The Lesson Planning Mommy – Pumpkins!

This week we’ll be having some fun with pumpkins! We’ll be reading, learning, singing all about them! So, grab your favorite little punkin, and let’s get started!

What We’re Reading:

The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin

By: Joe Troiano

The Runaway Pumpkin

By: Kevin Lewis

Biggest Pumpkin Ever

By:Steven Kroll

From Seed to Pumpkin

By:Wendy Pfeffer

Songs:

Activities:

.:Macaroni Pumpkin:.

What You Need:

• Pasta Wheels
• Short Tubular Pasta
• Green Food Coloring
• Orange Food Coloring  OR Red & Yellow Food Coloring – to make orange
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Elmer’s White School Glue
• Card stock – for background
• 2 Ziploc Bags

 Coloring Pasta – Grown Ups ONLY!

1. Add a few drops of green food coloring and rubbing alcohol inside the Ziplock bag.

2. Add pasta to the bag and shake well to mix the color.

3. Place the wet pasta on a paper towel to air dry.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 for wheel shaped pasta using orange food coloring or red and yellow food coloring to make orange.

**Once your pasta is dry you are ready to make your pumpkin!

Directions:

1. Create a light sketch of a pumpkin with a pencil on the card stock. Big, little, squatty, thin or tall – get creative!
2. Use Elmer’s school glue to adhere the wheel pasta onto the card stock.
3. Finish up your pumpkins with a few pieces of thin tubular pasta as the green stem.

http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/2011/10/colored-glittered-pasta-pumpkins-for.html

 .:“What’s Inside a Pumpkin” Craft:.

The”What’s Inside a Pumpkin” craft is a classic preschool fall craft that turns out cute every time. Orange yarn acts as the pumpkin “guts”, real pumpkin seeds are the seeds and they are glued inside a pumpkin cut out.

What You Need:

• Orange, green, and brown construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Stapler
• Orange yarn
• Pumpkin seeds
• Pumpkin template
• Black marker

Directions:

1. Print out the pumpkin template and cut the pieces out. Trace it onto orange construction paper. You need two pumpkin cut-outs for this craft, one for the front and one for the back.
2. Cut a stem out of brown paper and a leaf out of green paper.
3. Cut small pieces of orange yarn.
4. Spread a layer of glue in the middle of one of the pumpkins. Put on the cut-up yarn and the pumpkin seeds. Set aside to dry.
5. Staple the other pumpkin on top of the embellished pumpkin to “hide” the seeds and guts.
6. Add the finishing touches with a leaf and the stem.
7. Write “what’s inside a pumpkin” on the front of the pumpkin with a marker.

http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/fall/inside-pumpkin-craft.asp

.:Pumpkin Bracelet:.

What You Need:

• green chenille stems (pipe cleaners)
• orange beads

Directions:

1. Fold the pipe cleaner in half and twist the top to create a loop — this will be your stem.
2. Fill both legs with beads, leaving a small piece of chenille stem empty at both ends.
3. Twist the ends together and tuck inside the beads.
4. Shape your pumpkin into a tall and skinny or short and plump shape!

http://blissfullydomestic.com/fun-bliss/crafts-fun-bliss/simple-beaded-pumpkin/12902/

Snack:

 .:Pumpkin Oreo Cookies:.

What You Need:

• Oreo Cookies
• Wilton Orange Candy Melts
• Green icing
• Pretzel sticks

Directions:

1. Melt the Wilton candy melts according to the directions on the bag.
2. Dip the Oreos in the orange chocolate to completley coat the cookie. ***Forks and chop sticks work great to lower and raise the Oreo out of the chocolate.
3. Allow the chocolate to dry on wax paper.
4. Embellish the pumpkin with green leaves made out of icing and a broken pretzel stick for the stem.
5. Enjoy!

http://charmedlifediva.blogspot.com/2012/09/its-pumpkin-time.html

Videos:

.:Five Little Pumpkins:.

.:SUPER WHY! | Alpha Pigs Pumpkin Game:.

Pumpkin Farms In The Great Lakes Bay Regions:

My two little monsters at Johnson’s Giant Pumpkins – last year!