The Life Cycle of a Pumpkin – Fall Paper Plate Craft for Kids
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This post includes dozens of pumpkin activities for kids. Highlighted, however, is an easy paper plate life cycle of a pumpkin activity.
Fall is an inspiring time of year. Children head back to school, gardens are ending their harvest, and in many parts of the world, the air is cooling. In other words, it’s time for a cozy sweater and a bit of warm cider. Heading to the pumpkin patch is always an exciting time.
The Life Cycle Of A Pumpkin – Fall Paper Plate Craft For Kids
I’ve got loads of pumpkin activities on this blog but I particularly love this pumpkin craft for many reasons. This fall activity is inexpensive, easy, creative, and kids learn life sciences! Children will learn all about the life stages of a pumpkin and a little botany to boot!
Pumpkin Facts
Depending on the ultimate size of the pumpkin, it takes 80 to 120 days for a pumpkin to grow from seed to fruit.
Pumpkins are native to North America and are one of the oldest domesticated plants.
The word pumpkin is derived from the Greek word pepon, which means “large melon”.
Pumpkins have male and female flowers. You can eat these flowers! They are good for fighting colds, helping your bones, and strengthening your eyes with Vitamin A.
Honeybees play a significant role in fertilization.
The seeds from a mature pumpkin can be used to grow more pumpkin plants during the next growing season.
Pumpkins are a warm-weather crop and are typically planted in July.
95% of the US Crop of pumpkins are grown in Illinois.
All pumpkins are winter squash.
The color of pumpkins derives from orange carotenoid pigments.
Although pumpkins are typically orange, they can be yellow, white, green, and red.
According to science, the pumpkin is a fruit.
The largest pumpkin ever recorded was over 1800 pounds.
The Life Cycle of a Pumpkin Craft
A pumpkin’s life starts by planting the seed in the warm ground. Then, once the seed drank up all sorts of water and sunshine, a sprout will pop up through the soil. Next, you’ll watch the leaves and vine grow larger. Finally, pumpkin flowers blossom from the plant. The female blossom produces a green pumpkin that ripens to an orange pumpkin.
A male pumpkin flower.
How Does a Pumpkin Reproduce?
A pumpkin plant produces both male and female flowers. The female flower contains several hundred eggs, which the male flower makes the sperm (or pollen). Much like human beings and other animals, the sperm must fertilize the egg in order to reproduce. In the case of a pumpkin, the “baby” is a seed.
The Life Cycle Of A Pumpkin – Fall Paper Plate Craft For Kids
Pumpkin Craft for Kids
I learned this pumpkin craft in Montessori training as part of our Botany unit. The idea is that you combine an activity with learning to ignite the child’s desire and interest to learn more. Kids are fascinated with the cycle of seeds grow to sprout to green pumpkin to orange pumpkin, especially since often the pumpkin’s life ends in jack-o-lanterns or dessert (or both!). Add this pumpkin sewing activity to your fall theme!
Materials Needed for the Paper Plate Pumpkin Craft
Music and Lyrics: Copyright 2007, 2014 Super Simple Learning® Video: Copyright 2015 Super Simple Learning®
One little pumpkin smiling smiling. One little pumpkin smiling smiling. One little pumpkin smiling smiling. One little pumpkin is happy.
Two little pumpkins pouting pouting. Two little pumpkins pouting pouting. Two little pumpkins pouting pouting. Two little pumpkins are grumpy.
Three little pumpkins yawning yawning. Three little pumpkins yawning yawning. Three little pumpkins yawning yawning. Three little pumpkins are sleepy.
Four little pumpkins crying crying. Four little pumpkins crying crying. Four little pumpkins crying crying. Four little pumpkins are sad.
Five little pumpkins laughing laughing. Five little pumpkins laughing laughing. Five little pumpkins laughing laughing. Five little pumpkins are playing.
Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. The first one said, “Oh my, it’s getting late.” The second one said, “There are witches in the air.” The third one said, “But we don’t care!” The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run.” The fifth one said, “We’re ready for some fun!” Then OOOhh went the wind, And out went the lights, And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.
I’m a Little Pumpkin (to the tune “I’m a Little Teapot”)
Marnie hails from Maine where she spent summers buried in sand and winters buried in snow. She is the daughter of a nearly four decade veteran of the public school systems. Teaching has always been a part of her life. She founded Carrots Are Orange in 2010.
Carrots Are Orange is a Montessori learning and living website for parents and teachers.
Marnie graduated from Wesleyan University in 1999 with a BA in Economics. She spent nearly a decade working in investment management. In 2006, she earned her MA in business from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.
Marnie moved to the west coast in 1999 and currently lives in Boulder with her husband and three sons. She is Montessori trained. Her work has been featured on Apartment Therapy, Buzzfeed, PBS Kids, BabyCenter, the Melissa & Doug blog, Huffington Post, and WhattoExpect.com. Besides writing, passions include running (usually after her three sons), photography, and outdoor adventures.
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