Here are some things you can do at home to reinforce and duplicate what we’re learning at school. And remember children learn best by doing. So have them roll up their sleeves and get ready for some hands on fun! Activities should be age appropriately adjusted so that all ages infants to preschoolers can have some hands on fun.
Let’s get started
- What you will need: pumpkins, an inquisitive child and various household items
- What you won’t need: Cell phones, TVs, Computers…
- What you’ll do: Explore pumpkins
1. Start the fun with a family field trip to the pumpkin patch or store
- How many pumpkins do you see?
- How many should we get?
- What size should we get?
- Do you see any unusual pumpkins?
2. Explore the pumpkins at home
- Carve the pumpkins
- Cook the seeds
- Plant the seeds
- Explore all kids of other pumpkin activities
Focus on:
Language Arts
- What color are pumpkins? Do pumpkins come in other colors?
- What’s it feel like inside & outside? Is it cold? Hot? Wet or dry? Mushy? Does the outside feel different than the inside?
- What does it smell like? Does it make you think of or remember something?
- Do you want to make a happy pumpkin? A mean pumpkin? A scary Pumpkin? A grinning Pumpkin…?
Math Skills
- Count & sort the pumpkins; Big, Medium, Small.
- Guess their weight. Which one weighs more? Weigh the pumpkins.
- Count & sort the seeds. How many do you think can fit in this container? How about this one?
- What shape are the seeds? What shape are the pumpkins?
- What shape should we make the eyes, the mouth, the teeth…?
Science
- What is a pumpkin? Fruit? Vegetable?
- Can we eat pumpkins? What can we make and eat with pumpkins?
- Plant the Seeds. What do you think will happen? What do seeds need to grow?
- What happens when we smash a seed?
- Let’s smash a pumpkin! (My children love this one! We drop them off our balcony after Halloween!)
Erupting Pumpkin
- You need: Jack-o-lantern, vinegar, baking soda, & food coloring.
- Mix some food coloring with some vinegar.
- Put some baking soda in the bottom of pumpkin.
- Pour the vinegar in the pumpkin and watch it erupt!
- Try it again with different quantities and colors!
Cooking
- Toast and eat the seeds. What do they taste like? Are they hard or soft? Crunchy? Salty?
- Make pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cupcakes…
Dance/Movement
- Listen to the Monster Mash or any other Halloween song.
- Recite a Poem or Sing a song
- Five Little pumpkins sitting on a gate
- The first one said “Oh my it’s getting late!”
- The second one said “There are witches in the air!”
- The third one said “But we don’t care!”
- The fourth one said “let’s run & run & run!”
- The fifth one said “I’m ready for some fun!”
- WOO went the wind & out went the lights
- A the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight
Spanish
- Pumpkin – calabaza
- Orange – naranja
- Seed – semilla
- Round – ronda
- Use google’s translator for more here
Story Time
Find some GREAT stories to read at home on Amazon or where ever books are sold! 🙂
I hope you like this post. I love helping parents, teachers and children learn, grow and become better people! Everyday I'm delighted to spend my day in the place I love with the people I love. If you don't know me already, please read my Teacher Feature.
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