Pumpkin Crafts | Alphabet Letter P Theme | Harvest | Halloween | Preschool Lesson Plan Printable Activities and Worksheets

Themes

Instructions and Suggestions

Materials

Alphabet >
*Letter J > Jack-O'-Lantern
*Letter P > Pumpkin

Crafts > Pumpkins
 
Colors > Orange

Environment > Recycling

Farm and Food > Nutrition > Vegetables > Pumpkins 

Holidays >
*Oct. 31st > Halloween
*Nov. > Thanksgiving

Online Coloring >
Pumpkins

Online Jigsaw Puzzles > Pumpkins and Scarecrow Pumpkin

Math | Social Studies > Science > 
*Visit a pumpkin patch
*Measuring pumpkins
*Nutrition > Vegetable > Cooking pumpkins

Seasons > Autumn

During these activities children will have fun and explore pumpkins, practice letter P or J, listen to a wonderful story online and more!  There are many activities, so these can be done over a number of days.

Note: It would be wonderful to have real pumpkins for the children to see, touch and smell for these activities and try to wear orange during the activities.

Activity 1: Learning about Pumpkins (Science, Social Studies, Math)
Pumpkin - The Scary Squash:   Share this fascinating presentation for children about the history of pumpkins and jack-o'-lanterns.

Activity >  Alphabet > Pp is for Pumpkin  or J is for Jack-o'-Lantern Printable Activities and Lesson Plan

Online Coloring >  Pumpkins
Skills:  colors, use of computer mouse
*Pumpkins and crate
*Scarecrow with Jack-o'-lantern head

Activity > Pumpkin theme Autumn or Halloween Printable Activities
Select educational printable activities, such as mazes, October calendar, and more.

Activity > Online Jigsaw Puzzles>  Pumpkins 
Skill:  problem solving, use of computer mouse
Here are three fun 6-piece online puzzles the youngest child can enjoy.   To increase the number of pieces, click on the SHAPE button on the left.
* Pumpkin
* Scarecrow pumpkin

Activity > Nursery Rhymes and Music >Nursery Rhyme:  Peter, Peter Pumpkin-Eater

Activity > Environmental Awareness > Recycling and Shapes >  Ben & Jerry's Virtual Pumpkin

This online activity provides additional shape practice and additional learning activities:
  1.  On the initial screen children get to select a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch and they are in different shapes.  Point out how the pumpkins grow low on the ground on vines.  The pumpkin is a vegetable.  It takes quite a bit of land space to grow pumpkins.  

  2.  The Three R's Theme> Reduce, Reuse and Recycle:  After children select their pumpkin and a new window opens they will click and drag items from the compost bin to decorate the pumpkin.  Make sure to discuss the terms reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Visit this related activity for information.  

  3.   Shapes:  The children can identify the different shapes from the compost bin to decorate their pumpkin - stars, circles, crescent. etc.  
Have fun!

Activity > Pumpkins > Social Studies | Nutrition | Math/Measuring

Activity > Online > Nutrition and Math >  
Focus on the orange color of pumpkins to help children remember that this color is representative of nutritious content (beta carotene-Vitamin A) , and compare to the carrot, a vegetable that is also orange.  

*  Science / Social Studies & Math:    For this activity slice the pumpkin so children can see, touch and smell the pumpkin and see the seeds.  Graph on a board their comments about their sensory experiences. A complete set of separate activities can be conducted to explore pumpkin growth and harvest. 
*Here is are wonderful ideas that can be adapted to a preschool level --Museum in the Classroom Project - Pumpkins
*Measure your Pumpkin > Letter to send to parents to do a measuring activity with a pumpkin sent home from a field trip (K level).

Activity > Coloring and More >
Halloween Coloring Pages | Autumn Coloring Pages
and Thanksgiving Coloring Pages 
Many of these coloring pages feature pumpkins or jack-o'-lanterns, and can be used as a separate activity.  The images can be cut out to make window or bulletin board decorations, hand puppets, dress a plain lunch or small shopping bag to make trick or treat bags.  Add some lines to the inside of the pumpkins to make fun practice writing paper for emergent writers or to make large greeting cards, reward certificates or just to write or type a note or small newsletter to parents.

Activity > Art Appreciation > A Still Life
Use real pumpkins to make a still life painting still life painting with this related activity.

Activity > Pumpkin Patch >   Visit a pumpkin farm in your area or recreate a pumpkin patch by placing pumpkins the children can find outdoors and take home.  For preschool & child care facilities:  Every family can donate the pumpkin (or the money to purchase them at a local farmer's market), ahead of time for the activity.  A separate activity can be done for the children to decorate them.

Activity > Fun in the Kitchen or a visit Farmer's Market and carving a pumpkin: 
Easy easy pumpkin pie (more recipes here) or a visit to a farmer's market to choose a pumpkin for decorating or carving.

External resources:
* Illinois University - Pumpkins and More
* The Recipe Source - Pumpkin Recipes 
* Pumpkin Farm Locator - Illinois University, Pumpkins and More

*Try to dress in something orange today - both educator and children.

Translate
To view updates to these activities visit: http://www.first-school.ws/activities/alpha/p/pumpkin.htm
© First-School.ws Preschool Activities and Crafts