Click here to read 40+ Fun & Easy Fall Pumpkin Activities for Kids on Hands On As We Grow®
Do more with your autumn pumpkins! Try 40+ different pumpkin activities for kids to learn, play, and decorate!
‘Tis the season for pumpkins! But what do you do with them – aside from making a jack-o-lantern or setting them out on your front porch?
40+ Pumpkin Activities for Kids to Learn, Play & Decorate!
I’ve searched the blog world and came up with 40+ amazing pumpkin activities for kids, that preschoolers (and even toddlers and babies!) can enjoy doing.
- Twelve pumpkin activities
- Nine learning activities with pumpkins
- Fifteen decorating ideas for pumpkins, aside from the usual carving
- Six activities to do with the insides of pumpkins!
See our 40 apple activities for kids? That’s a must save!
Fall was never so much fun!
Pumpkin Activities for Kids to Get Started
Pumpkins just seem to go with fall. But once you have your orange gourds at home, what do you do with them?
Other than carving, I mean. Sometimes I’m just at a loss about what to actually DO with the pumpkins!
These are easy ways to dive into the wonder of pumpkin activities for kids!
- Wipe-able Pumpkins, from SandwichINK, are a mess-free way to play
- Make pretty Pumpkin Prints with paint, just like The Little People Place
- Grow a Pumpkin in a Pumpkin, with an idea from Growing in Pre K
- Rolling Pumpkins Art, from Childhood Beckons, is a fun, active way to create
- Hammering Pumpkins, from Preschool Powol, is a great motor activity
- Make Play Dough Faces, like Teach Preschool, instead of carving jack-o-lanterns
- Painting with Pumpkins, from How Long is this Hall?, makes unique art creations
- Bust out heavy tools for Drilling Luminary Holes, like Play at Home Mom
- Add an extra challenge and try Hammering Faces, from My Montessori Journey
- A pumpkin Sensory Tub, from Counting Coconuts, is a simple, easy intro to pumpkins
- You’ll love this easy Baby Pumpkin Exploration, from Teach Preschool
- Play a game of Pumpkin Bowling, just like Wunder-Mom
Learning with Pumpkins
Pumpkins teach kids practically by magic! But you can always up the ante with these easy ways to add learning to your fall fun.
- A Rotting Science Experiment, from Kids Activities Blog, investigates decomposition
- Pumpkin Seed Counting Puzzles, just like I Can Teach My Child, mixes arts with counting and problem solving
- Can your child find the Missing Number? The Preschool Toolbox Blog has set this tough challenge!
- Do pumpkins Sink or Float? Find out with an experiment from The First Grade Parade
- Try Measuring Pumpkins, like What I Have Learned, to compare size
- Make Miniature Pumpkin Boats for another from sink or float experiment, just like The Preschool Toolbox Blog
- Estimating Weight and comparing how heavy, like Math Wire, is fun for kids
- Try a complete Pumpkin Exploration, from PreKinders, for a deep dive into everything pumpkin
- DIY Simple Pumpkin Volcano, from Little Bins for Little Hands, for a spooky experiment
Pumpkin Decorating
I get it: not everyone has the time, talent, or desire to carve. Totally a-okay!
Try these different, non-carving, ways to decorate pumpkins for fall!
- Glued to My Crafts made beautiful Painted Pumpkins
- Monster Pumpkins are a fun way to add a little silly scare to your gourd
- Crayon Melt pumpkins, like Mom Spark made, are simple to make together
- The Imagination Tree added some pizzazz to their Sparkle Pumpkin Cute Buttons made Compulsive Craftiness’ pumpkins stand out from the crowd
- Neon Dip Painted Pumpkins, as seen on A Night Owl, are ideal for real or fake pumpkins
- Drip Art Painting, like The Imagination Tree, is great for toddlers who like messes
- Foam & Feathers, or anything else you have on hand, inspired Tinkerlab
- The Magic Onions added Nail and Thread to create cute pumpkin designs
- Mr. Pumpkin Man mixes up jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows in a funny way
- Add a Pumpkin Mummy Family to your front porch
- Tape Resist Pumpkins are a fun way to make no-carve designs, just like Happy Little Messes
- Mod Podge Pumpkins, like Burlap & Blue, are easy and fun to make
- Candy Faces, from Mommy’s Bundle, help to “use up” extra candies
- Colorful Corn, from CraftoArt, creates a mosaic design
Sensory Activities with Pumpkin Insides
Pumpkins are really squishy and goopy on the inside, but so much fun to explore! It’s a sensory treat for fall!
- Easily DIY Pumpkin Guts Sensory activity from Creative Connections for Kids
- We love this DIY Real Pumpkin Slime idea from Little Bins for Little Hands
- Finally! A Mess-Free Pumpkin Guts Exploration from Stir the Wonder
- Make your own Pumpkin Seed Sensory Bottle, just like Modern Preschool
- Dyed Pumpkin Seeds, from The OT Toolbox, are perfect for sensory play and crafts!