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Pumpkins are synonymous with the fall season and Halloween. While your child is excited to go trick or treating, there are also other fun ways to keep them busy and entertained. Pumpkin activities can range from simple painting to elaborate cutting and decorating them using accessories.
If your little one is keen on showing their spooky spirit, here are some pumpkin activities for toddlers to try.
15 Pumpkin Activities For Toddlers
Here are some creative pumpkin activities that your toddler may enjoy. Your child can create some fun pumpkin crafts using creative ideas and minimal supplies.
1. Pumpkin mummies
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Give the toddler a pumpkin and some band-aid. Ask them to wrap the pumpkin all around with the band-aid like a mummy. Ask them to draw eyes, nose, and teeth on a piece of paper, cut it out and stick it on the pumpkin mummy’s face.
2. Pumpkin clay modeling
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Give some play-doh or clay to your child and ask them to mold it in the shape of a pumpkin. You can also assist them in giving it a detailed look by adding the textured lines and stem on the top.
Quick tip3. Pumpkin join the dots
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Print out a step-by-step drawing of a pumpkin, as shown in the image above. Now ask your child to connect the dots through the pumpkin’s outline. And then color the pumpkin to give it a finished look.
4. Water bottle cap pumpkins
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You need a plastic bottle, black paper, orange, white and green paint for this activity. Give the toddler a black sheet of paper, let them dip the water bottle cap into orange paint, and then press the lid onto the paper. The next step is to make a dot in the center of each circle and draw lines from the center to the pumpkin’s circumference. Then paint the leaves of the orange and white pumpkins with green paint.
5. Sock pumpkins
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To make sock pumpkins, you need to distribute a handful of rice to the toddlers. Give them an orange sock and ask them to fill rice in it. Then tie it with a rubber band. Tell them to draw pumpkin eyes and teeth on a piece of paper and then cut it out to stick it on the pumpkin face.
6. Pumpkin paper lantern
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Give your toddler a sheet of orange paper. Ask them to fold it into half and make slits by cutting the center-half. Once they open it, ask them to roll it and glue the ends of the paper together in the shape of a cylinder. Stick some green paper in the form of leaves and the handle of the lantern.
7. Paper pumpkin owls
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Cut the shape of a pumpkin from an orange sheet of paper. Cut the shape of an owl’s beak from another paper and two large eyes. Stick them all together, and you will see the face of an owl on a pumpkin.
8. Handprint pumpkins
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Dip your toddler’s palm, excluding the fingers, into orange paint. Let them press the painted palm onto the paper to get the shape of a pumpkin. Now ask them to paint green leaves on the top of the pumpkin.
9. Visit a pumpkin patch
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This can be a fun outdoor activity for toddlers. Pick a day and take them to visit a pumpkin shop or a pumpkin farm. Let them spend time observing each type of pumpkin.
10. Pumpkin cleaning
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Whenever you bring home, a pumpkin let the toddler help you clean it. Teach them how to wash it and then dry it out for storage.
Quick tip11. Pumpkin painting
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Give the toddler a pumpkin and their choice of paints. Now instruct them to use the pumpkin as their canvas and paint it in any color they like.
12. Halloween pumpkin stickers
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You need to collect some Halloween-themed pumpkin stickers for this simple activity, such as pumpkin eyes, candies, pumpkin teeth, and leaves. Let the toddler clean the pumpkin and stick these stickers on it.
13. Pumpkin tic-tac-toe
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Take a white chart paper and make a tic-tac-toe board. You will need white and orange pumpkins for this activity. Make pairs of toddlers play the game on the board where one of them uses orange pumpkins and the other uses white ones. Any player who fails to complete the game in more than two attempts loses.
14. Emotional learning activity
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Then take a piece of paper and cut out various expressions such as a smile, no word, sadness, excitement, showing teeth. Stick these on the pumpkin’s face and ask the toddler to label each emotion that they see.
15. Pumpkin stamps
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For this activity, you need smaller pumpkins and some paint. Ask your toddler to dip one side of the pumpkin in paint and then stamp it on the canvas or a sheet of paper.
These pumpkin activities for toddlers are fun, easy to organize, and educational. While your child is having fun carving out a pumpkin, you may supervise and ensure their safety during the entire activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What age is appropriate for pumpkin activities for toddlers?
The recommended age range for pumpkin-themed activities for toddlers is two years old and older, provided that all activities are carried out in the utmost safety and under the supervision of adults or parents.
2. What safety precautions should I take when doing pumpkin activities with toddlers?
Most pumpkin-carving tools are sharp, so do not let the toddler carve the pumpkin. Instead, carve the pumpkin and give it to the toddler to make the finishing touches using blunt plastic tools. Ensure that the toddler is instructed not to eat the pumpkin and remove any seeds to prevent them from being choking hazards. Also, consider using LED candles or glow sticks inside the pumpkins instead of using candles.
Key Pointers
- To encourage your child’s creativity, engage them in pumpkin activities such as pumpkin clay modeling and creating pumpkin mummies and paper lanterns.
- If your child is interested in painting, you could teach them pumpkin painting and pumpkin stamps creation.
- Further, visiting a pumpkin farm and decorating pumpkins for Halloween with your child can be fun and interesting activities.
