Enjoy Pumpkin-Themed Lesson Ideas

Would you like a quick-n-easy pumpkin-themed plan for a faith-based lesson?

Enjoy the ideas collated here, which were ones I had initially whipped up a couple years ago for a friend who offered to sub - last minute - for an under 5 class at our then co-op, and, which, I have since adapted for another friend in need lesson ideas.

Feel free to pick and chose ideas to borrow as your own family, co-op, or class would enjoy!

Greeting

Welcome all the children.  Talk about what season it is and what we often see as decorations during this season. Comment on how awesome it is that God makes so many beautiful fall colors for us.  Then, segue into an icon of all - pumpkins.

Hide and Guess Pumpkin Game - Matthew 5:15

For a fun ice breaker, adapt the traditional game, Doggy, Doggy, Where's Your Bone to Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Where Did You Go.

Give the children a small toy pumpkin.  Have them secretly pass it behind their backs while you turn your back and say, "Pumpkin, pumpkin, where did you go?  Hmmm... Let me see.  I think I know!"  Then, point to a child who you think has the pumpkin.  Have the child pull his hands out from behind his back and show you them.  If you guessed right and the child has the pumpkin, that child becomes the guesser and you join the passers.  If the child does not have the pumpkin, take two more guesses.

Then, play another round.  Play for 10 minutes or so, or until the children seem to be tiring of the game.

Then, talk briefly about how we were hiding our pumpkin, but there is one thing we should never hide.  Does anyone know what it is?  Our faith!

In Matthew 5:15, it says, "Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house."

Unpack this verse in simple terms with the children.

The Wonder Pumpkin - Pass God's Love and Light Along

Then, talk about how we are to pass our faith (our light, our love) around.  As quickly as we receive love from others, we should pass it along!  How could we do this?

Chat with children about times when they have felt loved and times when they have shared it.  Offer examples of how they can shine with Christ's light.

Ask if they can think of a seasonal decoration that shines with literal light: Jack-o-Lanterns!  Then, for fun, play a game a bit like the Wonder Ball, but with a stuffed or small, real Jack-o-Lantern.

To play, sit in a circle and pass the pumpkin singing the following song.  Whoever holds the pumpkin  lasts sits in the middle of the circle for one round before rejoining the game.

The wonder pumpkin, goes round and round.  To pass it quickly, you are bound.  Don't be one, to hold it light. Passing it along, is what it right. P-A-S-S - PASS!

Story - The Pumpkin Patch Parable

Source: Amazon

Read and chat about The Pumpkin Patch Parable - keying into some of the verse written on each page.  (If you cannot get ahold of the book, search on Youtube for  video clips of people reading it aloud.)

Song - Shine  With God's Light

To reinforce the idea of shining with God's lift, sing the following song (created by Martianne Stanger) the tune of I'm a Little Teapot.

I'm a little pumpkin plump and round.  (Put arms out in round curves.) I once grew upon the ground.  (Bend low as if on the ground.) Farmer sliced me open and cleaned me right.  (Mike slicing and cleaning a pumpkin.) Now I shine with love and light. (Put hand on heart on "love" and then out in jazz hands by a smiling face on light".)

After singing, chat with children about how they - as themselves, not as pumpkins - might shine with God's love and light.

Pin the Face on the Pumpkin - See God's Face in Others; Be God's Face for Others

Chat about how we are called to see the face of God in others and, in turn, to let them see the face of God in us. 

Then, for fun, play Pin the Face on the Pumpkin, much like Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

To play, hang a large picture of a pumpkin on the wall.  Blindfold children and give them cut outs in the shapes of pumpkin eyes and mouth.  Have them try to put these on the pumpkin.

Guided Drawing

Give children paper and coloring pencils, crayons, or markers and have them complete a simple guided drawing of a pumpkin or Jack-o-Lantern.

If you don't know how to do this, check out this pumpkin directed drawing, this how to draw a pumpkin, or this drawing a pumpkin image.

Of course, reiterate the ideas from The Pumpkin Patch Parable to keep the faith-based thread going.

Additional Games (Choose One or All of Them)

As fun fillers or movement breaks, using a real or stuffed pumpkin, play Over and Under - maybe even relay race style. 

Play Pumpkin Says (like Simon Says) using a stuffed or real pumpkin and a character voice as the "Simon".

Play Hide-n-Seek Pumpkin by having all the children close their eyes while you hide a pumpkin and, then, having children look to find it.

Play Hot and Cold with a small pumpkin figurine, a stuffed pumpkin, a gourd, or a pumpkin.

We'd love to hear how any or all of these go with your children and would also love to hear your pumpkin-themed ideas!  Please do come back to share.

Apple Picking Sensory Bin Kit

It looks simple and, yes, a bit Christmas-y instead of fall-like, but, oh the sensory and learning it can inspire!  (Read to the end and I think you'll agree.)

While planning for the Sensory Bin Swap we hosted the other day, I had many ideas about what to put in the bags we gave out.  A pumpkin patch theme.  A stuff-your-own-scarecrow one.  An apple orchard one.  And more.  In the end, I decided to recycle and re-use to make an apple picking themed bin, since apple picking is one of my family's favorite fall activities.

Making the bin became a family affair.

Nina and Jack helped me make the coffee-scented dirt that would be used at the base of our bin.

Then, the kids helped me cut soft evergreen garland to become "grass" for the orchard.

Nina then busied herself taking remnants of toilet paper off toilet paper rolls before the kids colored them brown to be "tree trunks", while I got to work cutting some red "fallen apples" off holiday bouquet ornaments I had tucked away and funding some holly decorations to become "tree branches, leaves and apples on the trees.

Meanwhile, Luke decided that each bin should have people, so he set to work drawing families of five, plus a dog and a picnic blanket for each family.

Daddy was enlisted to help cut some of the people, dogs and blankets out and Jack helped me stuff all the bags.

Finally, I typed up an info. sheet to go into each bag, the text of which is copied below in case you'd like to replicate it or tweak it to suit your needs.  (NOTE: Should anyone want a printable of the insert, leave a comment and I will get one up here or send you one via email.)

Apple Picking Sensory Bin Kit

Aims

tactile and olfactory stimulation

imagination

fine motor skills

concentration

story telling

potential calming

Activity Directions

Place kit materials in a shoe-box sized bin and let child explore. 

Bag Includes

• 1 baggie of Coffee-Scented Play Dirt
• 1 baggie of “grass”
• 1 baggie with apple tree parts (trunk, leaves and apples and 6 loose apples)
• 1 baggie of hand drawn family figurines (which can be colored by your child)

Extensions/Variations

(1)   Add more props – a small container for collecting apples, a toy tractor, little people, more “trees”, more “apples” etc. Encourage imaginative story telling.

(2)   Use the Coffee-Scented Play Dirt for other bins. For example, with small play trucks it can be part of a construction-themed sensory bin.  With small containers it can be used for filling and dumping.  With little coins hidden in it, it can be part of a treasure-hunting themed bin. With the “grass” and some plastic flowers and bugs, it can become a spring or summer theme bin.  With the “tree trunk” tube and other open objects, it can be used for filling, shaping and molding.

(3)   Place loose apples in the “dirt” or in the “grass” in the bin with nothing else in the bin, and have child search for them.  .

(4)   Use the “grass” as part of a Christmas or evergreen-theme bin.

(5)    Practice counting and other basic math skills using the loose apples and the ones on the tree.

Source Inspiration

• materials we had on hand
• fall season

ALLERGEN NOTICE: The “dirt” in this kit contains whole wheat flour, coffee grinds, corn flour, salt, vegetable oil and water.  Be aware of possible allergens.

WARNING:  Although intended for children to use somewhat independently, this

activity includes plastic bags (which may pose a suffocation hazard if used inappropriately), small parts (which can pose a choking hazard if swallowed) and covered wire (which can pose an injury hazard if used inappropriately)  Adult supervision is required.

What fun sensory bins have you put together lately?

This post is being shared at Montessori Monday.