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www.FredParent.NET • 17 5 PICK BERRIES Bring summer home in a bucket of berries. Check out www.pickyourown.org to find a farm near you. Celebrate the fruits of your labor by baking muffins or enjoying berries over homemade ice cream! 6 GO LOCAL Area farmers markets offer an assortment of col- orful, seasonal produce. There's no better ti me to taste locally grown foods and experiment with new wholesome recipes in the kitchen with your child. Fredericksburg, Stafford and Spotsylvania all have thriving markets open on Saturdays. 7 COOK UP A STORY Recipes help kids practice math and reading skills, but also try giving cooking a literary twist that will delight even preschoolers. Read a book like "If You Give a Pig a Pancake" by Laura Joffe Numeroff and make pan- cakes together. An older child who likes "The Little House on the Prairie" series, might enjoy "The Little House Cookbook: Frontier Foods" from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories by Barbara M. Walker. Got a Star Wars fan? Check out the "Star Wars Cookbook: Wookie Cookies and Other Galactic Recipes" by Robin Davis. 8 TOUR A WORKING FARM Show your child how foods make it to grocery store shelves by touring a local farm or dairy. Many places, like Braehead Farm, offer tours by appointment and schedule themed events. 9 CHASE FIREFLIES Fireflies like grassy, humid areas near ponds and lakes, as well as treed areas and fields, away from urban lights. To attract fireflies to your garden or yard try turning off your home's exterior lights. If you capture any fireflies, put them in a ventilated jar with a wet paper towel to keep the jar humid and allow the fireflies to breathe. Due to light pollution and insecticides, firefly populations have decreased. Be sure and let them go after you're done admiring their flashing lights. To learn more about fireflies, visit www.firefly.org. 10 BIRDWATCH Learning about birds local to the area helps children appreciate and build interest in their natural surroundings. Purchase or make a bird feeder to attract birds to your backyard. Use a local bird guide and listen for different bird song to try and identify the birds visiting your yard. 11 PLAN HOMETOWN FIELD TRIPS New experiences help kids learn, grow and feel a connection to their community. Check out Gari Melcher's Home and Studio at Belmont, Ferry Farm, James Monroe Museum and Library, or Kenmore Plantation and Gardens. You can also find out which topics might interest your child and look for places to explore those.