We are starting to see pumpkins everywhere, which means it is time for Fall! It is my favorite season, so I am always excited for all of the pumpkin books and pumpkin activities for kids! Today we are sharing this beautiful new children’s book about pumpkins and all of the fun traditions that go with them.

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Pick a Pumpkin was written by Patricia Toht and illustrated by Jarvis. This beautifully illustrated book follows a group of families as they venture to a pumpkin patch to find their perfect pumpkins. They explore different pumpkins, ride in wagons, and enjoy tasty treats along the way. Then they take them home, carve them together, and make jack-o-lanterns!

The text is descriptive and lyrical, touching on familiar fall sights, tastes, and traditions in a soothing tone. This tone is reflected in the detailed illustrations, all done in a muted earth tone color palette. There are tons of fun little details hidden in the illustrations for both kids and adults to enjoy. (Keep an eye out for the pumpkin patch worker facing off with a hungry crow, or the cute names on the storefronts).

Visit a Pumpkin Farm

What better way to bring this story to life, than to reenact it with your own pumpkin patch adventure! We are lucky to live in an area that is full of apple orchards and pumpkin farms, so we try to visit as many as possible during the fall. If you don’t have the opportunity to visit a local pumpkin patch, you can head to a local farmers market or store to pick out your pumpkins and tasty fall treats instead!

Related Post: 15 Children’s Books about Pumpkins

Pumpkin Play Dough

We love any excuse to play with play dough, so this book gave us the chance to create pumpkins in all different sizes and shapes. We used orange play dough to create our pumpkins, and had fun adding different faces, stems, and leaves as well. You could also extend this activity with fun add-ons, like this set of faces that you can add to your creations! We have a similar set and they really add to the fun. You could also make your own pumpkin scented play dough for this activity, like we made here!

Pick a Pumpkin Gross Motor Game

We have been focusing on gross motor activities lately, and especially crossing the mid-line. So I was inspired to create this fun and easy game that incorporates gross motor exercises, creativity, math skills, and more. I cut simple pumpkin shapes out of orange construction paper and colored the stems green. Next, I wrote simple directions on each pumpkin. Some of these worked on specific skills, and some were just fun. But almost all of them caused us to giggle.
I tried to make each activity pumpkin themed including:

• Pretend to pick up a giant pumpkin
• Pick up pumpkins on your left and your right with the opposite hand
• Pretend to juggle 3 pumpkins
• Act like you are walking over twisty pumpkin vines
• Do 10 Jumping Jacks (or JACK-o-lanterns).

Related Post: How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?

Baking with Pumpkin

The first thing that my daughter wanted to do after reading this book was bake pumpkin donuts. So I went on a mission to find some easy pumpkin donuts for us to create together. This recipe from Hoosier Homemade was super easy to make (with only 3 ingredients) and they were exactly what she wanted! Since I didn’t have a donut pan, we made them in a mini muffin tin like she suggested and made donut holes. I love working together in the kitchen, because there are so many wonderful learning opportunities, and we are making great memories too! She loves to help me measure ingredients, but her absolute favorite is mixing everything together.

What are your favorite pumpkin activities for kids? Share in the comments below!

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