Fall Science with Pumpkins and Gourds, Pre-K, Preschool

Here are some Fall Science Activities with Pumpkins and Gourds for Pre-K and Preschool. Looking for the Gourds Science Center? It’s just below the Pumkins.

Fall Science: Pumpkins & Gourds, Preschool

Exploring Pumpkins

We had several pumpkins of different sizes and colors for the children to observe, touch, and make observational drawings. After several weeks, these were cut in half for the children to observe the inside. Tweezers were placed in the science center with the pumpkins for children to pick out the seeds.

Gourds Science Center

This gourd science center display can be used in the Fall, especially around Thanksgiving.

Gourd Science Center

I bought a variety of gourds in the produce section of a store and set up this display in our science center. I added two baskets that children could use for sorting the gourds by texture: bumpy or smooth. Some children might simply explore and observe the gourds by feeling the different textures. I also added a poster with the display that said “Some gourds are bumpy. Some gourds are smooth.” (This adds environmental print to our center, and many children ask what the sign says.) I found the gourd photos used in the poster through an internet search.

Gourd Painting Extension Activity

You can also use the gourds for an observational drawing and painting activity. Children used black pens to draw the outlines and details of the gourds by observation, and then painted their gourd drawings with tempera paint. I mixed paint in a variety of hues in advance so the children could match the colors of the paints to the colors of the gourds. Thin paintbrushes work best.