Pumpkins (Part 2)

Mrs. Smith
Oct 18, 2019
2 min read

This week we finished our Pumpkin Unit! I think that the kiddos and I agree that our pumpkin unit was a blast! We did so many things - we melted crayons on a pumpkin, made pumpkin volcanoes, counted pumpkin seeds, learned about the life cycle of a pumpkin, and so much more! Let's take a look at the week:

Erupting Pumpkins Experiment

This fun fall activity brought fall and science together in a way that the kiddos loved!! All that was needed for this activity was a carved pumpkin, baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring! We took turns filling our pumpkins with a bit of baking soda and a few drops of food coloring. Then we added the vinegar and the eruptions began!

Pumpkin Seed Math

This activity promotes one to one correspondence! Many young children have memorized the number words in the proper order, but sometimes do not yet understand the concept of one-to-one correspondence. For example, they might say “1,2,3,4,5″ but skip an object. Or, they count an object twice. These pumpkin activity trays helped the Pre-K kids practice their counting skills by using tweezers to count out pumpkin seeds as they fill up the tray.

Pumpkin Investigation

This week we opened a pumpkin and checked out what was inside!

Life Cycle of a Pumpkin

To begin our understanding of how pumpkins grow, we read the book "From Seed to Pumpkin" by Wendy Pfeffer. In the classic picture book, we were brought into a pumpkin patch and shown how little seeds transform into big pumpkins. We then acted out the book using visual cards and worked as a team to put them in order: 1.) seed 2.) sprout 3.) vine 4.) flower 5.) green pumpkin 6.) orange pumpkin.

STEM Challenge

HELP! A runaway pumpkin is on the loose. Can you stop the pumpkin from rolling away?

To begin the challenge, we read the book, "The Runaway Pumpkin" by Kevin Lewis. I then asked the question ... How can we stop a pumpkin from running away? I gave the kiddos time to experiment rolling a pumpkin down the ramp. We learned that the pumpkin rolled further when we rolled the pumpkin on its side. The pumpkin rolled about 4 or 5 feet! I then asked the kiddos to create a plan to stop the pumpkin from rolling away using blocks. Our first attempt failed. The pumpkin jumped over the blocks so we decided to build a taller wall! After testing our design it worked! Success!

Art Class

Zoo Phonics

Each day we work on learning our Zoo Phonics and practice letter identification and letter sounds.

Field Trip: The Grove/Pumpkin Trail

What better way to celebrate fall? The Pumpkin Trail Program featured a hayride, festive games, a decorated tipi and a visit with the animals in the Interpretive Center. Refreshments were included and each student selected their very own pumpkin!