Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere. Once the calendar reached October, we were ready to bring out the scarecrows and pumpkins. Our crop studies on corn and peanuts were such a hit that I decided to spend some time on the pumpkin as well. :)
We kicked off our pumpkin celebration by reading The Pumpkin Patch Parable. This charming story shares how a farmer picks, cleans, and turns the pumpkin into a glorious sight. On a much grander scale, God's love transforms our hearts...he chooses us, cleanses us of the "yucky" stuff, and gives us a new face in Christ. This has become a favorite book, and we read it each October. I also share it with our 4 yr. old Sunday school class. It also allows kids to see the growth process of the pumpkins from seed, sprout, vine, to pumpkin. Here's a great YouTube video that shows a time lapse of the pumpkin vines growing.
Of course, making a sweet treat was agreed on by everyone!! So we baked pumpkin cookies with sprinkles. They didn't last very long. ;)
Then we gathered our pumpkins for a little investigation. The boys used unifix cubes to measure the height of their pumpkins. Then they compared their towers to see whose pumpkin was taller.
I introduced the word "circumference" and Old Crow used a tape measure to measure around his pumpkin.
Next, we cut into our pumpkin to learn about the inside. We found lots of slimy, stringy, yucky pulp and tons of seeds! We compared the amount of pulp found in the two pumpkins. One pumpkin had a lot more than the other...each pumpkin is unique!!
Memphis Belle enjoyed scooping and playing in the pulp.
We added faces and candles, and now we were all set for a fun time of trick-or-treating.
Crazy Horse loves to play Starfall on the computer...especially the pumpkin activity. So I found that they offer a pumpkin app for the ipad. The boys were able to weigh different pumpkins, balance the scale, and then compare the weights. They also enjoy playing with the faces of the pumpkins.
We played with paints and worked together to come up with orange paint. Old Crow and Crazy Horse were quick to realize that mixing together red and yellow would give us orange.
Lastly, we took our pumpkin seeds and some yarn (the pulp) and created a picture to represent what we found inside the pumpkins.
I'll end with this Scripture that was included in The Pumpkin Patch Parable:
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:16
Jenny
y tu pilin
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