Fun & Educational Pumpkin Activities for Kids

Autumn brings with it a wonderful opportunity to engage young learners with the fascinating world of pumpkins!

Want to cultivate your own patch of pumpkins? Explore KidsGardening’s comprehensive Pumpkin Growing Guide for valuable tips.

The Wonder of Pumpkins

From carving spooky jack-o’-lanterns to creating festive decorations and baking delicious pies, pumpkins are a true symbol of fall! Gardeners eagerly anticipate the culmination of their efforts, starting when tiny seeds are nestled into the warm earth in early summer. Through the long summer days, vines stretch and fruits swell, finally leading to the joyful harvest of large, colorful pumpkins in autumn.

This vibrant bounty is not only beautiful but also nutritious! Pumpkin’s sweet flesh is rich in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant, along with fiber, Vitamin C, and other essential nutrients. Originating in present-day Mexico, pumpkins boast a long history as one of the oldest domesticated crops, with evidence of cultivation dating back over seven thousand years.

Pumpkin Activities to do with Your Kids

1). Pumpkin Boats: A Lesson in Density

Pumpkins can achieve truly impressive sizes, with the current world record holder weighing in at a staggering 2,749 pounds, grown in Half Moon Bay, California in 2023. Interestingly, despite their size, all pumpkins possess the remarkable ability to float due to their low density. The annual West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta in Tualatin, Oregon showcases this phenomenon as participants race across a lake in boats crafted from pumpkins weighing over 1,000 pounds!

Engage children in a fun physics exploration by comparing weight and density using pumpkins. Have them weigh a dense object like a rock and then a larger pumpkin. Discuss why a bigger item isn’t always heavier due to differences in density. Encourage predictions about whether the stone and pumpkin will sink or float. Conduct a hands-on sink or float test using a water table, sink, or container. Explain the principle that objects denser than water sink, while less dense objects, like pumpkins, float!

Extend this investigation by transforming your pumpkin into a buoyant vessel! Carefully cut a large circle around the stem, remove the top, and scoop out the insides (remember to save those seeds!). Craft simple sails using toothpicks, wooden skewers, or chopsticks with paper attached. Let kids unleash their creativity by designing and decorating their sails, and then experiment to see how much weight their pumpkin boat can hold before it submerges. If you have access to a body of water, you can even launch your pumpkin boats for a sailing adventure!

2). The Amazing World of Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are not only edible and delicious but also incredibly versatile!

• Roasting Fun: Separate the seeds from the stringy pulp, rinse them thoroughly, and spread them on a baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle with salt or your favorite spices. Toast at 375 degrees for 3-4 minutes, stir, and then toast for another 2-3 minutes until they reach a lovely golden brown. Allow them to cool and enjoy as a crunchy snack or as a flavorful addition to salads, soups, baked goods, and cereals.

• Counting Adventures: Pumpkin seeds offer a wonderful hands-on element for math lessons. Have children estimate the number of seeds inside a pumpkin and then work together to harvest and count them all. Washed and dried seeds are perfect for counting practice and arithmetic exercises.

• Sprouting Discoveries: Pumpkin seeds sprout easily and quickly, making them an excellent choice for seed sprouting observation activities.

3). Pumpkin Potions

Spark imaginative play by creating a pumpkin potion-making station! Hollowed-out pumpkins can become enchanting cauldrons, erupting volcanoes, or fascinating lab beakers. Provide children with an empty pumpkin, a stirring utensil, vinegar, and a variety of themed “ingredients.” Let their creativity flow as they concoct their potions within the pumpkin, and then add baking soda to witness the exciting fizzy reaction!

• Tips for Extra Magic: Enhance the fun by adding food coloring to the vinegar for a visual treat. Using slow-pour containers like condiment bottles or narrow-necked bottles can prolong the pouring enjoyment for eager little hands. Incorporate scented elements like dried lavender, cinnamon sticks, and cloves for an added sensory dimension. Encourage children to gather their own “ingredients” from nature to promote observation and focus (and save on supplies!).

• NOTE: This activity can get wonderfully messy, so choose a location that welcomes creative exploration.

4). Pumpkin as Planters: A Fall Gardening Delight

For children excited about fall planting, pumpkins offer a unique and temporary container for their gardening endeavors:

• Cut off the top of the pumpkin and remove all seeds and pulp.

• Fill the pumpkin about halfway with pre-moistened potting soil if you’re using nursery plants. Flowers, herbs, and even succulents thrive in pumpkin planters.

• Gently remove plants from their containers, loosen the root balls, and place them inside the pumpkin. Fill the remaining space with more potting soil and water lightly.

• If planting seeds, fill the entire pumpkin with pre-moistened potting soil and sow fast-sprouting seeds like beans, wheatgrass, marigolds, nasturtiums… or even more pumpkins!

• Once the pumpkin begins to show signs of decomposition, plant the entire pumpkin directly in the soil. As it breaks down, it will naturally fertilize your new plants.

This guide is inspired by the resources and educational materials provided by KidsGardening.org, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting garden-based learning.