Berry Picking Story Time: Book, Craft, & Learning Ideas

Berry Picking Story Time | Ideas for books, crafts, and learning activities to bring kid lit to life. | Blueberries for Sal - Simple Paper Berry Craft Berry Picking Story Time | Ideas for books, crafts, and learning activities to bring kid lit to life. | Blueberries for Sal / Jamberry / A Taste of Blackberries / Stella and the Berry Thief - Color by Number Math 100 Chart Berry Picking Story Time | Ideas for books, crafts, and learning activities to bring kid lit to life. | Jamberry - Fine Motor Pom Pom Color Sort Berry Picking Story Time | Ideas for books, crafts, and learning activities to bring kid lit to life. | Blueberries For Sal

Although our minds have started to turn to fall and the start of another school year, my kids and I aren’t quite ready to give up on summer fun yet! My boys are complete fruit fanatics, so it made total sense for us to squeeze in a little berry picking fun while it’s still warm. And of course, I couldn’t pass up the chance to throw a little reading, learning, and crafting into our berry picking. Read on to see our choices for the perfect berry themed story time!

Berry Picking Story Time- Go Pick
Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post (at no additional cost to you), which allows me to continue providing free content on the blog. I often share products I love which were provided to me in exchange for a potential review- any such products are clearly indicated within this post. All opinions expressed are my own. 

What To Read

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Blueberries for Sal is the classic choice for a berry story time. The fun tale of a mix up between two mamas and their respective little ones is always a silly story for my boys. The illustrations are old fashioned and simple, but never lose their appeal.

Berry Picking Story Time- Blueberries for SalBerry Picking Story Time- Blueberries for SalBerry Picking Story Time- Blueberries for Sal

Jamberry by Bruce Degen

Another perennial favorite for many, Jamberry is a fanciful and imaginative story. The lyrical rhyming narrative appeals to young listeners. The bright, lively illustrations truly draw children into a playful berry hunt.

Berry Picking Story Time- Jamberry Berry Picking Story Time- Jamberry Berry Picking Story Time- Jamberry

Stella and the Berry Thief by Jane B Mason, illustrated by Loek Koopmans

Stella and the Berry Thief is a bit of a newer picture book, filled with soft, dreamy sorts of images. Kids will enjoy Stella’s experience finding a way to peacefully coexist with Bernie, a pesky berry stealing bear.

Berry Picking Story Time- Stella and the Berry Thief

A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith

Although not a picture book, this was one I couldn’t help adding to the list. I have vivid memories of reading it in third grade and being deeply impacted by the novel. A few soft illustrations are spread throughout the tale of a young boy surviving the death of his best friend. While not a terribly difficult book to read, it might be best as a read-aloud or read-along because of the sensitive topics.

Berry Picking Story Time- A Taste of Blackberries Berry Picking Story Time- A Taste of Blackberries

Bringing Books To Life

Go Berry Picking!  

Do I really need to say it?! If you can work it out, the most obvious extension is to go berry picking with your kiddos! We hit a local patch in search of raspberries recently. My boys loved their first outing picking berries. (And bonus, even really picky eaters are more likely to taste foods that they’ve helped grow or pick!)

Berry Picking Story Time- Go Pick Berry Picking Story Time- Go Pick Berry Picking Story Time- Go Pick

Berry Color Sorting

If you can’t get out for some real berry picking, it’s easy to pretend! We grabbed some pom poms in shades of pink, red, blue, and purple and filled a big bucket with them. I encouraged my toddler to sort the ‘berries’ by color into smaller bowls. Using different kitchen tools turns ‘berry’ sorting into a fine motor work out as well. Tweezers, tongs, spoons, and more are all perfect for perfecting fine motor skills while brushing up on color discrimination.

Berry Picking Story Time- Berry Pom Pom Color Sort Berry Picking Story Time- Berry Pom Pom Color Sort Berry Picking Story Time- Berry Pom Pom Color Sort Berry Picking Story Time- Berry Pom Pom Color Sort

Berry Math

#thebigone is getting ready to start second grade in a few weeks, so I love finding simple ways to help him brush up on the knowledge he’ll need. I created a fun hidden picture 100 chart to help him review number recognition 1-100. Kids color each square by number, according to the directions at the top. When the chart is complete, a strawberry is revealed! It’s also a great learning activity for kids who really prefer art, as the math is disguised a bit. Be sure to scroll down to grab your free printable berry page below.

Berry Picking Story Time- Berry Math 100 Chart Berry Picking Story Time- Berry Math 100 Chart
Crayola sent us a gift of some super cool new scented markers to try out- of course we had to pull them out for this activity! Be sure to check them out while you’re doing your back to school shopping this year!
Crayola Silly Scents: Chisel Markers / Fine Markers / Colored Pencils / Twist Crayons

Craft Some Paper Berries

Younger kids will need more assistance with this project than older children, but it’s still a fun, creative activity for all ages.

Berry Picking Story Time- Paper Berry Craft

SUPPLIES:

  1. Construction paper. (Green, white, and berry shades- pink, blue, red, purple all work well!)
  2. Glue stick.
  3. Scissors.
  4. Pencil.
  5. Circle paper punches.

DIRECTIONS:

Berry Picking Story Time- Paper Berry Craft Berry Picking Story Time- Paper Berry Craft Berry Picking Story Time- Paper Berry Craft Berry Picking Story Time- Paper Berry Craft Berry Picking Story Time- Paper Berry Craft Berry Picking Story Time- Paper Berry Craft

  1. Cut a square (roughly) out of green construction paper.
  2. Fold the green square in half. Use the pencil to sketch out ‘spaces’ to cut out on the berry basket, leaving about an inch in tact along the unfolded edges.
  3. Cut out the spaces on the berry basket. Unfold the square.
  4. Use the circle punches to create berries in varying shades and sizes.
    1. My kids LOVE using paper punches and look forward to any excuse to punch holes. It’s great for fine motor and hand strength, so I love letting them try them out.
  5. Glue the berries down on the white paper.
  6. Glue the berry basket on top of the berries.

Berry Picking Story Time- Paper Berry Craft

>>Berry math printable<<

Does your family enjoy berry picking in the warmer weather? What’s your favorite way to use the yummy fruit you’ve collected?

 

more ideas to check out next…

2 Comments

  • Devon

    This is great. I love all of these activity ideas and the book suggestions!!

    • Kate

      Thanks so much Devon!