pumpkins

to the Pumpkin Patch Updated 7-28-05
Literature
Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington It’s Pumpkin Time by Zoe Hall Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll Grandma’s Smile by Elaine Moore The Great Pumpkin Switch by Megan McDonald Five Little Pumpkins by Iris Van Rynbach Jeb’s Scarecrow Pumpkin Patch by Jana Dillon The Pumpkin Patch by Elizabeth King The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams The Pumpkin Fair by Eve Bunting The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson The Vanishing Pumpkin by Tony Johnson Mousekin’s Golden House by Edna Miller The Big, Big Pumpkin by Joan Lexau Growing Pumpkins by Melvin Berger It’s Pumpkin Time Picking Apples and Pumpkins Pumpkin Day, Pumpkin Night Grow a Pumpkin Pie The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin by Jan and Stan Berenstain
Poems and Songs
Once I Had A Pumpkin (from Dr. Jean’s website) Oh, once I had a pumpkin, a pumpkin, a pumpkin. Oh, once I had a pumpkin with no face at all. With no eyes and no nose and no mouth and no teeth. Oh, once I had a pumpkin with no face at all. So I made a jack-o-lantern, jack-o-lantern, jack-o-lantern. So I made a jack-o-lantern with a big, funny face. With big eyes and a big nose and big mouth and big teeth. So I made a jack-o-lantern with a big, funny face.	Jack O. Happy Fingerplay (Children make a circle around their heads before beginning.) This is Jack O. Happy. (smile) This is Jack O. Sad. (frown) This is Jack O. Spooky. (open mouth and look frightened.) This is Jack O. Mad. (make angry face) This is Jack in pieces small. (open up hands) But in a pie he’s best of all. (pat tummy)
Jack O Happy This is Jack O Happy. This is Jack O Sad. Now you see him sleepy. Now you see him mad. This is Jack in pieces small. But in a pie he’s best of all.	Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater Had a wife and couldn’t keep her. Put her in a pumpkin shell And there he kept her very well.
Ten Little Pumpkins (tune of Ten Little Indians) One little, two little, three little pumpkins. Four little, five little, six little pumpkins. Seven little, eight little, nine little pumpkins. Ten little pumpkins growing in a patch. Ten little, nine little, eight little pumpkins. Seven little, six little, five little pumpkins, Four little, three little, two little pumpkins. One little pumpkin growing in a patch.	The Pumpkins Are Here (tune of The Farmer in the Dell) The pumpkins are here; the pumpkins are there. The pumpkins, the pumpkins, are everywhere. The pumpkins are up; the pumpkins are down. The pumpkins, the pumpkins, are all around. The pumpkins are in; the pumpkins are out. The pumpkins, the pumpkins are all about. The pumpkins are low; the pumpkins are high. The pumpkins, the pumpkins, all say, “Good-bye!”
Halloween Pumpkins Pumpkins large, pumpkins small, Pumpkins short, pumpkins tall, Pumpkins orange, pumpkins green, All for us on Halloween.	Mr. Pumpkin (Before beginning this finger rhyme, draw a jack-o-lantern on each child’s right thumb or put a jack-o-lantern sticker on.) Old Mr. Pumpkin (fist with right hand, thumb inside) Hiding in a box, (left hand covers fist) Take off the top, (remove left hand) And out he pops! (thumb pops out)
Here’s A Pumpkin By Natalie Hill (flannel board rhyme sung to the tune of “Where Is Thumbkin?” For the flannel board you will need an orange circle, a green stem, two black circles for eyes, a black triangle for the nose, and a smile with two teeth cut out of the smile. Add the parts as you sing each verse.) Here’s a pumpkin, here’s a pumpkin, Orange and round, orange and round. Started as a seed, sprouted and then blossomed. Grew and grew, on the ground. Here’s the top hat, here’s the top hat, Right on top, right on top. First you carve around it, to take all the seeds out, Off it pops, off it pops. Here are two eyes, here are two eyes, Round as can be, round as can be. First you carve the right one, then you carve the left one, Looking at you, looking at me. Here’s a big nose, here’s a big nose, With three sides, with three sides. Two points at the bottom, one point at the top, Cannot hide, cannot hide. Here’s the big grin, here’s the big grin, Glad as can be, glad as can be. Look what’s in the middle, two squares that are little, Must be teeth, must be teeth. Where’s the pumpkin, where’s the pumpkin? We’ve just seen, we’ve just seen, How you carve a pumpkin, to make a jack-o-lantern, For Halloween, for Halloween.	Jack-o-Lantern Jack-o-lantern, big and scary Some are sad, some are merry. Some are large, some are small. Some just have no teeth at all!
Student Books
This Little Pumpkin (from Mailbox, Oct 1991) Page 1 This little pumpkin Was small and round. Page 2 This little pumpkin Sat on the ground. Page 3 This little pumpkin Was short and fat. Page 4 This little pumpkin Wore a silly hat. Page 5 This little pumpkin Had a grin so keen. Page 6 This little pumpkin Said, “Happy Halloween!”	Pumpkin Sequencing Booklets http://www.kizclub.com/Topics/food/pumpkin.pdf or Teacher’s Helper, Kindergarten, Sept/Oct 1995
	Orange Pumpkin, Orange Pumpkin, What Do You See? Maureen Tumenas has generously agreed to share this book she wrote. It is based on Brown Bear. http://littlegiraffes.com/orangepumpkinbook.doc
	“The Story of A Pumpkin Seed” October, Preschool-Kindergarten, The Education Center (TEC203)
“Where Is Pumpkin?” I Can Make It! I Can Read It!, Preschool-Kindergarten, The Education Center (TE3512)	Children move the pumpkin to illustrate positional vocabulary (above the cat, behind the fence, etc.)
More Literacy
Boo! This is a sight word game. Write words or letters that need reinforced on the back of jack-o-lanterns. On the back of other jack-o-lanterns, write "Boo!" Lay cards face down in the middle of a circle of 4-8 children. One student at a time draws a card. If he can read it, he keeps drawing until he gets a Boo card. Then his turn is over. Play continues until all the cards are gone.	Predictable Charts Make a predictable chart by having each child look at and touch a pumpkin and then use descriptive words to complete, "A pumpkin is ____________________."
Witch's Pot Game We played the "Witch's Pot" game by throwing jack-o-lantern beanbags into the pot if we could read a flashcard.	Tactile Names Have students write their names on a construction paper pumpkin cutout in large letters. Then have them glue pumpkin seeds on the letters of their name.
Other Resources Teacher’s Helper, Kindergarten, Sept/Oct 1995 “Pumpkin, Pumpkin” story recall worksheet Growing Pumpkins following directions worksheet “________’s pumpkin is……” story starter October Reproducible Activities, Kindergarten, The Education Center (TEC959) Critical thinking elimination activity Pumpkin patch gameboard for reinforcement
Math
Pumpkin Glyph (from Dr. Jean’s website) Each child will need an orange sheet of paper cut in a pumpkin shape. Have them decorate the pumpkins according to these directions: Stripes-How many letters are in your name? Put that many stripes on your pumpkin Eyes-Make the pumpkin’s eyes the color of your eyes. Nose-If you’re a boy, make a triangle. If you’re a girl, make a circle. Teeth-How many teeth have you lost? Make that many teeth in your pumpkins mouth. *Stem-Make the stem your favorite color.
Measurement
Pumpkin Circumference Estimate the circumference of the pumpkin. Have each student cut a piece of yarn they think will fit around the pumpkin. Test each piece and tape to a chart labeled “Too Short”, “Just Right” Too Long”. Then use a tape measure to record the actual circumference. This chart was made by my colleague, Mrs. Bastock, who is much more artistic than I am.
Purchase several pumpkins of various sizes. Sequence from largest to smallest and from smallest to largest. Give students orange squares of various sizes. Have them cut off the corners to form circles (TLC fashion). Decorate these as jack-o-lanterns and sequence by size.	How many pumpkins tall are you? (Adapted from Mrs. Pohlmeyer’s site) Laminate and hang up a string of die cut pumpkins (or pumpkins from a tablet). Have each student stand next to the pumpkins. A friend helps them measure themselves. A photo could also be taken.) Students fill in a paper that says, “_______ is ____ pumpkins tall!” Make this into a class book entitled, “How Tall is Mrs. _________’s Class?”
Measure the height of a pumpkin by stacking unifix cubes to match the pumpkin’s height. This could be done with several pumpkins and the heights compared.	Weigh a pumpkin. After scooping out the seeds and pulp, weigh the pumpkin again and compare the two weights.
We passed pumpkins to see which was heaviest.	Is this one the heaviest?
Counting
Save and dry the seeds from a real pumpkin. Count the seeds. Group the seeds into sets of five or sets of ten and count them again.	Count the ridges on a pumpkin. Compare the number of ridges on various pumpkins, using the terms “more”, “less” or “the same as”.
Draw lines between precut holiday shapes to practice one-to-one correspondence.	Use seasonal stamps to create Halloween sets of objects.
Estimation
Fill several different size and shape jars with pumpkin seeds. Estimate and count.
Subtraction Readiness
Pumpkin Bowling Game (from The Mailbox, Kindergarten, Oct/Nov 2000) Make plastic soda bottles into ears of corn “bowling pins” by taping a yellow corn shape and leaves to each bottle. Put a template on the floor so students will be able to put the pins in the pyramid shape for bowling. Use small pumpkins as the bowling balls. Mark a line on the floor for students to stand behind when bowling. Have a personalized scorecard for each child. Duplicate a pumpkin shape on orange paper; it should have a heading, “__________’s Score” and have sets up ten ears of corn. As students bowl, they cross out the number of pins that fell and then write the number on a line to the right of the ears of corn.	Ten Little Pumpkins Give each student 10 pumpkin Halloween candies. Sing the “Ten Little Pumpkins” song above and practice adding one more and taking one more away.
Graphing
Have students vote on how they want their jack-o-lantern carved. Draw a circle, a square, a triangle and a rectangle across the top of a chart. Down one side write the words eyes, nose, mouth. Ask each student which shape he would like for the eyes on the jack-o-lantern. Tally marks under the shape (or make a graph). Do the same for nose and mouth. Using the winning shapes, let students draw a picture of the way the class jack-o-lantern will look after it is carved.
Use seasonal marshmallow shapes for graphing, counting, patterning or addition.
Sorting and Patterning
Use a pumpkin mat to pattern candy corn. Paint lima beans orange and turn them into jack-o-lanterns. Put faces on beans to make them ghosts. Pattern them on a fence storyboard.	Put faces on beans to make them ghosts. Pattern them on a fence storyboard.
Use precut craft foam holiday shapes for patterns.
Make a jack-o-lantern windsock (described below) and add crepe paper orange and black streamers in an AB pattern.	Use pumpkin die-cuts in various colors for sorting and patterning.
Other Resources
Teacher’s Helper, Kindergarten, Sept/Oct 1995 Parent activity of sorting pumpkin seeds Counting sets of pumpkins and seeds Patterning pumpkins and seeds	October Reproducible Activities, Kindergarten, The Education Center (TEC203) Sorting pumpkins by size
Centers
Pumpkin Bowling (described above in Subtraction Readiness)	Pumpkin Height Measurement (stack unifix cubes)
Pumpkin Seed Match Write numerals on pumpkin cutouts and students place the correct number of pumpkin seeds on each pumpkin.	Jack-o-lantern Match Make about ten jack-o-lanterns with different faces on each. Copy twice. Cut out. Have students match the identical pairs of jack-o-lanterns.
Science
Soak some pumpkin seeds overnight. Then cut them open so the children can see the tiny plant inside the seed.	Pumpkin Report Complete a pumpkin report. Draw a picture of the pumpkin above this sentence: “This is our pumpkin.” Under the sentence, “Our pumpkin is:” have a picture of three pumpkins (little, medium, big) and circle the size of the class pumpkin. Count the seeds and fill in, “Our pumpkin has _____ seeds.” Glue some seeds in a box labeled: “Here are some seeds.”
Make pumpkin life sequence bracelets.
Plant pumpkin seeds in a ziplock bag filled with a small amount of soil and water. Zip the bags shut and watch the bag fog up and clear again (just like the water cycle). Record their growth.	Relate a pumpkin to the five senses. Describe how it looks, what you can hear if it is shaken, how it smells before it is opened and after it is opened, how it feels inside and out, and how it tastes (pulp and seeds).
Make a yes-no class graph titled, “Will Pumpkins Float?” Have each student tape a small pumpkin with their name on it on the graph to record their predictions. Test a small pumpkin by placing it in a plastic container filled with about 6 inches of water.	Open a pumpkin and have each child scoop out some stringy pulp and seeds on to a paper plate. Explore these by using a magnifying glass. Separate the seeds from the pulp and save for math and cooking activities.
After Halloween, place the class pumpkin in a large clear container to observe changes. Take photos or draw pictures to record these changes on a timeline. Changes might include mold, color change, smell, and fruit flies. There is a book called "Pumpkin Jack" that goes along well with this experience. The second picture is the way Pumpkin Jack looked after one month. The last picture is the way it looked in January; under the mold it has turned to mainly a liquid. We couldn't stand looking at it any longer so we threw it out..
Make a pumpkin sequencing story with pieces stored in a paper plate pumpkin. http://extension.usu.edu/aitc/resources/pdf/fieldguide2/pumpkin.pdf
Art
Pumpkin Windsock You will need 2 orange paper plates for each windsock. Draw a jack-o-lantern face on each plate. Glue about four yellow and black crepe paper strips to the back of one plate. Then glue the plates together back to back. Punch a hole and put a string in the top to hang. Add some green leaves and green curling ribbon at the top.	Jack-o-lantern Windsock Use a black marker to draw a jack-o-lantern face on a 12” X 18” piece of orange construction paper. Fold into a cylinder and staple closed. Cut orange and black crepe paper into 16-inch length. Glue these in an AB pattern to the bottom of the windsock. Punch two holes at the top of the jack-o-lantern on each side. Put a reinforcement on each hole for extra strength. Tie a string between the holes to hang the windsock.
	Pumpkin Person Paint or color a paper plate orange and glue on a paper stem. Make a face on the plate. Accordion-fold four one-inch strips of paper and glue on the back for arms and legs.

All of these pumpkins are fingerpainted by combining yellow and red paint to make orange. After this dries, trace a pumpkin shape and cut out. For the pumpkins on the left, traced leaves and stems were cut out and foam shapes were used for the eyes and nose. For the pumpkin on the right, trace the children's handprints (closed fingers) for leaves. Add a brown stem and green curling ribbon.
Pumpkin Stress Ball Use a funnel to pour ¼ cup of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water into a small orange balloon. Release the trapped air before knotting the balloon. Tie a piece of green curling ribbon around the balloon to look like a vine.	Paper Bag Pumpkins Paint a lunch bag orange and allow to dry. Stuff with newspaper and twist the top for the stem. Tie this off with a rubberband and tape the stem portion with masking tape. Use black markers to draw a face on the pumpkins.
Five Little Pumpkins Glue 12-15 popsicle sticks vertically (and touching) to blue paper to make a gate. Give students five jack-o-lantern stickers (or have them draw them and cut them out) to sit on top of the popsicle stick gate. Use white, yellow, orange crayons to draw a moon and some witches in the air.
Recipes
Individual Pumpkins (10 servings) 3 cups miniature marshmallows ¼ cup margaring red and yellow food coloring Apple Cinnamon Cheerios Vegetable oil cooking spray (Pam) 10 green gumdrops Warm the margarine and the marshmallows in a large pan over low heat until the marshmallows melt. Use the food coloring to tint the mixture orange. Gradually fold in the Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. Lightly coat each child’s fingers with the cooking spray. When the mixture has cooled sufficiently, give each child ½ cup of the mixture to form into a pumpkin shape. Press the green gumdrop into the top for a stem. Set on waxed paper until firm.	Orange Pumpkin 6 orange slices vanilla frosting one green M&M Stick orange slices vertically into a “glob” of vanilla frosting. Top with the green M&M stem.
Pumpkin Muffins 2 cups flour ½ cup packed brown sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 2 eggs ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon 1cup canned pumpkin ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. ground ginger ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg ½ cup milk ¼ cup honey 1/3 cup margarine 1 cup golden raisins Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger; set aside. Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add eggs, pumpkin, milk and honey. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in raisins. Pour into 12 muffin cups. Bake 25-30 minutes, until springy to the touch and brown on top.	Pumpkin Cookies Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheet. Cream together ½ cup butter and ¾ cup honey. Beat in 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1cup cooked pumpkin. Stir together and add to the above mixture: 2 ½ cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon Drop by teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. When the cookies come out of the oven, make faces on them with raisins.
Baked Pumpkin Seeds Per cup of seeds: 1 tablespoon oil 1 teaspoon salt Spread seeds onto oiled baking sheet and bake at 250 degrees until crisp (about 45 minutes.) Cool before eating.	Fried Pumpkin Seeds 2 cups dried pumpkin seeds 2 T. butter salt Melt butter in an electric skillet. Then add the seeds. Stir until brown. Salt if desired. Cool before serving.
Fried Pumpkin 1 pumpkin Salt and pepper Flour Cooking oil Slice a pumpkin into thin strips. Salt and pepper the strips and then dust them with flour. Fry, turning occasionally, until the strips are browned. Cool and serve.	Baked Pumpkin One 3 pound pumpkin Butter Cinnamon Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pumpkin shell in half (do not peel the rind). Cover the pumpkin halves with foil and bake for 1 ½ hours or until tender. Scoop out the inside of the pumpkin and mash the contents with butter and cinnamon. Cool and serve.
Pumpkin Snack 3 cups miniature marshmallows ¼ cup butter yellow and red food coloring ½ tsp. vanilla extract 5 cups Cheerios Melt marshmallows and butter over low heat. Remove from heat and use food coloring to tint the mixture orange. Add vanilla and gradually stir in Cheerios. Pour into a large, round, greased pizza pan and distribute evenly. When cool, used tube frosting to draw on a jack-o-lantern face.	Crustless Pumpkin Pie ¾ cup sugar ½ cup Bisquick 2 tablespoons margarine-30 1 can (13 oz.) evaporated milk 2 eggs 1 can pumpkin (2 cups) 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 2 tsp. vanilla Mix all ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased pie tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes OR pour the mixture into small muffin tins and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Pumpkin Treats Put flat bottom ice cream cones in a muffin pan and fill halfway with cake batter. Bake according to cupcake directions on the box. Let chidren frost with orange frosting and decorate with chocolate chips for the eyes, a candy corn for the nose and a strip of red licorice for the mouth.	Pumpkin Pie Playdough (NOT FOR EATING) 5 ½ cups flour 2 cups salt 8 teaspoons cream of tartar ¾ cup oil 1.12 ounce container of pumpkin pie spice Orange food coloring (2 parts yellow, 1 part red) 4 cups water Mix all of the ingredients together. Cook and stir over medium heat until all the lumps disappear. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth. Store in an airtight container.
Games
Jack-O Blackout Program pumpkin shapes with 9 or 16 squares (like a bingo card.) Write letters, words or numbers that need reinforcement in the spaces. Vary the cards. Give black squares as markers. As the teacher calls out the letters, words or numbers, students cover the spaces on their pumpkins. The first one to “black out” all of the spaces is the winner.	Pumpkin Over and Under Divide the class into two teams. Give the front child in the line a small pumpkin. The first child passes the pumpkin over his head to the child behind him. The second child passes it between his legs to the next child. The pumpkin continues to be passed over-under to the last child in line, who runs to the front of the line with the pumpkin. You can continue this sequence until every child has run to the front of the line with the pumpkin and the first child is back in front again.
Jack-o-Lantern (like Old Maid) Program pairs small die cut pumpkins with letters or numbers you want to reinforce. Draw a jack-o-lantern face on one pumpkin. Deal out the pumpkins to 2 or 3 players. They put down any pairs they may have. Then they take turns drawing a card from each other, trying to make pairs and avoid the jack-o-lantern. Play continues until one player lays down all his cards.	Jack-o-Lantern Relay Race Divide class into teams of approximately six children. Draw a starting line on the floor and have the children facing the chalkboard (chalk on the tray). First team member goes to the board and draws a large circle, then runs back and hands the piece of chalk to the next person. Second member draws a stem. Third draws an eye. Fourth draws the other eye. Fifth draws a nose. Sixth draws a mouth. First team finished wins. (You may want to have the progression drawn on the board. You also may want to have some students go though the procedure for all to see.)
Pumpkin Bingo Program pumpkin shapes with 9 or 16 squares. Write letters, words or numbers that need reinforcement in the spaces. Vary the cards. Use candy corn for markers.	Pass the Pumpkins You will need two bean bag pumpkins. Form two circles. One leader in each circle holds a beanbag. On “Go,” each begins passing the pumpkin around the circle. First circle to have the pumpkin back to the leader is the winner.
Hot Pumpkin Play Hot Potato by passing a small pumpkin around a circle as seasonal music is played. When the music stops, the child holding the pumpkin is out.
Bulletin Boards
Scary Faces This idea is from Linda Critchell's site: http://www.kinderteacher.com. Take a photo of the children making "scary" faces. Mount them on a pumpkin (or other Halloween) cutout.	“A Perfect Patch” Students can fingerpaint or sponge paint a pumpkin. When dry, add a paper stem and trace student handprints for leaves. Attach to a bulletin board and use twisted green crepe paper streamers to make vines that attach all the pumpkins together. Use the caption, “A Perfect Patch.”
Pumpkin Door Cut orange paper (or sponge paint paper orange) and cut into a large pumpkin shape to fit around the outside of the classroom door and on to the door. Add a stem and leaves at the top.