6 New Ways to Use Pumpkins

Oct 26, 2016
4 min read

Many of us are thinking about carving pumpkins right about now. You went to the pumpkin patch and picked your pick from the lot (or are waiting until the last minute and headed this weekend). Or there is always a great selection of pumpkins at the corner pop-up lot, or even at your local grocery store, for those of us less adventurous or short on time. But if you are like my family, you have more pumpkins around the house than you are willing to carve and have started quite a collection. What ever the case, here are a handful of non-jack-o-lantern ideas for the season's most notable harvest. They are sure to put those pumpkins of all sizes to good use while keeping your little ones busy and having fun over these next few weeks.

1. Get planting! Plant a pumpkin IN a pumpkin. How cool is that? Cut the top off of a pumpkin and scoop out the insides. Poke a few drainage holes on the bottom side of the squash (you can use a drill or a skewer or even a screwdriver). Fill the pumpkin's cavity halfway to two-thirds up with soil. Sprinkle several of the seeds you scooped out earlier over the soil. Cover the seeds with soil to just below the top of the pumpkin's rim. Water generously and put them in a sunny spot inside or outside. Keep soil moist and watch your seeds sprout over the next 7-10 days! Use this activity as a science experiment to teach about the life cycle of a pumpkin and what plants need to grow.

2. Pull out the paint! Create works of art with a pumpkin. There are many ways to do this, but my favorite activity is pumpkin stamping. It is fun for even the littlest of hands and is very engaging. You can use pumpkins of all sizes, but mini ones work best. Cut the pumpkin in half horizontally or vertically. Scoop out the seeds and guts, or don't. Put tempera paint, colors of your choice, on a paper plate or tray. Push your pumpkin, open-side/flesh-side down, into the paint and stamp it on to paper. You can also try water stamping for variety or less mess. Just substitute paint for water and stamp onto colored construction paper or kraft paper. Nature-made designs are the best!

3. Nail it! Push or hammer nails into a pumpkin or pumpkin top. This activity keeps my boys busy for hours. Their level of concentration and use of fine motor skills is priceless. Depending on the size and "softness" of your pumpkin, you can use a toy hammer, a small rock, or even your fingers to push the nails in (if your child is not ready for a real hammer). Use nails that are long and thick enough for little fingers to grab and hold easily. Just make note that the nails are sharp and be sure to closely monitor your little ones. They can use the nails to make designs in the pumpkin or just have fun nailing and re-nailing over and over again!

4. Use your senses! Take advantage of pumpkin's multiple sensory gifts. Invite children to use their five senses to explore the inside and outside of a pumpkin. Feel the smooth skin and rough stem. Listen to pumpkins thump (full of guts and hollow) and seeds shake. Smell the insides when you cut one open. Play with seeds and guts, or dried seeds. You can even taste raw or roasted seeds and pumpkin puree! My children love the feeling of scooping out pumpkins, but if your child does not, consider filling up a Ziplock bag with seeds and guts so they can feel and explore without the mess. Filling a bin, tray, or sensory table with dry seeds is also a fun activity sure to keep preschoolers busy for days on end!

5. Make them float! Pumpkins are big, round, and heavy, but did you know they float? Chances are your children don't! Create a fun science experiment where children guess whether certain pumpkins will sink or float. After predicting, try it! Fill up a large bucket, storage container, or trashcan with water. We filled a wheelbarrow with water and that worked nicely. Place the pumpkin inside and watch it sink or float. Children of all ages enjoy this experiment and get a kick out of the process. Mini pumpkins are also fun to bring in the bath and bob around!

6. Eat your pumpkins! There are a million pumpkin recipes out there. The internet is filled with pumpkin pie recipes and shops are filled with pumpkin flavored everything this time of year. But the actual squash is quite good for you and has many nutritional benefits. After cleaning them, roast all those scooped out seeds in the oven coated in some oil and salt. Or cook the flesh (or buy canned pumpkin) and use a puree to make many healthy recipes. Their are many yummy and fairly healthy ones that look and taste like treats. Here is a recipe for pumpkin muffins by Making Thyme For Health that the whole family is sure to enjoy!