonal classroom celebrations, and aligning activities to licensing and staffing requirements, see the linked ChildCareEd resources embedded above.

How should I summarize and document a Blueberries Month program?

Conclude Blueberries Month with concise documentation that demonstrates alignment to learning goals: list the standards and objectives addressed, note participating age groups, describe the activities and adaptations used, and include assessment evidence such as observational notes, children's journal entries, or sample student work. Maintain a permissions roster, allergy and medication notes, and the safety checklist with program records. Share a brief parent summary that includes recipes and at-home extension ideas to reinforce family engagement. Use the linked ChildCareEd lesson-planning trainings above for templates and alignment guidance.

Tags: #blueberries #earlylearning #gardening #nutrition #fieldtrips

*Archived from ChildCareEd's Constant Contact Newsletters [6.29.2022]