How Does a Pumpkin Grow? Lesson Plan

What We Are Learning

plant life cycle

sprout, seed, flower, pumpkin patch, scarecrow

predictable text

shapes

Try this great read-aloud about finding the perfect pumpkin in the pumpkin patch! Children will love the rhymes and silly wordplay. Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin by Mary Serfozo. text pairing

Process Art: Printing With Pumpkins

Materials: butcher paper, pumpkins, paint, paint trays

This activity is a fun introduction to printmaking and uses the whole pumpkin!
To prepare, tape butcher paper over a table.
Set up paint trays. Include primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) and white. This will allow children to mix colors.
Now cut pumpkins into slices and chunks. Small pumpkins can simply be cut in half. Large pumpkins can be sliced into smaller pieces. It can be interesting to leave some natural pumpkin textures (the ridges, the stem, etc.).
In small groups, allow children to dip the pumpkin pieces into the paint and press them onto the paper.
Notice aloud with children the different shapes and marks they make. Later, you might want to hang the paper on the wall with photos of the process. art/creativity

STEM: Guess What’s Inside!

Materials: pumpkin (any size), black felt-tip pens, colored pencils, online skills page

This activity builds science skills—making predictions and careful observations.
Set a pumpkin on the table. Ask children what they think is inside of it. You can shake it and have children listen. Or you might allow children to pick it up. Now invite them to draw their predictions on their sheets.
Carefully cut the pumpkin in half and ask children to say what they observe. They can draw and dictate what they see on their sheets.
As a reflection, discuss their predictions versus what they saw!
For bonus sensory activity, children can use spoons to scoop the inside of the pumpkin onto trays and explore with their hands! science, art, fine motor