Time: 45–60 minutes
Big Idea: Learn how pumpkins grow and how farmers harvest them.
What You’ll Need:
· Small pumpkin (or picture of one)
· Paper and crayons/markers
· Bowl with pumpkin seeds (raw or roasted)
Part 1. Look and Learn
Do This: Show your child a pumpkin or a picture.
Ask:
· What color is it?
· Is it heavy or light?
· When do you usually see pumpkins?
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Part 2. How Pumpkins Grow
Do This: Explain:
· Pumpkins start as seeds.
· They grow on vines with big leaves and blossoms.
· Farmers harvest them in the fall.
Activity: Draw a pumpkin vine with leaves, flowers, and pumpkins.
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Part 3. Seed Fun
Steps:
1. Look at pumpkin seeds in a bowl.
2. Talk about how each seed could grow into a pumpkin.
3. Snack on roasted seeds if you have them.
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Part 4. If I Were a Pumpkin…
Ask:
· Would you be made into a pie, a jack-o’-lantern, or soup?
· Where would you grow in the patch?
Activity: Have your child draw themselves as a pumpkin in a field.
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Part 5. Wrap-Up Discussion
· What do pumpkins grow on?
· What can farmers and families do with pumpkins?
· What was your favorite part of the lesson?
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