Give your toddler a small 6-8 in pumpkin shape cut from heavy white paper.
Set out some glue and have her spread the glue across the shape with a pastry brush.
Cut out some 1” orange tissue paper squares.
Have your toddler place the tissue squares all over the pumpkin shape.
PUMPKIN SURPRISE
Give your toddler two large orange paper plates.
Set out some pumpkin seeds and some glue with a large glue brush.
Have your toddler spread glue across the center of each plate and add some seeds.
When dry, place one plate, up-side-down on top of the other and staple the two plates together on one side.
Draw a pumpkin face on the top with a black marker.
Encourage your child to open his pumpkin to see the seeds inside, while you recite the following rhyme:
See my little pumpkin – with jack-o’-lantern eyes.
See my little pumpkin – with seeds inside.
SHAVING CREAM PUMPKIN
Set out a large piece of finger painting paper (heavy weight, that won’t soak through).
Spray some shaving cream onto the paper and sprinkle some dry orange tempera paint on top.
Encourage your toddler to spread the paint and shaving cream around on the paper, until most of the paper is covered in orange.
Let the paper dry, then cut the paper into a large pumpkin shape.
Hang the pumpkin shape up on the wall or on a door for a holiday decoration.
PUMPKIN BUCKET
FUN
Toddlers need fun learning opportunities just as do preschoolers.
One of the familiar objects found around most homes this time of year
is a plastic trick-or-treat pumpkin. This bucket can be used for many
fun toddler learning games. (If you don't have a Halloween bucket,
any container will work)
IN AND OUT
Toddlers are just starting to understand
the basic concepts of putting things "in" and taking
things "out".
Give your child some small toys inside
the bucket.
Encourage her to dump them "out"
and then put them back "in".
HIDE AND SEEK
Cut several pumpkin shapes out of heavy orange paper.
Hide the pumpkins around the room.
Help your child look for them and place them in their bucket.
PUMKIN PUPPET
You can make a simple pumpkin puppet for your child.
Cut a medium sized pumpkin shape from a heavy piece of orange
paper.
Cut out two eyes, a nose and a mouth on the pumpkin shape.
Glue or tape a large craft stick (or popscicle stick) to
the back side, of the pumpkin shape to create a puppet holder.
Use the puppet when you sing Halloween songs with your children
- or
Show your child how to play Peek-A-Boo by hiding behind the
mask, then popping out to say "Boo".
PUMPKIN FACES
Take a small to medium sized
pumpkin and draw or paint on a happy face. Ask your child
to show you where the pumpkins "eyes" are, etc.
FUNNY LITTLE PUMPKIN
Funny little pumpkin growing on the ground.
Funny little pumpkin orange and round.
Jean Warren
