Are you looking for fun and fresh ideas for fall activities in your classroom? We have you covered! The number one thing most people think about when thinking about fall is… PUMPKINS! During these activities, kids will learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin, all the pumpkin parts, and more! Read more about these awesome pumpkin science activity ideas below!

Examine the Inside of the Pumpkin:

Instead of just cutting the top of the pumpkin off, try cutting it down the middle so that the children can see the entire inside of the pumpkin. What do you and the children in your classroom call the stuff inside the pumpkin? Vocabulary time! The stringy stuff is actually called the pulp or fibrous strands.

Can the kids find these parts of their pumpkins?

• Fibrous strands
• Flesh
• Skin or rind
• Stem
• Blossom end

Have the children sort the different pumpkin parts. The seeds of the pumpkin can also be used for counting and/or a sensory bin!

Examine the Outside of the Pumpkin:

Have the children classify the pumpkins by:

• Color
• Texture
• Size
• Shape

There are so many different types of shapes, sizes, and colors of pumpkins available! Mix up the kinds that you are bringing into your classroom.

What Color is the Pumpkin?

Is their pumpkin different colors? Is it the same color? Did they know that pumpkins could be different colors? Have them examine theirs closely and the draw and color it!

What Texture Does the Pumpkin Have?

Is their pumpkin smooth? Is it bumpy? Does it have a stem? Does it have ribs? Have them record their observations in a pumpkin journal!

Determining the Size and Shape of the Pumpkin:

Pumpkins come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Is their pumpkin small, medium, or large? Is it wide, tall, or round? If you have many pumpkins in your room, have the children sort the pumpkins by their shapes and/or sizes.

Sorting and Classifying Pumpkins:

If you do not have enough real pumpkins in your classroom, use pictures! Maybe you can visit a pumpkin patch one day by yourself and take pictures of the different pumpkins. 

Encourage the children to think of different ways to sort the pictures:

• By color
• Bumpy vs. smooth
• Tall vs. wide
• Multi-color vs. single color

Measure the Pumpkin:

If you are doing these activities for science, you should have the kids measure and record data. They can measure the pumpkins weight, height, circumference, and density. Bring a scale in your class to weigh the pumpkins. Use counting cubes or a ruler to measure the pumpkins height. Use a measuring tape or yarn to measure the pumpkins circumference. Do a sink or float experiment to record the density of the pumpkins. Have the children predict whether their pumpkin will sink or float. Were they correct?

Learn About the Pumpkin Life Cycle:

Provide books so that children can see the stages of the pumpkin life cycle. If you have room available, plant some pumpkins and watch them grow! The children can then document each cycle of the pumpkin. If you are able to, take a trip to a pumpkin patch with your kiddos.

Pumpkin Taste Testing:

You can help the children use all of their senses when exploring pumpkins:

• See: Observe the size, color, and shape. Identify the different parts.
• Feel: Cool skin and slimy insides.
• Hear: Listen while squishing the pumpkin’s insides. Knock on the pumpkins.
• Smell: Does the pumpkin smell good when you cut it open?
• Taste: Yes, they can taste them!

Use a can of pumpkin for sampling, and they can even sample the seeds. Or you can purchase some different pumpkin flavored foods for the children to sample like donuts, muffins, bread, or pie. They can even graph their results. If they like the pumpkin pie, they can put that on a chart. Use the results to see which pumpkin flavored food was the class favorite!

There are so many different activities to implement into your classroom this fall to help the kids learn more about pumpkins. We hope you liked these pumpkin themed science activities. 

Excerpts found at Early Learning Ideas