Practical Life Activities with Pumpkins
We have been busy with pumpkins the past few weeks! A big thank you to the parents who donated pumpkins for our projects. The practical life area of the classroom has activities that promote independence, build fine motor skills, and build self-confidence through using real tools to perform practical tasks. The children used a hammer and tacks to practice hammering into a pumpkin. They drew patterns and faces on two tiny pumpkins, then enjoyed washing them with a pitcher, basin, dropper, scrub brush, and bar of soap.
Math Games with Pumpkins
One of the most popular choices was pumpkin hide and seek. Two children played at a time with one hiding and one searching. They used a number line to check that they found all ten pumpkins around the room. After carving a pumpkin, we counted the seeds using a hundred board. We all guessed how much we thought there were and ended up counting over two hundred seeds!
Art with Pumpkins
The children enjoyed three pumpkin inspired art projects. One was a cut and paste collage of jack-o-lanterns. The other was a tissue paper pumpkin painting that we made a banner of for halloween. A more challenging invitation was to pin punch out a jack-o-lantern. A big incentive to finish was getting to put glow in the dark glitter glue inside the eyes and mouth!
Jack-o-lantern Carving and Building a Pumpkin Person
The children enjoyed two special pumpkin decorating days with Daniela and Rebecca. Daniela led a pumpkin carving activity where the children drew a face and scooped out the pulp and seeds. We put it in the bathroom with a candle to enjoy its’ glow. Rebecca brought tools, buttons, golf tees and more to build a pumpkin person for halloween. The children had a great time doing both projects. Below is a song you may have heard your little ones singing the past few weeks. It was such fun to parade and sing with all on you on Monday!
Pumpkin Pumpkin I’ve been thinking
You’re the finest one I’ve seen
Soon you’ll be a Jack-o-lantern
All lit up for Halloween
