Updated on October 5, 2019
Fall means it is time for the harvest season. Pumpkins, apples, vegetables and more will be ripe for the picking. I always enjoy checking out the produce available this time of year at our local orchards and farmer’s markets. All the bright colors and the abundance of produce inspires me in the kitchen. So we decided to have some fun with a story that focuses on an abundance of pumpkins and teaches an important lesson about responsibility.

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Pumpkin Town by Katie Mcky is an entertaining tale of a group of brothers who grow pumpkins. Every year, they hollow out some of the pumpkins and save the best seeds to plant for next year. But when Jose and his brothers toss the duller seeds off in a nearby field, the wind picks them up and carries them to a town, where the seeds start to cause all kinds of trouble.

This is a story about taking responsibility for your mistakes, which both kids and adults will enjoy, while the unique illustrations will keep kids engaged in the silly story. There are a variety of pumpkin activities that parents can use with their kids to extend their learning and build fun memories and traditions!

Roast Pumpkin Seeds

There are lots of fun ways to enjoy pumpkin seeds. Look online for different recipes for roasted pumpkin seeds and made some with your kids. You could even set out a variety of fun toppings for everyone to make their own. Check out this post for more fun pumpkin seed activities!

Related Post: How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?

Have a Bonfire

Fall is a great time to snuggle up outside together around a bonfire. Since the townspeople have a fire with all of the pumpkin vines, why not have a campfire with your kids and snack on the pumpkin seeds you roasted?

Have a Discussion

Talk to your child about what they would do if they were in the same situation. Would they go into town and fix the problem? This is a great opportunity to talk to your kids about taking responsibility for your mistakes. It can also be a chance to encourage them to think creatively. Ask them what would they do with all of those pumpkins and vines. Did they like the solution the brothers came up with?

Making Comparisons

Use a pumpkin and a watermelon to help your child to make comparisons. Kids can use all of their senses to make observations about both items, and then compare the differences. What do they each look like and taste like? What sound do they make when you knock on them? This is an easy way to introduce little ones to similarities and differences.

Related Post:15 Children’s Books about Pumpkins

Sensory Bin

Use pumpkin seeds to create a sensory bin for young kids. Have them sort through the seeds like the brothers in the book and find the ones they would keep and the ones they would toss. To make this activity less messy for young kids, put the pumpkin innards into a Ziploc bag and seal it. My daughter had a lot of fun squishing the pumpkin seeds and the “guts” around in the bag.

Pumpkin Tower

Have kids create their own version of the pumpkin tower. Use pumpkin candies and frosting or caramel to build a tower of their own. For the highly ambitious family, use real pumpkins to create a pumpkin tower to decorate your front yard. You’ll be the talk of the neighborhood!

Pumpkin Town is a good story to use when introducing kids to pumpkins and the fall season. Make it a yearly read aloud with your family and build fun fall traditions that kids will look forward to year after year!

Let me know about your time with Pumpkin Town! I would love to see photos of your pumpkin towers in the comments!

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