Seasonal activities allow children to connect with the world around them and associate concepts and vocabulary with specific times of the year. Here are a few ways to target speech and language skills using pumpkins!
Life Cycle of a Pumpkin
-Language: This is a great way to target language skills, such as sequencing, time (temporal) and order (ordinal) concepts. By describing the process of a seed becoming a pumpkin, you introduce new vocabulary and also highlight how speech and language spans across educational contexts.
Jack O-Lantern Carving
-Social-Emotional Development: We have all seen the crazy faces carved into pumpkins during the Halloween season. Creating pumpkins with varying facial expressions (whether that is supervised by an adult while carving or simply drawn on paper), helps children practice identifying, labeling, and illustrating different emotions.
-Sensory Fun & Counting : Cleaning out the inside of the pumpkin can be used as a fun sensory activity where the child can embrace messy play, but the fun doesn’t stop there. Once all of the seeds are removed, you can also have your child count the individual seeds into piles corresponding to specific numbers, or sort them into groups of varying values.
Visit a Pumpkin Patch
-Expressive Language: Have your child describe the pumpkins they see at the patch using characteristics such as color, size, shape, and texture. You can also have them use their five senses to describe the experience (especially because those pumpkin patches often have some tasty Fall treats!).
-Written Language: If your child is older, have your child write about their experience at the pumpkin patch. They can formulate a paragraph sequencing the events of the day and using adjectives to enhance their narrative.
Make Pumpkin Pie
-Language/Reading/Executive Functioning: Have your child gather the ingredients and follow the recipe (either by reading it on their own or having it read to them), resulting in a delicious dessert you can enjoy together!
Books:
-Spookley: The Square Pumpkin
-Too Many Pumpkins
-Plumply Dumply Pumpkin
-Apples and Pumpkins
-The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
Have a “gourd” time!!
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