Preschool Pumpkin Activities to Help You Plan Your Next Pumpkin Theme

Fall is the perfect time to teach children about pumpkins. These preschool pumpkin activities are sure to inspire some engaging, hands-on fun for your next pumpkin theme!

collage of preschool pumpkin activities with text that reads pumpkin preschool activities

Planning for Your Preschool Pumpkin Theme

I have to admit, once I see pumpkins begin to show up in grocery stores I am ready to start planning a pumpkin theme.

What about you? Do you break out the pumpkin activity plans right away?

Let’s jump into getting those plans down on paper.

Why a Pumpkin Theme?

Pumpkins can be such an engaging topic for preschoolers to delve into.

Children can explore pumpkins with every single one of their senses. We know kids learn through their senses, and pumpkins aid them in doing just that.

A pumpkin theme can be very much relevant to the children’s lives. They’re seeing pumpkins at local stores, and their parents are talking about pumpkin patch trips.

On top of that, many children have some background experience with pumpkins. So preschool pumpkin activities are a great jumping off point for teaching literacy, math, science, etc.

And for those children with no prior experience with pumpkins, this is a very hands-on way to provide that initial experience.

When to Teach Preschoolers about Pumpkins

Where I live, fall is definitely the best time to teach children about pumpkins.

Pumpkins are usually ready to harvest in the middle of fall, which makes preschool pumpkin activities seasonally relevant.

The local farmers are opening up their farms to pumpkin patch trips. Pumpkins are being sold in the stores, and all things pumpkin spice have appeared.

What about where you live?

Special Materials to Have on Hand

You can definitely teach a pumpkin theme in preschool using materials you already have in your classroom!

But there are also some specific items it would be great to incorporate if at all possible. You might do this by asking parents to donate a few items, talking with local farmers about donations, and touching base with your administrator for materials.

Here are some suggestions to consider for your preschool pumpkin activities:

Real pumpkins of varying sizes, shapes, and colors
Small pumpkin manipulatives (like mini erasers, pompoms, or small pumpkin toys)
Pumpkin seeds
Gourds of different shapes and sizes

Must-Try Preschool Pumpkin Activities

Below you’ll find a collection of pumpkin-themed preschool activities from Fun-A-Day. I’ll update as more ideas are added!

homemade pumpkin geoboard made with push pins, golf tees, and rubber bands

Creating and exploring pumpkin math with a pumpkin geoboard is a must for any preschool pumpkin theme! This is, hands down, one of my absolute favorite preschool pumpkin activities!

plastic pumpkin filled with orange dyed chickpeas on a tray

Engage the children’s senses as they explore a fine motor pumpkin activity through sensory play. The kids love the added scent.

pumpkin glitter jars in front of real pumpkins

Make a pumpkin glitter jar (or two or three) with the children. So engaging for the sensory or science center.

hand drawn tree with dyed pumpkin seeds as leaves

Learn how to dye pumpkin seeds and then teach the kids! Then you can use the colorful seeds to make pumpkin seed art for kids, pumpkin name activities, and even pumpkin seed Thanksgiving art.

If you’re talking about Halloween and pumpkins, this Halloween sequencing activity for the book Big Pumpkin is just what you need.

candy pumpkins and play dough STEM creation

Set up a pumpkin STEM challenge for the preschoolers during your theme. Follow that up with a child-made pumpkin counting book for your classroom.

Grab a few simple materials, and some favorite toys, to assemble a pumpkin patch small world play invitation.

preschool children playing in a pumpkin sensory bin

The children will love this pumpkin pie sensory play. Be sure to add scoops, cups, and tweezers to the sensory bin.

Use mini pumpkins to set up an invitation to create pumpkin process art. Then watch all of your students get creative!

preschool child holding his nose as he observes decomposing pumpkins

And, of course, at the end of your theme, be sure to conduct a pumpkin decomposition experiment. This is always a bit hit as the children watch the pumpkins break down. If you’re lucky, the next year you’ll have some of your own pumpkins!

Pumpkin Lesson Plans & More

If you’re looking for resources to help you as a preschool teacher, you need to check out The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101. It will save you so much time planning and organizing!

Preschool Teacher 101’s pumpkin theme lesson plans have more than 180 pages of daily and weekly plans, center explanations, book suggestions, and related printables. They will make planning your preschool pumpkin activities and lessons a breeze.

Other Done-For-You Preschool Pumpkin Activities

Fall Pumpkin Roll and Color Games

Pumpkin Number Sense Activities

Even More Preschool Pumpkin Activities and Resources

There are just so many amazing pumpkin-themed ideas and resources out there, right?

So I thought I’d add a few more suggestions in case you want All Things Pumpkins for your preschool classroom.

Pumpkin Books for Preschoolers

As with all preschool themes, you cannot get by without books!

Supplement all of your preschool pumpkin activities with a good read aloud (or two or three).

Here are some of my favorites:

Pumpkin Songs for Kids

Miss Molly’s “The Counting Pumpkins Song” is a very laid-back, soothing song for your pumpkin theme.

“The Pumpkin Chant” from Miss Nina is a sweet chant to try with the children. I love that it integrates movements and lots of rhyming words.

Little Story Bug’s “Where is Pumpkin?” song and activity would be perfect for circle time.

“The Pumpkin Life Cycle Song” by Casey is a fun and engaging way to teach the kids about how pumpkins grow. By the end of the song, I’m sure your students will be giggling!

Of course you can’t forget “Five Little Pumpkins” (this version is by Kiboomers).

Here’s another song called “Five Little Pumpkins.” This version is by Super Simple Songs, and it’s a different type of five little pumpkins song. This one focuses in descriptions and how the pumpkins are feeling.