Miss Mari's Preschool
An Adventure Every Day!
Pumpkins
Books
Activities
Big Pumpkin by
Runaway Pumpkin by
Pooh's Pumpkin by
Pinkalicious and the Pink Pumpkin by Victoria Kann
From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer
Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas
The Vanishing Pumpkin by Tony Johnston
Note: This unit is available at my TPT store here.
Pumpkin Patch Field Trip
We visit the local pumpkin patch and every student gets to pick a pumpkin. While we are there, I try to point out the different stages of the life cycle that I see.
Where's the Bat?
Another game that my students love so much, that I've made one for every theme. In this version, you tell the children to close their eyes, and hide the bat under one of the pumpkins. Have them open their eyes and take turns naming a letter to try and find the bat. This game never gets old, they LOVE it! Available at my TPT store here.
Pumpkin Shape Hunt
I made these last year because we were studying shapes in October. Students circle all the squares, count how many, and write the number. Then they erase, and repeat the activity with the other shapes. I put these in sheet protectors so they can be erased and used again.
Write the Room - Pumpkins
My students love this game so much, that I have made a version for each montly theme. Hide pumpkins around the room that have letters written on them. Give the students the pumpkin printable below on a clipboard. Children walk around the room looking for the pumpkins. When they find one they color it in on the printable. To make this more challenging, you can leave the pumpkins blank and have the children write the letter they find inside the pumpkin.
Pumpkin Color Bingo
Paint Pumpkins
One year, a local pumpkin patch donated a pumpkin to every student at my school. We used sponges and paint to decorate the pumpkins. The students LOVED it!
Life Cycle of a Pumpkin
Students color, cut, and sequence the steps of the life cycle. (Note: We do this activity in small groups. After the students color and cut the four pictures, I have them sequence the steps on the Life Cycle sequencing mat. Then later during the day when I have time, I tape them to the string and hang them from the ceiling.)
Explore the Insides
Place a spoonful of the pumpkin "guts" in the middle of each student's sorting mat. Students use fingers or spoons to sort the guts. Then they glue seeds and orange yarn on the inside of their pumpkin book to resemble the inside of a pumpkin.
Measuring Pumpkins
Students measure their pumpkin with unifix cubes and record their finding on the Measuring Pumpkins printable
Observational Drawings
Each student selects a pumpkin that they would like to "study." First the students must determine if their pumpkin is shaped like a circle or oval. Then they use the ripped construction paper to fill the shape and markers to add a stem.