Sunday, October 14, 2012

Pumpkin Activities & Free pumpkin lifecycle worksheet

Here are some of my pumpkin activities:

We use our 5 senses to observe a pumpkin:
What does it look like:  Color, Shape, Size
How does it feel:  smooth, soft, rough, bumpy
How does it smell?  (you can have them smell pumpkin puree or pumpkin scented candle)  Sweet, Sour
How does it taste:  (have them taste pumpkin flavored pudding)  Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter.

I usually have students get into groups of 2 or 3 and each group has a small pumpkin.  You can do this whole group as well.  



We then read the book:  From Seed to Pumpkin by 





  • Wendy Pfeffer
  • James Graham Hale (Illustrator)





  • We discuss the pumpkin life cycle:
    Seeds:  Plant the seeds
    Seedling:  Seed sprouts into a seedling
    Vine:  The vine begins to grow.  Green leaves form the vine.
    Flower:  Pumpkin flowers grow on the vine.
    Green Pumpkin:  A little green pumpkin starts to grow.
    Yellow pumpkin:  The green pumpkin starts to turn yellow.
    Orange Pumpkin:  When the pumpkin turns orange it's ready for harvesting.  

    Have students re-create the pumpkin life cycle with their bodies through movement and music.


    Click here for my pumpkin life cycle worksheet



    Other pumpkin activities:
    Sink or float the pumpkin
    Carve pumpkin open and estimate the number of seeds.
    Roast pumpkin seeds for tasting.
    Make Pumpkin pudding with graham crackers
    Create water color pumpkin still life paintings


    Pumpkin Seed Recipe:
    2 cups pumpkin seeds
    2 tablespoons salt
    1 tablespoon butter

    Pumpkin Pudding recipe:
    1/3 can pumpkin pie filling with spices
    8oz. whipped topping
    2 packages instant vanilla pudding
    Milk
    Crushed graham crackers

    Let the students mix the ingredients together.  Mix pudding and milk according the the recipe on the pudding box.  Then fold in the pumpkin pie filling into the vanilla pudding.  Put crushed graham crackers at the bottom of a cup (I use the mini dixie bathroom cups).  Scoop some pudding mixture on top of the graham crackers.  Then frost their pudding cups with the whipped topping.  


    Halloween activities coming soon...


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