Preschool Pumpkin Theme

Below you can find tons of fun and engaging Pumpkin Activities! Pick and choose the activities for your lesson or download a free copy of our Pumpkin Preschool Lesson Plan to save you time!

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Planning your Pumpkin Theme 

Club Members can download all of our pumpkin products and Theme Planning Guide for free!
Not a member? Learn More Here

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Download our Free Pumpkin Preschool Sample Lesson Plan

Featured Plan Activities

Below you’ll find activity ideas featured in our Pumpkins sample plan.

Art & Creativity
Pumpkin Face Painting
In this preschool activity, children will have the opportunity to decorate pumpkins with paint or markers. For best results, use a sealant on the pumpkin and allow to dry before painting. Sealants can be found in both spray form or liquid; try to do this the day before so the pumpkins have plenty of time to dry.

Dramatic Play
Create a  Pumpkin Patch
Create a festive Pumpkin Patch atmosphere with this 39-page Dramatic Play Pack. From signs and labels to roles and tickets, transform your space into a delightful fall experience for preschoolers. Includes Pumpkin Patch Signs, Posters, Labels, Roles, Bunting, Weighing Forms, Tickets, Printable Scale, and Food printables.

Building & Small World Play
Invitation to Build a Pumpkin Patch
Create a magical autumnal adventure with this Pumpkin Patch Small World Play printable activity! Immerse your preschoolers in a world of pumpkins, hay bales, scarecrows, and more as they explore and learn through imaginative play. Perfect for hands-on learning and sensory development. Let the pumpkin patch fun begin!

Language and Literacy
Pumpkin 3-Part Cards
Children match the words and pictures on the cards.
Name Practice  with Pumpkin Seeds
Write the child's name on a piece of paper with a bold marker, then provide pumpkin seeds for them to create their name with. Younger children can practice single letters, and older children can practice without the name template.

Mathematics
Pumpkin Color Matching
Children match each color card to the correct pumpkin mat. ​
Order Pumpkins by Size
Order Pumpkins by Size and Weight Activity. This is a fun and interactive way for preschoolers to practice their sorting skills. By arranging pumpkins in order of size and weight, children will develop their understanding of mathematical concepts and measurement.

Science & Discovery
Pumpkin STEM Investigations
Explore the wonders of scientific discovery with this engaging preschool pumpkin investigation pack! The PDF includes task cards for various investigation activities, a recording booklet, pumpkin life cycle resources, and more. Perfect for teaching children about the fascinating world of pumpkins.

Physical Fine Motor
Pumpkin Count and Clip Cards
Using clothespins, children “mark” the correct number to the corresponding amount of items on the card. ​

Physical Gross Motor
Pumpkin Heavy Work
Give children real or fake pumpkins (the pumpkins should be weighted in some way) and have them carry, push, roll, etc. for some great heavy work practice.

Other
Pumpkin Washing (Teamwork)
Set out some dirty pumpkins along with rags and soapy water. Invite preschoolers to wash the pumpkins as a group. Once they are clean, the pumpkins can then be used for a variety of investigations.

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Pumpkin Free Art

Be sure to add extra "Orange" colored Art Supplies to your space this week (Orange Paint, Crayons, Pens etc.). Add plastic pumpkin cookie cutters to this space as well. You can DIY your own pumpkin face "Stamps" out of craft foam or potatoes for some pumpkin stamping fun!

Squish and Twist color Mixing Pumpkin

Invite your preschooler to engage in a fun process art experience that they can transform into a fun pumpkin craft. See the Squish and Twist tutorial on my blog. 

Try this!

Pumpkin 3D Art

Preschoolers will have a blast creating their very own 3D pumpkins using salt dough! This hands-on activity encourages creativity and fine motor skills as they mold and shape their pumpkins. Painting the pumpkins afterwards adds an extra layer of fun and personalization. View Member Instructions

community member April L. of Creative Corner Early Learning invited her preschoolers to make pumpkins from salt dough and then they painted them. 

Pumpkin Face Painting

Provide pumpkins or pumpkin cutouts for children to decorate with paint or markers. 
For best results, use a sealant on the pumpkin and allow to dry before painting. Sealants can be found in both spray form or liquid, try to do this the day before sot he pumpkins have plenty of time to dry. 
Acrylic paint works great for painting the pumpkins. 
View Member Instructions

                           Pom Pom Pumpkin Stamping

Create your own pumpkin on the vine artwork. Using green paint, create a pumpkin vine with leaves. Use clothespins with pompoms clipped on, dip the pompoms in orange paint and stamp it onto the paper to finish your own pumpkin vine. ​

Pour Paint Pumpkins

Use Pour Paint method to paint pumpkins. A fun and unique twist on painting pumpkins!
This fun paint method is easy and preschoolers will love it, we have all the details for the Pour Paint Pumpkin on our blog

Try this!

Create a  Pumpkin Patch!

It's a great time to create your own Pumpkin Patch or Pumpkin Stand in your Dramatic Play Space. You can purchase real or pretend pumpkins to use in your space, or make some DIY ones from stuffed paper bags. Be sure to check with your clients, they may be overflowing with homegrown pumpkins (or might know someone who is). In addition to Pumpkins, you can also add gourds and hay bales.
Don't forget a scale for weighing and a cash register.

Pumpkin Patch Dramatic Play set available in our shop!

community member Erica P. of Erica's Educare Learning Center created a Pumpkin Patch  for her program.

Indoor pumpkin patch invitations  shared by readers: Julie H.,  Tenika B., and Sheena W. 

Pumpkin Pie Stand

Pumpkin Pies are a fall favorite! Easily transform your Dramatic Play Stand into a pie stand with my Pie Stand Dramatic Play Pack. 

Don't forget to have your preschoolers sell apple cider, baked pumpkin goods, and apple cider donuts! Incorporate this with your pumpkin patch.

Get our Pie Dramatic Play Pack in our Shop!

Act out 5-Little Pumpkins

Act out 5-Little Pumpkins*, or act out your favorite pumpkin story!

Fall Fingerplays and Rhymes Available in our SHop!

Pumpkin Carving Dramatic Play

Using plastic pumpkins and plastic utensils, have children pretend to carve a pumpkin. You can set up a home scene with a plastic table cloth, bowls and scoops for seeds, and tea lights. View Member Instructions

Pumpkin Dress Up

Have children make pumpkin costumes and dress up as pumpkins. You can also use large orange T shirts, or Orange Fabric to create "pumpkin smocks". Attach green leaves to the stem, Have them imagine what might be happening in the pumpkin patch. View Member Instructions

Invitation to Build a Small World Play Pumpkin Patch*

Accessories to add: Paint pumpkins on some small blocks. Add materials to this space so that kids can build their own pumpkin patch: pretend pumpkins, Small Hay Bales, Green and Brown Felt. Include Farm toys in your space this week. Print out some pumpkin patterns for your pattern blocks or download this free set.

Download your own free copy of this printable pumpkin patch small world play set here!

Add Pumpkin Patch Photos in the Block Center

Enhance the block play area by including pictures of local pumpkin patches! This activity will engage preschoolers as they build and create with blocks, while also sparking imagination and curiosity about nature and the changing seasons. The photos will provide visual inspiration and encourage storytelling and pretend play. A wonderful way to celebrate autumn and cultivate a love for nature! 
View Member Instructions

Pumpkin Tower

Challenge children to build the tallest pumpkin tower using small plastic pumpkins and play dough. 
View Member Instructions

Pumpkin 3-Part Cards*

Pair the 3-part cards from the Pumpkin Activity Pack with your favorite book about growing pumpkins!

Get our Pumpkin Preschool Activities pack in our Shop!

Name Practice  with Pumpkin Seeds

Write the child's name on a piece of paper with a bold marker, provide pumpkin seeds for them to create their name with. Younger children can practice single letters, older children can practice without the name template. View Member Instructions

Flip and Find Alphabet Pumpkin Patch*

Practice letter matching with a fun pumpkin themed letter matching game! Practice uppercase to lowercase or lowercase to lowercase with the printables from the Pumpkin Activity Pack. 

Our Pumpkin Activity Pack is available in our shop!

Label the Parts of a Pumpkin*

Explore pumpkin words by labeling the parts of a pumpkin, this printable is included in the Pumpkin Activity Pack. 

Get our Pumpkin Preschool Activities pack in our Shop!

Pumpkin Letter Sound Game

Print out pictures of pumpkins with letters A-Z on them, scatter the pumpkins on the ground. As a group say “pumpkin pumpkin on the ground, pick one up and say my sound” and have the children take turns picking up a lettered pumpkin and practicing the sound! View Member Instructions

Seed Sprout Pumpkin Pie Pre-K Book Companion

Learn about pumpkin starting from a seed all the way to the best part, pumpkin pie! After reading the engaging book Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie. by Jill Esbaum use the guided questions, vocabulary review, book review and printable recipe included in our book companion to complete the lesson.

Get this in our shop!

Recommended Read Aloud: ​Too Many Pumpkins

Read the book Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White and follow up with a fun counting activity. 
Try inviting your preschoolers to count all things pumpkin by setting out the Pumpkin Count and Clip Cards from the Pumpkin Activity Pack.  Another extension idea is to create a class recipe book for making dishes with pumpkin. 

Some of our favorite books for this theme:

Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin Pie by Jill Esbaum
Pumpkin Town by Katie Mcky
Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
The Roll-Away Pumpkin by Junia Wonders
From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer
Splat the Cat and the Pumpkin-Picking Plan by Loryn Brantz

View the Blog Post for More!

Measure your height with Pumpkins

Mark each child's height on the floor with masking tape Have them line up the plastic pumpkins on the tape and count how many pumpkins tall they are. View Member Instructions

Pumpkin Color Matching*

These pumpkin color sorting mats are a fun way to practice color recognition and matching for preschoolers. Find these cards in the Pumpkin Activity Pack. 

Get our Pumpkin Preschool Activities pack in our Shop!

Measuring and Counting with Pumpkins

Use our Pumpkin Investigation set to count seeds, measure, weigh and count the lines on a pumpkin.
Images shared by community member Sheena W of Building Blocks Family Childcare ​

Pumpkin Shape Cards*

Practice Shapes with the pumpkin shape clip cards inside the our Pumpkin Activity pack

Our Pumpkin Activity Pack is available in our shop!

Adding Up Pumpkin Seeds*

This activity is great for children working on early addition skills! This printable mat can be found in our Pumpkin Activity Pack. This photo was contributed by Sheena W. 

Get our Pumpkin Preschool Activities pack in our Shop!

Mini Pumpkin Counting

Pair some mini pumpkins with some Pumpkin Patch Counting Mats for added math engagement this week. 

Get our Pumpkin Preschool Activities pack in our Shop!

Order Pumpkins by Size and Weight

The Order Pumpkins by Size and Weight Activity is a fun and interactive way for preschoolers to practice their sorting skills. By arranging pumpkins in order of size and weight, children will develop their understanding of mathematical concepts and measurement. This activity provides a hands-on experience that will engage and entertain preschoolers while also promoting cognitive development. 
View Member Instructions

Fall Patterning

There are so many beautiful sights to take in during fall, pumpkins included! These fall patterning strips are great for fine motor and patterning skills plus they feature a fun fall theme. 

Pumpkin Seed Count and Transfer

Provide students with two bowls, pumpkin seeds, a dice and tweezers. Have the child roll the dice to determine how many pumpkin seeds they will need to transfer to the other bowl. This works both math and fine motor skills. View Member Instructions

  Pumpkin Seed Color Patterning and Sorting Activities

Use dyed pumpkin seeds in a variety of color sorting, and color patterning activities. This activity allows you to carve and dissect a pumpkin with your preschoolers then gather and clean the seeds to dye them all different colors. View Member Instructions

Science and STEM

*Pumpkin STEM Investigations

Children will enjoy exploring the insides of the pumpkins. Do experiments with pumpkins. Do they sink or float?. How about some Math ? How much do they weigh?, count how many seeds are inside.Create these investigations easily with this Pumpkin STEM Investigations from Pre-K Printable Fun. 

Pumpkin Theme Sensory Bin

Pumpkin Inspired Sensory Bin shared by community member Melissa W!
​Other fun ideas for your sensory bin during your pumpkin theme: Pumpkin seeds, large orange pom poms, orange colored rice, orange water beads, carved pumpkin for exploration. 

Pumpkin Sink or Float

Sink or Float Pumpkin experiment shared by community member Sheena W.

Pumpkin Exploration

Pumpkin Exploration from reader Amy A. of Aguilera's Family Daycare

Pumpkin Life Cycle*

Explore the Pumpkin Life Cycle using the printables from the Pumpkin Activity Pack. This activity comes in several different versions including this cut and paste and B&W options for coloring. 

Get our Pumpkin Preschool Activities pack in our Shop!

Simple Pumpkin Observation

Pumpkin exploration invitation from reader Tenika B. 

Pumpkin Eruption

The kids at Building Blocks added some baking soda and green colored vinegar to create erupting pumpkins! 

                        Dissolving Candy Pumpkins

For this activity fill up four cups with milk, water, vinegar, and oil. Place candy pumpkin in each liquid. Make predictions and have a discussion. Make note of the changes that take place to each pumpkin. 
View Member Instructions

                      Pumpkin Slime

Add in pumpkins Seeds to your favorite orange or clear slime recipe. If you're looking for a slime recipe you can check out this Halloween slime tutorial but use orange coloring instead. 

Pumpkin Hammering-Fine Motor

Member Sheena W. shared this photo of her preschoolers pounding golf tees into a pumpkin. This activity packs in a lot of development! While engaging in this activity preschoolers are working on fine motor, gross motor, hand-eye coordination, and learning about keeping their body safe by wearing personal protective equipment. View Member Instructions

Pumpkin Geo Board-Fine Motor

Add rubber bands to your pumpkin with golf tees in it for added fine motor development.
View Member Instructions

Add rubber bands to your pumpkin with golf tees in it for added fine motor development. Pumpkin Hammering using golf tees and rubber bands shared by reader Cheryl C.

Make Pumpkins from Play Dough-Fine Motor

Add Fall Dough Mats to your play dough center along with orange dough for preschoolers to create pumpkins with. Pumpkins are a great first object to form with dough. 

Fall Dough Mats Available in our Shop!

Pumpkin Count and Clip Cards*

Using clip cards with clothespins are great for fine motor development and fine motor skills. 
Use these Pumpkin Count & Clip Cards to practice these skills and work on math development. 

Get our Pumpkin Preschool Activities pack in our Shop!

Pumpkin Ring toss- Gross Motor

For this fun activity you will need glow stick necklaces, start by inviting the child toss the ring and try to get it around the stem. Great hand eye coordinator activity.

Pick the Pumpkins-Fine Motor Game

Grab a pack of pumpkin erasers, scatter them around a surface and invite the child to use tweezers to transfer them into a cup. View Member Instructions

Pumpkin Bean Bag Toss- Gross Motor

Carve pumpkins so that they have large mouths.
Challenge children to toss the bean bags and get them in the pumpkin's mouth.

Pumpkin Relay Race-Gross Motor

Have children stand in a line and pass a pumpkin down to the end of the line.
See how many times they can pass it back and forth in a set amount of time. View Member Instructions

Pumpkin Heavy Work- Gross Motor

Give children real or fake pumpkins (want them to be weighted in some way) and have them carry, push, roll, etc. for some great heavy work practice.

Pumpkin Patch Obstacle Course-Gross Motor

Create a pumpkin patch obstacle course using chalk and real or fake pumpkins. Children could jump over pumpkins. Walk a balance beam while holding a pumpkin, weave in and out of a row or pumpkins and so much more!

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

Learn more about all things related to growing pumpkins with a fun field trip! Take a physical trip to a local pumpkin patch or engage in a fun virtual field trip to a pumpkin patch on youtube!

Pumpkin Voting

Pumpkins are typically explored in the fall close to election time. Take the opportunity to create a fun introduction to voting through pumpkins!
You can vote for favorite colors of pumpkins, favorite designs, favorite pumpkin food dish and more!

Pre-k Printables Club Members: Use the member exclusive I Can Vote pack for your voting invitation, you can find this pack in the A-Z section under the letter V

Mini Pumpkin Painting

Send each child home with a mini pumpkin to paint with their family to bring back to school, or showcase on a pumpkin parade. View Member Instructions

Pumpkin Faces

Use a pumpkin and a dry erase marker to invite your child to practice drawing faces that show different emotions. One idea to pair with this is to use the playing cube from the Roll & Emotions Pack. Roll the playing cube and the draw the emotion shown on the pumpkin. 

Pumpkin Washing- Teamwork

Set out some dirty pumpkins along with rags and soapy water. Invite preschoolers to wash the pumpkins as a group, the pumpkins can then be used for a variety of investigations. View Member Instructions

Pumpkin Décor

Decorating for different seasons and holidays with your preschooler is a fun and unique bonding experience. 
Work with your preschooler to create some fun new pumpkin decorations or art to display in your home. If you have any other pumpkin décor, take the time to set that out as well. Here are some fun ideas for Non-Carving Pumpkin Decorating that would be fun to do with your child. 

Bake a Pumpkin Treat Together- Teamwork

Baking with preschoolers is a fun way to encourage teamwork (creating something together) while introducing and developing important math and literacy concepts.
Find a simple pumpkin recipe to make this week like this Pumpkin Muffin Recipe. 

Tips for cooking with preschoolers:

• Do the mixing and adding ingredients at the kitchen table if you don't have a safe and stable small step ladder for them
• If you plan to do a lot of baking, consider purchasing a Learning Tower for safety and to make things a little easier
• If you have them, set out a separate measuring cup/spoon for each ingredient
• Set out the ingredients in advance with the measuring tool next to each
• For ingredients that have large containers, pour some into a smaller container for them to manage easier. Another option is to premeasure some of the ingredients and place them into small bowls
• When adding ingredients, consider adding them to a separate smaller bowl, then pour into your mixing bowl. This way if the measurement is way off or an egg shell escapes it's an easy fix

More Social Studies Pumpkin Ideas:

• Pumpkin Parent: Provide each child with a mini pumpkin to care for overnight.
  
• Learn more about pumpkins around the world ​

EDUCATOR RESOURCES : GROUP ACTIVITIES, CIRCLE TIME, & PARENT ENGAGEMENT

Pumpkin Theme Sign in Activity

Welcome your students to class with this engaging name recognition activity. 
Includes a variety of themes and available in the shop!

Daily Attendance Activities Available in our Shop!

Pumpkin Theme Newsletter

In your newsletter this month consider sharing a resource for safe pumpkin carving at home like this one from ASSH. 
Feature your pumpkin decorating activity in your newsletter, this is a good time to talk about the benefits of family projects. Many elementary learning programs have begun to incorporate more family projects into their curriculum. Doing small and fun projects like decorating a paper pumpkin help introduce this concept to young children. They also help families feel more engaged in the program and show children that their work is valued and important. 

Also include information about local events that have to do with pumpkins like a pumpkin patch and carving contests. 

What we Want to Learn

Community Member Sheena W. set up this display for inspiring her preschoolers to talk about what they want to learn about during the theme. She used a large post-it pad and the word wall cards from the Pumpkins Activity Pack. 
Another idea for this is to use KWL Charts, see the blog post for a free printable template. 

Pumpkin Decoration Display-Family Engagement

Send home a basic paper plate along with a page of orange, green, and black construction paper with each child. 
Invite parents to work with their children to create their very own pumpkin! 
Sending the supplies home makes the project equitable since all families will have access to the same basic materials, relieves stress from parents since they won't have to search for supplies, and encourages engagement by simplifying the process. 
When kids bring back in their pumpkins invite them to share about the process and their favorite parts of their pumpkin. Then display prominently in the program. 

Preschool Pumpkin Activity Pack

$7.00

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Pumpkin Investigations STEM Activities

$3.00

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Fall Pattern Strip Set

$2.00

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Fall Word Wall Activities

$4.00

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