Pumpkin shaped lacing cards were made with orange poster board with holes punched around the edges. Children lace yarn through the holes (I wrapped tape around the end of the yarn to make a point to poke through the holes). Children decorate the pumpkin when they finish.
Pumpkin Art Activities
Plate Pumpkins
Children make a pumpkin by mixing red and yellow paint together on a paper plate. They add a brown construction paper stem. For decoration, make a curly vine by twisting a green pipe cleaner around a pencil, then stretch it out a bit, and attach it to the pumpkin.
Pumpkin Painting
Children paint a mini pumpkin with acrylic paint (acrylic works well on pumpkins).
Pumpkin Models
Children make models of pumpkins with white Crayola Model Magic. Paint them after the Model Magic has dried.
Pumpkin Literacy Activities
Beginning Sounds
Place a few small objects from the classroom into a plastic trick-or-treat pumpkin. Pass the pumpkin around the circle. Each child will take one object from the pumpkin and identify its beginning sound. For example, S for scissors, M for Marker, etc.
Pumpkin Patch Books
After going on a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch, children make a book about their experience.
Pumpkin Math Activities
Size Order Mats
I found a set of pumpkin cookie cutters in four sizes. I made a mat with the four sizes in order using construction paper and covered the mats in clear Contact paper. The children cut pumpkins from orange play dough with cookie cutters, and place each size on the mat to put them in order by size.
Pumpkin Science Activities
Pumpkin Patch Field Trip
We take a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch to see real pumpkins growing on the vines, and the yellow pumpkin flowers that bloom before pumpkins grow. Our local pumpkin patch cuts open a pumpkin and allows the children to look at and feel the inside.
Pumpkin Decomposition
When Halloween is over, place a pumpkin outside in a garden area where it will not be disturbed. Observe the decomposition of the pumpkin over time.
What Colors Are Pumpkins?
This is a chart we made after observing many types of pumpkins at the pumpkin patch and in our classroom.
Pumpkin Cooking Activities
Pumpkin Pies
Ingredients for one serving: Mini graham cracker crust 3 spoonfuls of vanilla pudding 1 spoonful of canned pumpkin 1 spoonful of whipped topping Directions: Stir the vanilla pudding and canned pumpkin together. Spoon the mixture into the mini pie crust. Top with whipped topping.
(I also have this cooking activity listed with the Thanksgiving theme. Depending on the year, I may do this activity in either theme, but not both.)
Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients for one child: Four ginger snap cookies 3 spoonfuls of vanilla pudding or whipped topping 1 spoonful of canned pumpkin Small cup of white icing (or cream cheese) Orange food color Small squeeze tube of black icing Directions: Stir canned pumpkin and the vanilla pudding or whipped topping together. Place a spoonful of the mixture onto a ginger snap cookie. Gently place another gingersnap cookie on top (do not squish it down). These can be frozen. I usually place them on a sturdy paper plate and write the child’s name beside each, and place them in the freezer on the plate. After they are frozen, you can decorate the cookies like a pumpkin. Add a drop or two of orange food color to each child’s cup of white icing (or cream cheese). Let the child stir the icing with a popsicle stick and spread it on the sandwich cookie. Use a small squeeze tube of black icing to make a pumpkin face.
Monster Large Group Activities
Monster Song
Play the song “The Mice Go Marching” from Hap Palmer’s album “Rhythms on Parade”. Children will tiptoe during the “mice” part and stomp during the “monster” part.
Monster Fine Motor Skills
Monster Eyes
Add wiggle eyes to the play dough (mixed in) and have the children pull out the “monster eyes”.
Monster Art Activities
Monster Masks
Children use several collage materials of their choice from our art center to create a monster mask on a paper plate.
Bugs That Go Bump in the Night
Before reading Bugs That Go Bump in the Night, remove the surprise from the envelope at the end of the book. At the end, show children the empty envelope and ask them to make something scary to put inside.
There’s a Nightmare in My Closet
Fold a piece of brown construction paper (hamburger fold). On the inside, staple or glue a half-sheet of white drawing paper to the right side. On the front, write “There’s a Nightmare in My Closet”. Have the children draw a nightmare on the white paper on the inside of the “closet”. At large group, my students often like to talk about their nightmares and things that scare them. I think they like to get it out “in the open” and hear what other children have to say about their nightmares.
Monster Literacy Activities
Go Away Big Green Monster
I made a set of “Big Green Monsters” for the children to use in small groups. I traced the pages of the book, Go Away Big Green Monster, to make patterns for cutting out the pieces from felt. As the story is read, the children add each piece of the monster’s face, then take them away. I also have the children retell the story as they manipulate the pieces.
Halloween Literacy Activities
Halloween Parade Class Book
Ask each parent to send in a photo of their child dressed in their Halloween costume. Glue each photo onto a page, and bind the pages together to make a class book. To make our class books, I use “presentation book covers” from an office supply store or Walmart. It has a sturdy plastic cover with a clear insert, and the pages are also clear inserts. I just slip in a page for the front cover, and slip in the children’s pages inside. These can be reused.
This is an activity that goes with any theme. Choose a book that goes with the theme, and have the children retell the story. Read the blog post here for details: story retelling
Halloween Math Activities
Halloween Sorting
I used pumpkin, bat, and spider Martha Stewart craft punchers to cut out the pieces from construction paper. Give each child a bowl of assorted paper cutouts. Have them sort the paper cutouts onto the sorting sheet and glue them on. Print the sorting sheet here.
Halloween Patterns
I use pumpkin, bat, and spider Martha Stewart craft punchers to cut out the pieces from construction paper. Children glue the cutouts on the paper pattern strip. You can do AB, AABB, ABC, ABB, AAB, etc. Print the pattern strips here.
Halloween Counting
I use pumpkin, bat, and spider Martha Stewart craft punchers to cut out the pieces from construction paper. Print out the numeral sheets. Have children count out the correct amount of paper cutouts to glue onto the numeral. Print the number sheets here.
