pumpkins

Pumpkin Tablescape Pretend Play

October 21, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

This bright and cheery pumpkin tablescape pretend play setup has a host of loose parts that make it super fun to explore.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Supplies To Collect

Pumpkin-themed loose parts are the highlight of this hands-on dramatic play center your early learners will be eager to explore.

_______

Pumpkins are a huge part of fall décor, so it is easy to find accessories for this inviting, seasonal dramatic play activity. Here’s a list of items gathered:

white tablecloth
vase with artificial flowers
a string of pumpkin lights
pumpkin-themed disposable plates and serving trays
non-breakable cutlery and drinking glasses
acrylic gem pumpkins
artificial mini pumpkins
wooden pumpkin beads
pumpkin cookie cutters
pumpkin seeds
reusable pumpkin ice cubes
pumpkin-themed ice cube tray
felt pumpkins
fall-themed mini spatula
wooden harvest/pumpkin plaque
plastic jars and serving bowls
cookie tray
serving utensils

_______

Setting Up The Pumpkin Tablescape

Set up this colorful pumpkin-themed pretend play center your early learners will love. Loose parts are the highlight of this hands-on dramatic play activity.

_______

It’s so quick and easy to set up this play tablescape. I keep a large storage container with pumpkin-themed accessories and take out the tableware and loose parts that work for the center.

To get this activity ready, first cover a child-sized table with a white tablecloth. Then, set an unbreakable vase with pumpkin-themed artificial flowers in the center. Add a string of pumpkin lights around the vase.

Next, arrange place settings with fall-themed disposable plates and cutlery on the table.

Then, drop artificial mini pumpkins into clear drinking glasses and include them in the place settings.

After this, set out the rest of the supplies in the open spaces:

tray of felt pumpkin “cookies”
jar of artificial mini pumpkins
bowl of pumpkin/turkey bead “candies”
ice cube tray with reusable pumpkin-themed ice cubes
bowl of pumpkin seeds
jar of acrylic pumpkin gems
fall-themed spatula

Finally, add serving spoons to the play tablescape.

_______

Your little learners will be excited to discover this pumpkin tablescape pretend play center, and I’m sure a lot of imaginative, quality play will take place.

Pumpkins in all shapes and forms are the highlights in this easy-to-set-up pumpkin tablescape dramatic play center little learners will love.

_______

View this Pumpkin Tablescape Pretend Play Center as a video.

_______

Thanksgiving Printables

Shop Thanksgiving printables in my Etsy shop “Skills N Smiles“:

_______

More Pumpkin Activities

Eye Dropper Pumpkin Art

Pumpkin Painting Process Art

Glow In The Dark Pumpkin Art

Edible Playdough Pumpkins

Pumpkin Color Activities

Pumpkin Playdough Activities

Pumpkin Collage Art

_______

[Read more…]

Edible Playdough Pumpkins

November 21, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

These easy to create edible playdough pumpkins depict the lumpy, bumpy, warty pumpkins that add contrast and edginess in fall decorating projects.

Warty pumpkins can be caused by any of the following:

a mosaic virus
growing conditions that are too cold and wet
insects feeding on young pumpkins

The result is warts that appear to be under the shell.

But some pumpkin varieties are grown especially for their bumpy look. They are genetically engineered and have been cross-pollinated many times. In these pumpkins, the ornamental bumps appear on top of the surface.

Warty pumpkins are trending in fall decorating projects. They add ornamentation, contrast, and edginess in displays.

_______

Peach Edible Playdough Recipe

This easy-to-make, no-cook playdough recipe is perfect for fashioning these trending pumpkins. I previously featured it (minus the orange color) in a chocolate chip sea star sculpting activity.

Creating warty pumpkins is easy and fun with white chocolate chips and an edible, no-cook playdough recipe.

_______

Ingredients To Collect:

1 cup store-bought vanilla frosting
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup icing sugar
¼ teaspoon peach icing color

Mix and knead the frosting, cornstarch, and icing sugar in a bowl. Then knead in the food coloring until it is completely blended. If the playdough is a little sticky, knead in a bit more cornstarch. If the dough is dry, add a spoon or two of frosting. You can also increase the amount of icing color for a darker peach shade.

_______

Making The Edible Playdough Pumpkins

A warty pumpkin-themed playdough tray with taste-safe, edible dough.

_______

Set out white chocolate chips, playdough, and pumpkin cookie cutters on a tray. A pumpkin ice cube tray and gem pumpkins could be included for more play opportunities.

Give each little learner a rolling pin.

Invite your little charges to create lumpy, bumpy pumpkins with the soft, silky dough, adding the chocolate chips for ornamentation. You might want to wait till they are almost finished using the playdough before you let on that it is edible. It is super sweet!

Creating pumpkins with warts is easy and fun with white chocolate chips and an edible playdough recipe.

_______

Tip: Using peach icing color works super well for this recipe, as the color comes out nice and bright.

Sculpt a trendy, warty pumpkin with edible peach playdough.

_______

For more food coloring tips, check out chefmaster.com.

_______

If this post inspires you to consider adding warty pumpkins to your garden next spring, the appropriately named Gargoyle, Knucklehead, and Goosebumps are some popular varieties to grow.

_______

Thanksgiving Printables

Shop Thanksgiving printables in my Etsy shop “Skills N Smiles“:

_______

More Pumpkin-themed Activities

Eye Dropper Pumpkin Art

Pumpkin Painting Process Art

Pumpkin Tablescape Pretend Play

_______

Glow In The Dark Pumpkin Art

Pumpkin Playdough Activities

Pumpkin Color Activities

Crayon rubbings of spider webs on colored pumpkins. An all-ages art activity.

_______

[Read more…]

Frozen 2 Inspired Sensory Bin

November 26, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

When I came across the Frozen II-based storybook “We’ll Always Have Each Other” earlier this year, I immediately fell in love with the fall color scheme. The rich red and orange forest colors, peppered with gold, green, and purple got me super excited about putting together a Frozen II-inspired sensory bin.

This endearing story written by John Edwards touches on pumpkins, the changing seasons, and the close friendship between Olaf and Anna. The line “life may get harder sometimes, but we’ll stay strong for each other” seems even more relevant today than when it was written more than a year ago.

_______

Sensory Bin Color Guide

These papers were my color guide for choosing craft supplies and loose parts for the vibrant sensory bin. I used leaf punches in two different sizes to turn cardstock into tiny leaves to sprinkle in the bin.

The color guide for a Frozen 2 inspired sensory bin.

_______

Loose Parts Tray

This tray shows the supplies collected.

_______

Included are:

paper leaves
foil leaves
leaf gems
round gems
feathers
pom poms
red apple gems
green rubber apples
craft pumpkins
rocks
a flower

_______

Here’s a close up of the base:

Close up photo of the Frozen 2 inspired sensory base.

_______

Frozen II-Inspired Sensory Bin

Olaf, Anna, Kristoff, and Sven would feel perfectly at home in this Frozen II-inspired sensory bin.

Fall sensory bin inspired by the Frozen 2 based storybook "We'll Always Have Each Other."

_______

Or add your little learner’s favorite characters for fall-themed sensory play.

_______

[Read more…]

Pumpkin Color Activities

November 23, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Pumpkin facts and color activities. Anatomy, color matching, and art activities.

_______

Although orange pumpkins are traditional, and most grocery stores focus on selling them, these dramatic fruits come in many other hues. Diversely colored pumpkins can be scouted out at farmer’s markets and garden centers in autumn. They are intriguing in pumpkin color activities for little learners.

_______

Pumpkin Display

First, set out pumpkins on a shelf for little ones to view. The contrasting colors make a striking display. Discuss pumpkin color, size, shape, and texture.

Pumpkins in mint, cream, black, yellow, and green colors.

_______

Color Matching

Move the pumpkins to a table and invite early learners to add color words.

_______

Pumpkin Anatomy

Display a cross-section of each variety collected, and talk about pumpkin anatomy.

_______

Notice that some pumpkins have larger cavities than others, and certain pumpkins contain more seeds. Study flesh colors together, and invite little learners to feel the pumpkin insides.

Black pumpkin cross-section showing pulp and seeds.

_______

_______

_______

Spider Web Crayon Rubbings

Have children do a spider web crayon rubbing on a uniquely colored paper pumpkin. A few spiders hanging around add excitement to the activity.

_______

Pumpkin Painting

Offer tempera paint for little ones to slather on a small pumpkin. Have everyone generously sprinkle on gold glitter for a finishing touch. The decorated pumpkins make showy take-home art, perfect for displaying on front steps or a porch.

Tempera painted pumpkins sprinkled with gold glitter.

_______

10 Fast Pumpkin Facts

Pumpkins are native to Mexico but have been embraced all over the world.
Pumpkin harvest season peaks in October.
Pumpkins come in various shades of orange, but can also be white, black, deep green, light green, yellow, blue, soft pink, cream, striped, or speckled.
Uniquely colored pumpkins have different purposes. White pumpkins are perfect for art projects.
Cinderella, Blue Doll, Baby Bear, Crystal Star, and Midnight Black are some of many creative pumpkin names.
Some pumpkins are smooth. Others feel rough and may have warts.
The world’s heaviest pumpkin weighed 2323 pounds.
Water makes up 90% of pumpkins.
Pumpkins are treated as a vegetable in many recipes but are actually a fruit.
Pumpkins are a source of vitamin A, C, and E, and zinc, folate, potassium, and fiber. They contain antioxidants.

_______

Pumpkin Vocabulary List

Download a list of pumpkin vocabulary words to use with your early learners.

Pumpkin Vocabulary ListDownload

_______

To get more ideas for pumpkin color activities, view a slideshow from Better Homes And Gardens entitled: Types Of Pumpkins.

_______

Thanksgiving Printables

Shop Thanksgiving printables in my Etsy shop “Skills N Smiles“:

_______

More Pumpkin Activities

Eye Dropper Pumpkin Art

Pumpkin Painting Process Art

Pumpkin Tablescape Pretend Play

Edible Playdough Pumpkins

Pumpkin Playdough Activities

Pumpkin Collage Art

_______

[Read more…]

Sunflower Seed Sensory Bin Activities

November 21, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Three sunflower seed sensory bins. Dinosaurs, sunflowers, pumpkins, sand toys, and loose parts are highlights of the bins.

_______

A sunflower seed sensory bin is a fantastic way for early learners to explore these edible seeds, and use them in play. The seed base is a natural fit for fall and pumpkin-themed accessories. Here are three sensory bin suggestions brimming with these dramatic seeds.

_______

Sunflower And Sand Toy Bin

Sand toys, sunflowers, and fall-themed gems in a sunflower seed sensory bin.

_______

Add shovels. pails, sieves, watering cans, leaf gems, round fall-themed gems, and craft sunflowers in different sizes and colors to a sunflower seed base. This bin works well as a spring gardening center. Or extend summer into fall by offering the bin to your little learners in September.

_______

Pumpkin And Sunflower Seed Sensory Bin

Pumpkin-themed loose parts and sunflowers shine in this sunflower seed sensory bin. Spiders and mice add fun to the tray.

_______

Rubber mice and spider gems liven up this pumpkin and sunflower seed sensory bin. Other items in this sure to delight bin are:

craft sunflowers in different sizes and colors
pumpkin gems
pumpkin ice cubes
leaf gems
orange, black, and clear gems
black and orange cups
pumpkin-shaped dish
pumpkin cookie cutters
orange spoon

Fall-themed tinker tray with sunflowers, mice, spiders, gems, and pumpkin loose parts.

_______

Dinosaur And Sunflower Sensory Bin

Dinosaurs and sunflowers may seem like an unlikely combination. The inspiration for this bin came from viewing Lewis Lavoie’s stunning works of art entitled “Sunflower Beast”, and “Sunflower Bed.”

Easy to put together sunflower seed sensory bin with sunflowers and dinosaurs.

_______

The bin was introduced to my preschoolers a few years back. I made sure there was a stegosaurus or two in the mix. The children had a blast playing with dinosaurs, sunflowers, and loose parts in the seedy base. Your early learners would embrace this bin too.

Below, a volcanic mountain adds interest to the play.

_______

Note: For these sunflower seed sensory bin activities, I used striped sunflower seeds. I purchased two 7.5 lb bags at a local pet store, which filled a large sensory table. For a smaller bin, one 7.5 lb bag would be enough.

_______

Which bin is your favorite? Share below in a comment.

_______

Thanksgiving Printables

Shop Thanksgiving printables in my Etsy shop “Skills N Smiles“:

_______

[Read more…]