Blueberries for Sal Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Reading with my children has always been important to me because of the opportunity to slow down and connect with kids over stories. As we read together with our children, stories offer so many opportunities for learning that can be tailored to our children’s interests, season of life, learning habits, and more.

For years I have loved the story Blueberries for Sal. It is a delightful tale that captivates toddlers with charming illustrations, gentle storytelling, and sweet sense of adventure. In this blog post I am sharing all about this children’s story, plus my favorite learning activities that coordinate with the story. My hope is you will use the story as a jumping off point for learning and connection, while fostering a love for literature in your home.

This blog also includes the a free, printable Blueberries for Sal book activity guide, which is part of Treehouse Story School, Preschool, a literature-focused preschool curriculum. This guide includes weekly lesson plans, learning activities, storytelling props, recipes, and more. I am thrilled to share all of the details with you! Read below for all of the details.

In this blog post:

Blueberries for Sal summary
Reading Blueberries for Sal for preschool and kindergarten
Blueberries for Sal activity ideas for kids
Download Blueberries for Sal book activity guide [Free Printable PDF]
Learning through children’s literature with Treehouse Story School, Preschool
More preschool and kindergarten resources from Treehouse Schoolhouse

Blueberries for Sal summary

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey is a charming story about a little girl named Sal and her mother, who go to Blueberry Hill to pick blueberries for winter. As Sal fills her small pail, she eats more berries than she collects, while her mother carefully picks berries to can at home. Meanwhile, on the other side of the hill, a mother bear and her cub are also gathering berries to prepare for their long winter sleep.

As Sal and the little bear wander off, they accidentally end up following the wrong mothers! The story gently unfolds as the two pairs realize the mix-up and find their way back to each other. Through its beautiful blue-toned illustrations and gentle storytelling, Blueberries for Sal highlights themes of curiosity, adventure, and the comforting bond between parent and child.

Reading Blueberries for Sal for preschool and kindergarten

When selecting books for your toddler, preschooler, or kindergartener, I love finding books that we can read over and over again. I love how children can learn new things from familiar stories.

Blueberries for Sal is one of my favorites. The story’s structure, with parallel adventures of Sal and the bear cub, help children develop sequencing skills and understanding cause and effect. Young children will easily relate to Sal’s curiosity and independence, as well as the nurturing relationships between Sal and her mother and the bear cub and its mother. The story subtly teaches lessons about staying close to caregivers and being mindful of one’s surroundings, promoting safety awareness in a gentle way.

This story also sparks curiosity about nature, teaching children about blueberry picking, bears, and the outdoors in a safe and imaginative setting.

Blueberries for Sal activity ideas for kids

Blueberries for Sal is a great launching-off point for kids to learn about letters, math, motor skills, nature ideas, and more. Here are some of my favorites activities that coordinate with this story.

Blueberries for Sal math activities

Teach children about shapes and circles. Go outside and draw circles with sidewalk chalk. Model it to your child and tell them it is a circle. Make a story connection by showing how blueberries are also circular.
Put blueberries in a line and point to each one as you count. Invite your child to do it. Then, arrange them in a different way and count them again.
Watercolor paint blue circles or a basket of circular blueberries.

Blueberries for Sal fine motor skill activities

Wash blueberries together. Show your child how to pick off any remaining stems. Have the blueberries for a snack, or use the blueberries in a recipe like Blueberry Jam, Blueberry Pancakes, or Blueberry Crumble.
In the story, Sal’s mother picks blueberries to can at home. Practice matching by removing the lids to a few jars. Let your child try to match the right lids to jars and practice opening and closing them.

Blueberries for Sal play ideas

Sal and Little Bear followed their mothers in the story. Play Follow the Leader around the house, doing different motions and having your child copy you. Take turns being the leader.
Hide blue pom poms throughout your house. Give your child a basket or pail and have them pretend to go blueberry picking in your home.

Blueberries for Sal arts and craft ideas

Paint blueberries into a bucket. Start by drawing or painting a basket on a piece of paper. Then, have your child add “blueberries” to the bucket by fingerpainting with blue paint to add “blueberries.”
Follow a video tutorial to teach kids how to practice drawing a teddy bear.
Use a fork to paint a cute bear face in this craft.
Recreate mother bear and her cub using this easy bear handprint craft.
View other illustrations by author Robert McCloskey.

Blueberries for Sal field trip ideas

Visit a u-pick blueberry or strawberry farm.

Blueberries for Sal coordinating books

Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
Jamberry by Bruce Degen
Peter in Blueberry Land by Elsa Beskow
Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
Find Out About: Animal Babies by Martin Jenkins

For more ideas, or how to study this story over a week, check out the Blueberries for Sal activity guide below.

Download Blueberries for Sal book activity guide [Free Printable PDF]

Enjoy this free week of Treehouse Story School, Preschool, Week One: Blueberries for Sal.

We created this free download for you to preview Treehouse Story School, Preschool and decide if it will be a good fit for your family. In addition to the Week One pages, we’ve included the full Preschool Book List and weekly overview of learning themes so you can preview the topics covered throughout the full 32 week curriculum.

This free printable download includes:

Treehouse Story School, Preschool Book List
Treehouse Story School, Preschool complete learning themes
Blueberries for Sal music playlist
Blueberries for Sal coordinating hand rhyme
Alphabet and language lessons
Math lessons
Hands-on activities
Field trip ideas
Blueberries for Sal coordinating recipes
Blueberries for Sal storytelling pieces and storytelling basket ideas

Download the free, printable PDF download here.

Learning through children’s literature with Treehouse Story School, Preschool

Treehouse Story School, Preschool is 32-weeks of gentle, literature-based curriculum designed for ages 2.5-5 years. This preschool curriculum that invites children to learn through the themes in stories they love. Each week will focus on a picture book, inviting children into connection and learning through music and movement, play-based narration, alphabet and number play, motor skills, practical life development, crafts, and baking together.

It would be a great fit for your toddler or preschooler if you are looking to incorporate multi-sensory, play-based learning while introducing them to timeless stories.

From toddler through upper preschool, this curriculum can be used year after year as you dive deeper into beloved, classic stories your family will cherish.

Stay tuned for more details – coming this summer! Preview a free week here.

More preschool and kindergarten resources from Treehouse Schoolhouse

Are you looking for more learning resources or learning material for toddlers or preschoolers in your home? Consider these best-selling products from Treehouse Schoolhouse that offer a gentle invitation to learning for small children.

Daily Rhythm Bundle

Children are highly visual–they can feel particularly out of control when they don’t know what to expect of their day. That’s why we recommend using a visual schedule to support your children from the time they are very young.

Rather than trying to stick to a rigid schedule, this set helps you create a general rhythm for your days. The daily rhythm worksheet is laminated and dry erase and the cards can be moved around offering you flexibility and adaptability.

Related: Overview: Daily Rhythm Bundle

Wonder of Nature Alphabet Print Cards

The Wonder of Nature Alphabet Print Cards are designed to offer young children a multi-sensory invitation to recognizing letters. The watercolor illustrations that coordinate with each letter of the alphabet teach early phonetic awareness by introducing them to beginning letter sounds. These beautiful cards can be displayed in your school room or used for hands-on learning activities like matching, sorting, and reading.

Wonder of Nature Alphabet Sheets

These interactive, reusable sheets are designed to offer young children a multi-sensory invitation to recognizing, forming, and writing letters. The watercolor illustrations that coordinate with each letter of the alphabet teach early phonetic awareness by introducing them to beginning letter sounds. Slide these sheets into a restaurant menu cover or into dry-erase pouches so that your child can practice them again and again. Use dry-erase markers and wipe clean after each use.

Related: How to Teach a Child to Read

Morning Time Bundle

This interactive, reusable set focuses on weather, seasons, moon phase, temperature, weather-appropriate clothing, date and time, and reading a calendar. With this daily bundle, your child will practice the skills of handwriting, tracing, copywork, and telling time. I recommend you print these materials and place them inside of a Morning Time Menu or dry-erase sleeve. Using dry-erase markers, your child can fill this bundle out over and over again.

We also offer a version of the Morning Time Bundle for those in our community who live in the Southern Hemisphere.

Will you read Blueberries for Sal with your children? Let us know in the comments below!