Celebrate National Pumpkin Day with simple pumpkin crafts and sensory activities using everyday materials.
Pumpkins are everywhere this time of year. You'll find them on front porches, at grocery stores, in pumpkin patches, and decorating homes for fall. And while they're fun to look at, pumpkins can also become the starting point for all kinds of creative activities with young children.
With National Pumpkin Day coming up on October 26, it's a great time to bring a little pumpkin-themed fun into your home. You don't need to carve a pumpkin or gather a long list of special supplies. A few sheets of orange paper, some washable paint, or even a pumpkin from the grocery store can provide plenty of opportunities for children to explore, create, and play.
Whether your child enjoys getting messy, making crafts, or discovering new textures, here are 12 pumpkin crafts and sensory activities to try together.
For young children, painting a pumpkin can be just as enjoyable and gives them the freedom to create something completely their own.
Choose a small pumpkin, wash and dry it, and set out some washable, child-safe paint. Children can use paintbrushes, foam brushes, or their fingers to decorate the surface. They might paint a face, add colourful dots and stripes, or cover the entire pumpkin in their favourite colours. There's no need for the finished pumpkin to look a certain way. Let children experiment with the paint and decide when their creation is complete.
Turn a pumpkin into a hands-on sensory activity by letting children explore what's inside. Have an adult cut open a pumpkin and place some of the pulp and seeds into a shallow container.
Provide a few simple tools, such as:
Children can scoop, stir, squish, and transfer the pumpkin mixture between containers. Some may love the slippery texture, while others may prefer using a spoon to avoid touching it directly.
Keep the activity supervised, and avoid loose seeds with children who may put them in their mouths. For younger children, a safer alternative is to explore the outside of a whole pumpkin or use smooth, seed-free pumpkin purée.
Turn an empty cardboard tube into a simple pumpkin stamp. Gently press one end of a cardboard tube into an oval shape, then dip it into orange washable paint and stamp it onto a sheet of paper.
Children can make as many pumpkins as they like, arranging them in rows, overlapping the shapes, or filling the entire page with pumpkin prints.
Once the paint dries, they can add green stems, leaves, or funny faces using crayons or washable markers. Try using cardboard tubes of different sizes to create a pumpkin patch filled with big and little pumpkins.
Bring out some orange play dough and let children create their own little pumpkin patch. Use store-bought play dough or make a batch using your family's favourite homemade recipe. Add a few familiar play dough tools, such as rolling pins, child-safe cookie cutters, and plastic utensils.
Children can roll the dough into balls, flatten it into pumpkin shapes, or create pretend pumpkin pies. They might also make:
You can add green play dough for stems and leaves or let children use whatever colours they prefer. Their pumpkins may end up being blue, purple, or covered in colourful spots, and that's part of the fun.
This simple craft is a great way to use up leftover pieces of construction paper. Draw a large pumpkin outline on a sheet of paper or cardboard. Give children pieces of orange, yellow, and red construction paper and let them tear the paper into smaller pieces.
Next, help them glue the pieces inside the pumpkin outline. They can fill the entire pumpkin, create a pattern, or mix the colours however they like.
Younger children who find tearing paper difficult can use larger pieces prepared by an adult. Once the collage is finished, add a green paper stem and display the pumpkin somewhere at home.
Sometimes the simplest activities keep children entertained the longest. Place a few small pumpkins or gourds in a shallow container with a little water. Add a soft sponge, washcloth, or child-safe brush, and invite children to give the pumpkins a good wash.
They can scrub the pumpkins, rinse them, dry them with a towel, and start all over again.
For a little extra pretend play, turn the activity into a pumpkin washing station. Children can pretend they're getting pumpkins ready for a shop, farm stand, or fall festival. Use only a small amount of water and supervise closely, especially with toddlers.
A paper plate can become a pumpkin with just a few basic craft supplies. Give children a plain paper plate and let them paint or colour it orange. Once it's dry, they can decorate it with paper shapes, crayons, or washable markers.
Try making different pumpkin faces, one might be smiling, another might look surprised, and another might have the silliest expression your child can imagine. You can also skip the faces and decorate the pumpkins with stripes, dots, or colourful patterns instead. Attach a paper stem to the top and hang the finished pumpkins on a wall or display them together as a little pumpkin patch.
Turn pumpkin play into a simple experiment using water. Fill a large container with water and gather a few whole, uncut mini pumpkins or gourds. Before placing them in the water, ask children what they think will happen.
Will the pumpkin sink to the bottom or float on top? Let children gently place each pumpkin in the water and see what happens. Try pumpkins of different sizes and compare the results.
You might ask:
Children may be surprised to discover that even a fairly heavy pumpkin can float. Keep the water shallow and supervise throughout the activity.
Create a little pumpkin patch using children's fingerprints. Pour a small amount of orange washable paint onto a plate and provide a sheet of paper. Children can dip a finger into the paint and press it onto the page to make tiny pumpkins.
Once the paint dries, help them add green stems, vines, grass, or leaves using crayons or markers. They might create a long row of pumpkins, a crowded pumpkin patch, or just a few scattered across the page. You can also turn the artwork into a homemade National Pumpkin Day card for a grandparent or another family member.
A whole pumpkin can provide a simple sensory experience without any complicated preparation. Place a clean pumpkin on a table or on the floor and give your child time to explore it. Encourage them to notice the shape, colour, texture, and weight.
You might ask:
If you have pumpkins of different sizes, children can compare them or arrange them from smallest to largest. There's no need to ask every question. Your child may be more interested in rolling the pumpkin back and forth or examining its stem, so let their curiosity guide the activity.
Brighten up a window with a colourful pumpkin suncatcher. Have an adult cut a pumpkin outline from orange construction paper, leaving an open space in the middle. Attach the outline to a piece of clear contact paper with the sticky side facing up.
Provide small pieces of orange, yellow, and red tissue paper and let children arrange them inside the pumpkin shape. Once they're finished, an adult can seal the design with another piece of contact paper and trim the edges.
Hang the finished pumpkin in a sunny window and watch how the light shines through the colourful tissue paper. Use larger tissue pieces for younger children and keep contact paper and small craft materials out of mouths.
Bring a little pumpkin patch fun indoors using toys and materials you already have.
Gather a few small pumpkins, a basket, some fabric leaves, and any other age-appropriate props you have available. Arrange everything in a play area and invite children to pretend they're visiting a pumpkin patch.
They might:
Children can take turns being the farmer, shopper, or pumpkin patch visitor. You might even create a simple sign for their pretend pumpkin stand. Use whole pumpkins that children can handle safely, and avoid small decorations that could become choking hazards.
National Pumpkin Day on October 26 is a fun excuse to enjoy a little extra pumpkin-themed play, but there's no need to plan an entire day of activities or prepare an elaborate craft setup.
Choose one or two ideas that suit your child's age and interests. Maybe they'll spend the afternoon painting a pumpkin, or perhaps they'll be much more interested in washing the same pumpkin over and over again. Some children will happily explore pumpkin pulp with their hands, while others may prefer making a paper pumpkin without getting messy at all.
Keep a few simple supplies nearby, follow your child's interests, and let the activities unfold naturally. A pumpkin, a little imagination, and some time together can be more than enough to make the occasion enjoyable.
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