Preschool teachers are grabbing their pumpkin-spiced lattes on the way to school, and preschoolers are thinking about Halloween costumes. Therefore, it must be Fall!
Fall is the start of one of the most fun times to teach little kids. Beginning in October, there are so many amazing themes to include in your classroom as a preschool teacher. Our favorite? Anything pumpkin! If you also love pumpkin-themed lessons then keep reading to learn all about our favorite 5 Preschool Pumpkin Activities!
Circle Time Activities:Pumpkins
Circle time is an important part of the preschool day because it creates a daily routine for students. Moreover, it provides the perfect opportunity for teachers to review important concepts. Therefore, giving students regular opportunities to practice what they are learning in each subject area.
In addition to the regular activities you use throughout the year, it is easy to create themed activities for circle time. Adding a theme is not only fun for adding a seasonal spin on learning, but it helps reengage students in this daily routine.
While creating new activities may be easy, we know it is still time-consuming! Therefore, we have created everything you need for a full month of circle time activities that are all about pumpkins.
Preschool Pumpkin Songs
Songs are a fun way to have students interact as a whole class during circle time. Moreover, they help young students practice their speaking and listening skills.
Included in the all about pumpkins circle time resources is a song with lyrics and two corresponding activities. This is one of our favorite activities in this packet. Here’s why!
QUICK OVERVIEW OF PRESCHOOL PUMPKIN SONG & ACTIVITIES
Students sing I’m a Little Pumpkin and students swivel the prop, turning it so the image matches the pumpkin descriptions as you sing.
This preschool pumpkin song is just an example of the fun activities in the circle time packet. However, it is only fun for everyone if you as the teacher have everything you need to implement it easily! That includes knowing how to start your own circle time.
If you are a new preschool teacher (or need some new ideas on how to run circle time) check out our other post about How to Start Preschool Circle Time.
Pumpkin Science PreK STEM Activity
STEM isn’t just for older kids. These science, technology, engineering, and math activities are for all learners – including preschoolers!
Lessons that are focused on elements of STEM are great for preschoolers because they engage them in critical thinking early on. Moreover, they teach students how to work with others at a young age and to problem solve. These are all important skills for preschool kids to learn.
The great thing about STEM for preschoolers is that teachers get to be more creative with their topics than older grades. For example, creating PreK STEM activities for every holiday and season.
Pumpkin STEM Exploration Activity
Whether you are already a believer in STEM activities in the PreK classroom, or you are just starting out, this Pumpkin STEM activity is perfect for fall!
This Pumpkin Science PreK STEM Activity called “rolling home” presents students with a problem. They have found the perfect pumpkin in the pumpkin patch, but the pumpkin is too heavy to pick up and carry home. Therefore, they must roll it to their houses!
To help students solve the problem, they are asked to go through the Exploration Process. Wondering what the Exploration Process is?! Don’t worry!
We have provided you with everything you need to introduce your students to the exploration process. Moreover, everything your students to complete the challenge successfully!
Pumpkin Activities for Preschool
Even though preschoolers are just beginning their adventure into learning and need support along the way, they also need time to explore on their own. In fact, most young children want the independence to explore on their own.
However, as much as those little ones want to be independent they still need some guidance. This is why exploration stations are so amazing!
PreK Fall Pumpkin Exploration Stations
Our Fall Exploration Stations resource is the perfect packet of independent learning Pumpkin Activities for Preschool!
If you are not familiar with Exploration Stations, they are built for students to manage themselves as they explore learning activities. To help, we have provided materials that are color-coded and have visual icons that match the instruction cards and work board.
Therefore, students can easily find move through each station as they explore learning independently. They even get their own personal checklist to help them stay on track.
Your students will love not only their independence but everything they learn about pumpkins with these 9 exploration stations!
Pumpkins Math & Literacy Centers for Preschool
Our Pumpkins Math & Literacy Centers resource has everything you need for fun fall lessons.
However, fun doesn’t mean dumbed down. These activities are rigorous and cover all the concepts your preschool students need to learn in math and literacy. Learn more about our Preschool Centers here. Take a look at all the concepts covered in these pumpkin-themed activities.
Pumpkin Math Activities
- Count and Clip: Counting Pumpkin Seeds
- Puzzles: Pumpkin Patterns
- Pumpkin Math: Measuring a Pumpkin
- Roll a Pumpkin: Counting and Fine Motor
- Pumpkin Search: Same and Different
- Flip and Match Pumpkin Shapes: 2d Shapes
- Count and Color: Counting Pumpkins and Seeds
- Pumpkin Seeds: More or Less Than
Pumpkin Literacy Activities
- Place the Pumpkin: Positional Words
- Cover the Letters: Finding Letters
- Syllable Sort: Counting Syllables
- Pumpkin Sound Game: Beginning Sounds
- Hunt the Room: Rhyming Words
- Dot the Letters: Uppercase and Lowercase
- Rice Writing: Letter Formation
- On My Own Craft: Paper Plate Pumpkin
- Pumpkin Color Match: Colors
- Pumpkin Craft: Writing Own Name
- Free Write: Pumpkin Writing Center
With so many activities to choose from, you and your preschoolers will love exploring math and literacy with the help of pumpkins!
Runaway Pumpkin Preschool Read Aloud Activities
Read aloud time in PreK is the best! It is a great time to create positive relationships with the whole class and to help instill a love of reading in your students.
One of our favorite kid books for preschool read aloud time is The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis. This adorable story is about three kids who come across the biggest pumpkin they have ever seen. The story follows these three kids as they try to roll the pumpkin down the hill, only to run into a few problems along the way!
Your students will laugh as you read about the shenanigans in The Runaway Pumpkin!
PreK Read Aloud Activities for The Runaway Pumpkin
After reading this book with your students, use our detailed ready-to-teach lesson plans to engage your students in the book further.
This resource includes enough activities for an entire week’s worth of reading lessons! Start with the beginning and then move throughout, using 1-2 activities a day.
- Comprehension questions
- Whole group response to text activities
- Response to text worksheets
- Writing pages
- Vocabulary cards and worksheets
- Quiz
- Retelling puppets
- Craftivity template
Through these activities, your students will dive deeper into the text, make connections to the characters and events, and most importantly, fall in love with the story even more!
Fall PreK Learning Bundle
While each of these pumpkin-themed learning activities can be bought individually, we have bundled them together. Therefore, you can buy all five in our Pumpkins PreK Bundle and be ready for a whole month of teaching!
Depending on how frequently you see your preschool students, this bundle may provide you with enough lesson plans for two months! That just means more time for you to enjoy teaching your students and enjoying the season!
