Blueberry pancakes, blueberry pie...mmm, kids love blueberries. Kids are curious about fruit. Do they grow on trees or bushes? Help your kids learn about how blueberries are grown by taking them to a pick your own farm or a blueberry festival. 
Break out the US map. The blueberry gets recognized as the official fruit of Maine. Maine produces 25% of all lowbush blueberries and requires about 50,000 beehives for pollination. Michigan leads in highbush berry production, accounting for 32% of the small berries.
For your best pick-your-own experience, begin early while energy is high and before the hot sun beats down. Bring your sunscreen, sunglasses, water bottle, and coolers to bring home the treasured fresh berries. We always pick extra. My employees showed appreciation when I brought them berries to the office.
We've also celebrated the blueberry harvest at the Marshall Blueberry Festival. It's been named a "Top 100 Event" in North America by the American Bus Association in 1997, 1999, and 2007. Many of the blueberry festivals include kid pleasing foods like blueberry pancakes. If you feel like burning the calories, many of these festivals also have a variety of sports events. The Marshall Blueberry Festival includes a 5K run, arm wrestling, volleyball, and softball.
1. Marshall Blueberry Festival, Plymouth, IN, Aug. 30- Sept. 2 2013; 45+ year old festival with parade, auto show, music, and 300+ craft vendors http://www.blueberryfestival.org/pg/history.html
2. Paradise Annual Wild Blueberry Festival, Paradise, Michigan (MI), Aug. 16-18 2013, bring your blue clothes, a bucket, and enjoy http://www.paradisemichigan.org/bb/blueberryfest.html
3. Machias Wild Blueberry Festival, Machias, Maine, 1.5 hours from Bar Harbor, 38th annual festival, Aug. 16-18 2013, a church project with music, parade, contest, free admission http://www.machiasblueberry.com/
4. Texas Blueberry Festival, Nacogdoches, Texas (TX), 23rd annual, June 8 2013, free admission, blueberry picking at Blueberry Place, motorcycle show, car show, competitions, 100+ vendors http://www.texasblueberryfestival.com/
5. Blueberry Jubilee, Poplarville, Mississippi (MS), cooking contest, pageant, auto show, dog show, 5K run...go to the site just to show your kids the animated berry (-: http://blueberryjubilee.org/
4. Reed Valley Orchard Blueberry Jubilee and Pancake Day, Paris, Kentucky (KY); Sat. June 29, 2013 horse drawn wagon, fruit pies, slushies http://www.reedvalleyorchard.com/Jubilee.htm
5. Wellborn Blueberry Festival, Wellborn, FL, June 7-8 2013, free admission, blueberry pancake breakfast $5, parade, talent contest, 5K run http://www.wellborncommunityassociation.com/Pages/BlueberryFestival.aspx
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