Pumpkins!  Gotta Love this Time of Year!

 Looking for some fun activities for the fall season?  Here are a few ideas that you may find interesting!

 

Pumpkin Hunt

Find a fun pumpkin patch.  Go on a pumpkin hunt to choose your pumpkins.  Talk about: large, small, behind (the tree), next to (the basket), “Oh, I like this one!  Wow, that pumpkin is big.  Look at this pumpkin, oh, it’s so heavy.  This pumpkin is_______.  (smooth, bumpy, colorful, round, dirty).

 

 

Touch the pumpkins, pick them up, move them around, clean them off with a rag.  Do you smell any rotten pumpkins?  Take turns picking out a favorite pumpkin.  *praxis (motor planning), tactile, pointing, fine motor, visual-spatial, receptive & expressive language, proprioceptive (position sense), eye contact, turn-taking, olfactory sense (smell).

 

 

Move the Pumpkins

Push a large pumpkin or several small pumpkins in a laundry basket, pull them in a wagon, roll them across the floor or yard.  Have a pumpkin-rolling race with others.  Can you carry the big pumpkin?  How about the little one?  *vestibular (balance & movement), proprioceptive, language, social, fine/gross motor.

Field Trip

Take your pumpkin to the park/playground.  Take a small pumpkin down the slide or on the swing.  Run around the tree with it.  Can you hide it in the sand?  Pour sand on you pumpkins from buckets and cups.  Get it dirty in the sand and then clean it with a cloth.  Which one goes faster down the slide? (Be sure to catch it at the bottom!)

Find some other kids to play with or take a friend.  Take turns going down the slide.  Listen to all of the outdoor sounds around you–talk about what you hear.  Are there any different smells that are not at your house?  *praxis, tactile, language proprioceptive, vestibular, fine/gross motor, social, turn-taking, auditory, visual, olfactory.

 

 

Bake

Make a pie, bread, soup, or anything with pumpkins.  Remember to use baking pumpkins for all of your recipes.  Follow a recipe and talk about each step.  First we ___, then we ___, now we ___ . . . Take photos of each step and put them in sequence later (while you’re eating pie!)  Involve your child in the process.  Get messy, take turns stirring (when not on stove or hot), practice putting on aprons and wiping messes on them.  Listen for the timer.

 

Who can you share your pie with?  Go visit them and tell how you made it–share the photos.  Talk to someone on the phone to tell about what you did.  *fine motor, visual, eye-hand coordination, auditory, language, gustatory sense (taste), olfactory, tactile, social, sequencing, oral-motor.

 

 

Make a Jack-O-Lantern

Clean out the pumpkin:  “Eeewy-Gooey and sticky inside!”  Pull out the pulp and seeds.  Encourage your child to touch and play with the textures.  If your child is not tolerant of the feeling, place the pulp and seeds in a bag first for them to be explored without getting their little hands messy.  Talk about how it feels and smells.  What does it look like?  Can you make a picture with the seeds?

 

 

Have your child help you draw a face onto the pumpkin or show you what expression the pumpkin should have.  Get out a mirror and practice making faces–get silly–stick out your tongue.  See how many facial expressions you can come up with.  Take some photos!  *imitation, eye-contact, social, language, oral-motor, fine motor, tactile.

 

Play with Pumpkins

Hide small gourds or pumpkins around the house or yard.  Take a basket or bucket and collect them.  Find them on the sofa, under the table, and behind the chair.  Invite some friends over and go on a pumpkin hunt.  Talk about where you found them.  Did you crawl under something or over something to get them?  Did you slither through a tunnel or hop over the top?  *eye-hand coordination, visual-sensory integration, fine/gross motor, praxis, proprioceptive, social, language, tactile.

 

Make Orange Play Dough

Follow a recipe or buy orange dough.  Create round pumpkins and add a “stem” with green or brown dough or add a small stick.  Roll it out and make fun Fall shapes.  Let your creations dry or save the play dough in a container for tomorrow.  Invite a friend to join you!  *listening, sequencing, language, fine motor, tactile, olfactory, social, visual-motor.

 

 

*Extras*

Sing Songs

Sing 5 little pumpkins, sitting on a gate (Like 5 Monkeys on a Bed), make up your own lyrics to the song.

 

Pass the Pumpkin

Play a game like “Hot Potato”.  See how different the game can be with different sized pumpkins.

 

Will it Float?

Put your pumpkins and gourds in water.  Do they float?  You may be surprised!

 

Dance Around the Pumpkin Patch

Movement to Music!  Get creative!  Play your favorite music and have a great time moving!

 

 

Most importantly, have a great time with your children! 

Get messy, be loud, and have fun!