We sent our friends who visited the pumpkin patch this weekend home with pumpkins and we can’t wait to see what they do with them.
A pumpkin is much more than a fall decoration. For a preschooler, it can become a science experiment, an art project, a sensory experience or the beginning of an afternoon of imaginative play.
Here are a few easy pumpkin activities to try at home.
Investigate the inside
Cut open a pumpkin and let your preschooler investigate what is inside.
How does it feel? How does it smell? What do the seeds look like? How many seeds do you think there are?
You don’t need to turn it into a formal science lesson. Let your child touch, observe and ask questions.
Paint it
Put away the carving tools and let your preschooler decorate their pumpkin with washable paint.
They can use brushes, sponges, cotton swabs or even their fingers. There is no right way to decorate a pumpkin.
Count the seeds
Save the pumpkin seeds and count them together.
For younger preschoolers, counting a small handful is plenty. Older preschoolers might want to make groups of five or ten, compare the sizes of different piles or make a guess before counting.
Make pumpkin faces
Give your child paper, markers and a few craft supplies and invite them to design a pumpkin face.
Then see if you can recreate their design on the real pumpkin using paint or other decorations.
Go on a pumpkin walk
Take your pumpkin outside and see what you can find together.
Look for leaves that are changing colors, listen for birds, collect a few sticks or pinecones, and notice what feels different about the season.
Preschoolers don’t need complicated activities. A pumpkin, a handful of seeds and a little time to explore can be enough.
Sometimes the most fun happens when we simply give children something interesting and let them take it from there.
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