Pumpkin Inquiry
Pumpkin Inquiry
Approximate Time Frame: full day 1-2 hours a time
Activity: WONDER
Area of Learning: Creative Expression/Inquiry/Chemistry
Photo by Debby Hudson
Let’s explore pumpkins! Today you will spend the day exploring pumpkins! This morning we will be observational artists. Let’s paint!
Encourage your child to ask questions, wonder and be inquisitive about what they will find. Let’s do a pumpkin inquiry and use our senses to learn and explore. Let’s make predictions, paint, examine, count, measure and eat our pumpkin! (This is a full day inquiry broken into sections)
Process
Read the afternoon activity to see what you will be exploring in the afternoon with your pumpkin!
Pick a pumpkin from your garden or purchase one from your local grocery store.
Assist your child to wash the pumpkin with soap and water.
Fill your tub with water. Ask your child, “Do you think this pumpkin will sink or float? Help your child put it in the tub of water. What did you find out?
Prepare art space and place pumpkin on the table. Ask your child what colours they see on the pumpkin. Set out those colours on a palette.
Have your child examine the pumpkin. Ask them to look like scientists. What do they see? Colours, textures, shape, size.
Provide your child with a large piece of mixed media paper.
Invite them to paint with acrylic paints. Instead of water, provide them with a napkin and they can wipe their brushes on the napkin if they want to change colour.
Watch them paint! Just let them create! Ask them about their art.
Materials
pumpkin
tub full of water
large piece of mixed media paper
table cloth
acrylic paint
paint brush
napkins
Child role
Help your parent wash your pumpkin.
Let’s make a prediction! Do you think your pumpkin will sink or float?
Help your parent your art space.
Examine your pumpkin like a scientist. What do you see, feel, hear, smell? What is your pumpkin’s shape? Colour?
Paint your pumpkin, start with your large shape first and add all the details after!
Parent role
Purchase your pumpkin
Assist your child to wash it
Ask your child to make a prediction. Will the pumpkin float or sink? Try it! What happens?
Assist your child in preparing their art space
Speak to your child examine the pumpkin. Ask open-ended questions.
Encourage your child to start with the biggest shape first and paint all the details and colours they see after. Let them go and create!
Pumpkin Inquiry: Part 2
Approximate Time Frame: open (as long as child is interested)
Activity: P.L.A.Y
Area of Learning: Inquiry/Numeracy/Literacy
Photo by Karalina S
What do pumpkins feel like? taste like? look like? Let’s explore a pumpkin!
Encourage your child to ask questions, wonder and be inquisitive about what they will find. Let’s do a pumpkin inquiry and use our senses to learn and explore. Let’s examine, count, measure and eat our pumpkin!
Process
Continue with today’s pumpkin inquiry!
Prep your table with plastic or table cloth (it might get messy)
Cut the pumpkin open (cut top off if you want to use for jack-o-lantern)
Have child predict what they will find inside? What will it feel like? Look like?
Have child touch, feel, explore what’s inside? Assist them in taking out the pumpkin guts. What do they see, feel, hear, smell?
Once all inside is out. sort. Can your child sort all the pumpkin seeds from the rest of the pumpkin?
Ask your child to make a prediction; How many pumpkin seeds do you think are there?
Count them!!! Help your child create groups of 10 seeds! Help your child count them. How did they do on their predictions?
Now let’s measure the pumpkin. How tall is it? Use blocks, erasers, or another non-standard measuring tool to measure the pumpkin. (ex. the pumpkin is 10 blocks tall)
Cook your pumpkin seeds! Wash them and put them on a pan. Add oil and some seasoning and bake until crispy! What fun!
Is there anything else your child was wondering about the pumpkin?
Expansion activities: cut it into a jack-o-lantern, make pumpkin pie!
Materials
pumpkin
table cloth
paper/pastels/crayons
knife
non-standard measuring unit
bowls or containers
child role
Ask questions like a scientist
Explore the inside of a pumpkin. What does it feel like, smell like, sound, look like?
Count your pumpkin seeds. How many?
Measure your pumpkin! Use blocks or something else you find around your house.
Help your parent wash and clean the pumpkin seeds to eat!
Parent role
Your role in asking questions, encouraging your child to wonder and be inquisitive is so important! Great job!
Assist your child when needed but really give them the space to explore.
Encourage your child to use their hands instead of a spoon or tool….it is important to get kiddos used to different textures at a young age
Follow process and have fun learning and exploring!
