Pumpkins, Patterns & Possibilities

Ages/Grades:

Toddler (with supervision & support)

Preschool

Early Elementary

 

Learning Domains:

• • Math
• • Science
• • Language Development
• • Fine Motor Skills

 

Materials:

• • A variety of pumpkins: mini, pie, large. Include different colors and textures
• • Gourds or squash for added variety
• • Balance scale or digital kitchen scale
• • Rulers, tape measures, yarn or string

   

Ready, Set, Play & Learn!

Mix and match from the activities below to best meet children interests and developmental stage. Start with open-ended conversation, noticing colors, textures, shapes, and sizes together. Model comparison language (bigger, heavier, rougher, smoother). Introduce the concept of an attribute.

 

Measure It: How Many Links Around?

• • Discuss & Demonstrate

Choose a medium pumpkin and a set of math links. "Let’s see how many links it takes to go around this pumpkin."

Add the links to make a length until it reaches around. Notice where the ends meet, clip a paperclip or add a dot sticker.

Remove the links, and count together. Record the result.

• • Try it Together
• Choose a new pumpkin, and invite to discuss:
• • How are the two pumpkins the same?
• • How are they different?
• • Is the 2nd pumpkin smaller or larger than the first?

 

 

Ask the children to predict if they will need more links or fewer links to go around the new pumpkin.

Refer back to the number of links you needed for the first pumpkin. Invite children to make a guess about how many links will be needed for this one. Record their guesses.

Invite children to work together to add links until the length wraps around the pumpkin, then remove and count.

Celebrate close thinking, and how they’ll plan their guess next time.

• • Small Group Follow Up

Set out two or three pumpkins in different sizes. Children estimate, measure, and record on a class chart. Invite them to draw the pumpkin and write (or dictate) the number of links.

• • Engage Children in Conversation

Around means all the way - where do our ends meet?

Let’s keep it snug, not too tight, not too loose.

How will we keep track while we count? Want to point and tap each link together?

• • Extensions

• Daily Link Challenge: New pumpkin, new guess, quick count. Y

• Yarn loop: Try a yarn loop first, mark the overlap, then count how many links long the loop is.

• Family note: Invite families to estimate and measure their pumpkin at home and send back the number (photo or drawing welcome).

• Try the same sequence of demonstration, then group activity, counting and making predictions all the way through, but this time with math cubes. How many cubes high is each pumpkin?

 

Compare and Sort!

• • Discuss & Demonstrate

Put three or four small items in front (blocks, bears, buttons). Invite children, “Let’s sort by one way they’re the same. Today I’ll choose color.” Sort a few, then change the rule (size, thick/thin).

Next, bring out 3–4 pumpkins/gourds and ask children to consider one way that they’re all the same, one shared attribute. Name a clear rule and make two groups.

 

• • Try It Together

Show a different mix of pumpkins/gourds. Ask children, “What rule should we use? Color? Smooth or bumpy? Stem or no stem?”

Take a few ideas, pick one, and sort together. When ready, try lining up 3–5 from smallest to biggest (or lightest to heaviest if you have a scale nearby).

• • Engage Children in Conversation

What’s our one rule right now? What attribute are we focusing on?

If it matches the rule, it goes here. If not, it goes there.

These two both fit the rule. Where should they go? How can we tell?

Let’s check our line. Is anything out of order?

• • Extensions

Order it: Make a size line from large → small or a texture line from smooth → bumpy. Photograph and label.

Two‑hoop sort: Choose two rules (e.g., orange and smooth). The middle is for both.

Mystery rule: You sort; children guess the rule, then take a turn.

Attribute hunt: Children find something else in the room that fits today’s rule.

Graph it: Tally how many in each group and compare (more, fewer, same).

 

Pattern Power

• • Discuss & Demonstrate

Show two kinds of items (e.g., mini pumpkins and gourds). Demonstrate creating a rule, and generating a pattern to represent that rule. For example, “Our rule is AB: pumpkin, gourd, pumpkin, gourd.” Then place 4–6 objects in a row. Point and read it aloud together. Start a new line and model AAB (pumpkin, pumpkin, gourd…) and ABC (pumpkin, gourd, leaf…). Name the pattern out loud each time.

• • Try It Together

Give each small group a tray with mixed items and a simple rule card (AB, AAB, ABC). Children continue a teacherstarted pattern, then make their own. Invite them to read their pattern: pumpkin, gourd, pumpkin, gourd… Add a few “distractors” (extra items) to boost careful thinking. When ready, try growing the pattern longer or changing the rule.

• • Engage Children in Conversation

What is your rule? Can you say it out loud?

What comes next? How do you know?

Did the pattern break anywhere? How can we fix it?

Can you make this AB pattern into an AAB or ABC? What needs to change?

How many repeats do you have? Can you make one more?

• • Extensions

Movement & sound: Clapstomp patterns or shakerrest patterns with seed shakers.

Pattern hunt: Find AB/AAB/ABC patterns in the room, on clothing, or in books.

Photo & label: Photograph children’s patterns and label AB/AAB/ABC for a wall display.

Challenge cards: Add rule cards for ABB, AABB, or ABCD when children are ready.