pumpkin writing prompts

1-2-3 Come Do Some Writing Craftivities With Me

The key to getting children motivated to write, is simply giving them something exciting and fun to tease their imaginations and get the creative juices flowing.

pumpkins in the news, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin writing prompts, pumpkin emergent readers, emergent readers, what can you do with a pumpkin, pumpkin contests, catapulting pumpkins, largest pumpkin, pumpkin regattas, class made booksPumpkins in the News does that.  It's my latest, 29-page, writing prompt-emergent reader packet.  

I’ve included 2 class-made books: The Case of the Missing Pumpkins, as well as Our Class Pumpkins in the News.

pumpkins in the news, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin writing prompts, pumpkin emergent readers, emergent readers, what can you do with a pumpkin, pumpkin contests, catapulting pumpkins, largest pumpkin, pumpkin regattas, class made booksTo get the pumpkin rolling, there’s a “What can you do with a pumpkin?” poster, which includes two graphing extensions to cover more standards.

pumpkins in the news, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin writing prompts, pumpkin emergent readers, emergent readers, what can you do with a pumpkin, pumpkin contests, catapulting pumpkins, largest pumpkin, pumpkin regattas, class made booksChildren will readily share that you can eat and carve them, but are they aware that you can grow a record-breaking giant pumpkin, catapult them through the air, or turn them into a boat and sail them in a regatta?

pumpkins in the news, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin writing prompts, pumpkin emergent readers, emergent readers, what can you do with a pumpkin, pumpkin contests, catapulting pumpkins, largest pumpkin, pumpkin regattas, class made booksAll of these are popular contests and make headlines in the news.
I’ve included links to awesome videos to whet everyone’s writing appetites.

On the crazy creative side, how about the discovery of an alien pumpkin, or a pumpkin that could talk or grant 3 wishes?

Trust me, your kiddos will WANT to get right down to the business of writing! Woo hoo.

pumpkins in the news, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin writing prompts, pumpkin emergent readers, emergent readers, what can you do with a pumpkin, pumpkin contests, catapulting pumpkins, largest pumpkin, pumpkin regattas, class made booksThe crafty part of the project is a newsprint pumpkin.
Coloring newspaper with crayons or markers, creates a super-interesting and awesome look.

Completed projects look amazing swirling & twirling from the ceiling.  I've included several "header" cards to choose from, as a title for your display.

pumpkins in the news, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin writing prompts, pumpkin emergent readers, emergent readers, what can you do with a pumpkin, pumpkin contests, catapulting pumpkins, largest pumpkin, pumpkin regattas, class made booksLittle ones can search for all of the letter Pp’s and circle them.

I’ve also included several worksheets for more letter Pp practice.

Toss in a bit of shape review, with the pumpkin’s facial features, and practice spelling names via his smile. 

pumpkins in the news, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin writing prompts, pumpkin emergent readers, emergent readers, what can you do with a pumpkin, pumpkin contests, catapulting pumpkins, largest pumpkin, pumpkin regattas, class made booksThe emergent reader has 6, mini pages on a one-page template, to create a "just the right size" booklet, which comes in color for a teacher's edition, as well as black & white for your kiddos.

There's also a pattern with 12-on-a-page to make an Itty Bitty one.  It's packed with plenty of Dolch sight words.

cov happy halloween notesI've included an optional 7th page that says "Happy Halloween".

If you don't include it with the emergent reader, you could give them to your kiddos on party day.

They are today's featured FREEBIE.  Click on the link to grab a copy in both black & white as well as color.

halloween activities, halloween crafts, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activitiesWell that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by. It's my sincere hope that your own little "punkins" enjoy these craftivities.  It's a gorgeous 70 degrees today; the leaves are finally starting to turn.

The fresh air floating in from my window is beckoning me to come play.  I shall succumb.  Wishing you a peaceful day.

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion." - Henry David Thoreau 

 1-2-3 Come Do A Few Pumpkin Craftivities With Me

Now that October is nearing an end and your students have hopefully read a zillion fall books, or you've read them during story time, have children choose their favorite fall book and do one or more of the craftivities in this Common Core Pumpkin packet, which covers a lot of reading and writing standards.  Woo Hoo!

pumpkin book report, creative book reports, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, common core pumpkins, venn diagram activities, beginning middle end activities, story element activities, retelling a story activities, The packet includes:

A pumpkin book report craftivity. 

"Read it" is a play on words for "Ribbit" so I've also included a little frog template that you can run off. 

Students color, trim and glue the frog to their pumpkin.  There's also a blank pumpkin template without the words "Read it"  

Students can leave the pumpkin plain, or draw on a face to make a Jack-O-Lantern, especially if they're writing about a Halloween book.

Run off the "pumpkin guts" writing prompt section on yellow paper. Students  fill in with information about their favorite book.

Add some finishing touches with crayons and a school photo glued to the stem.

pumpkin book report, creative book reports, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, common core pumpkins, venn diagram activities, beginning middle end activities, story element activities, retelling a story activities, The packet also includes another writing activity without a craft.

Older  students write about two of their favorite fall books on the recording sheet.

pumpkin book report, creative book reports, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, common core pumpkins, venn diagram activities, beginning middle end activities, story element activities, retelling a story activities, If you want them to compare and constrast the books they've chosen, they can fill out the Venn diagram to help organize their thoughts.

pumpkin book report, creative book reports, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, common core pumpkins, venn diagram activities, beginning middle end activities, story element activities, retelling a story activities, Are you working on retelling a story with your kiddos? The beginning-middle-end story pumpkin craftivity, will be a fun way for them to share their thoughts.

As with the other craft, I've also included a blank pumpkin pattern, so students can draw on their own face.  Run off the template of your choice on orange construction paper. 

Students place the orange pumpkin paper on the top of a yellow sheet of construction paper and cut once, creating the inside of their page at the same time that they cut out their pumpkin cover.

pumpkin book report, creative book reports, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, common core pumpkins, venn diagram activities, beginning middle end activities, story element activities, retelling a story activities, Children glue or staple their booklet together. (I've provided a nice wide tab on the left side.)  Cutting on the dashed lines of the orange paper, students create a flip booklet to explain the beginning, middle and end of their story.

I've included samples of both projects, so you can quickly and easily make your own examples to share with your students. 

big pumpkin book by erica silvermanFor my book report pumpkin,  I chose the story Big Pumpkin, by Erica Silverman. 

the little old lady who wasnt afraid of anything activitiesFor the retelling-a-story pumpkin, I chose The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid Of Anything, by Linda Williams These are two of my all-time favorite Halloween books.  They've always been favorites for my Y5's as well. 

Any of the activities work well for your Daily 5, and are especially fun for Halloween party day.  Let's face it, most children are so energized that day, that it's nice to have something a bit out of the ordinary, to grab their attention and keep them focused, while still learning something relevant.

pumpkin book report, creative book reports, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, common core pumpkins, venn diagram activities, beginning middle end activities, story element activities, retelling a story activities, Completed projects make wonderful bulletin boards or hallway displays. The pumpkin book report looks cute hung back-to-back suspended from the ceiling.

A nice bonus about the pumpkin craftivities without Jack-O-Lantern faces, is that you can keep these displays up through Thanksgiving, with the rest of your November harvest things.

Click on the link to view/download the Common Core Pumpkin Reading Craftivities.

pumpkin book report, creative book reports, pumpkin activities, pumpkin crafts, common core pumpkins, venn diagram activities, beginning middle end activities, story element activities, retelling a story activities, Thanks for visiting today. I'm dashing off to do some serious grocery shopping. 

You know you're low on things when you're out of condiments like ketchup and mayo, to say nothing of the rest that I need to make dinner for tonight. Wishing you a productive day.

"The injury we do and the one we suffer are not weighed in the same scale." -- Aesop  

1-2-3 Come Do Some Pumpkin Craftivities With Me

Quite a few of my most popular downloads are those that involve a hands-on craft.  With all of the standards we have to teach, I realize that many teachers don't feel that they have any time left in their day for the "fun" things they used to do. 

With that in mind, I try to incorporate some standards in the crafts that I design, thus the name "craftivities".  pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsI decided to featurA Baker's Dozen   of my all-time favorite pumpkin craftivities in this article, since the number 13 can certainly be associated with Halloween.  Although I've used the term a baker's dozen for years, I didn't know why it came about.  If you're curious too, click on the link. 

Since Apple Sense was such a huge hit, I decided to make a Pumpkin Sense one.  This is a quick, easy and fun way to review the 5 senses, as well as work on the importance of adjectives in descriptive writing. 

Having a carved class pumpkin isn't necessary, but really helps.  Adding a hand print leaf and photo adds that finishing touch.

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsAnother writing craftivity is the Personal Pumpkin Patch Craft.Family relationship names, (mom, dad, sister, brother etc.) are a part of most teacher's word walls, so I wanted to think of something that would tie into building that vocabulary. 

Via a note home to parents, which is included in the packet,  you'll have the personal information needed to help your kiddo's make a personal pumpkin. 

There are also family word cards that you can use in a pocket chart or for flashcards, plus several worksheets and a Tally Time activity with math extensions.

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsPumpkins In The News  reinforces the letter Pp, and has a variety of writing options as well. Students find and cut out shapes to make a pumpkin face, as well as letters that spell their name.  These will be used for the pumpkin's smile.  They can also search for all of the letter Pps on their pumpkin and circle them.

 For writing practice, younger students trace and write the Pp is for pumpkin worksheet and glue it to the back of their pumpkin.  Brainstorm with older students of why pumpkins might be in the news.  They choose a topic and then write about it on the pumpkin template, trim and then glue to the back of their newsprint pumpkin

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsPunch a hole in the stem and suspend from the ceiling. There's also a pattern for a class-made book entitled: The Case Of The Missing Pumpkins. 

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsThe Shapely Pumpkin Packet  reviews 2D shapes and includes a spinner game and worksheet. Sponge painting is a super-fun, non-messy way for little ones to paint with awesome results.

I've been doing the pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsPeekin' In A Pumpkin for 15 years.  It also reviews shapes, as a Jack-O-Lantern face is on the front. The "guts" of the pumpkin are on the other side. 

I put a dollop of Elmer's glue with a bit of yellow paint in the middle and let my students swirl it around with a Q-tip, then glue bits of yarn and real pumpkin seeds on, for an awesome result.

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsAdd a bit of science to your day with the Life Cycle Of A Pumpkin Craftivity.  There are 3 options for this cute pumpkin bowl craft. 

You can review 2D shapes and have students draw a Jack-O-Lantern face on the back, or you can teach some pumpkin facts with the pumpkins ARE, HAVE, CAN writing prompt; (I've included a completed sample.) or you can explain the life cycle of a pumpkin, and have students color, trim and glue that circle to the back of their pumpkin bowl. 

Curling ribbon and a child's hand print leaf add the finishing touches.  These look terrific suspended from the ceiling too.

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsThe  Triple Play Pumpkin  also has 3 options.  

One involves measurement activities, another investigates the inside and outside of a pumpkin and uses adjectives to record findings; while the last one involves writing about things that scare you. 

This is a 3 dimensional pumpkin as students glue 3-4 paper circles together.

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsWe do a lot of singing in Y5's.  It's a fun way to learn all sorts of things, review concepts and the children really enjoy it.  One of their favorite October songs was Pumpkin Round and Fat. 

When I Googled the song, I found a sweet Popsicle stick puppet over at Teacher Mama.  Click on the link for a pattern and my version. Pumpkin Puppet.

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsIf you're a homeschooling parent and looking for an awesome, but easy fall centerpiece that your child can make, then I think you'll enjoy the  Dryer Hose Pumpkin.

This idea has been around for decades, but I just learned of it a few years ago when I met a crafty gal at Hobby Lobby.  I actually made these with my Y5's.  Their mommies were really impressed, as they turned out so cute.  They cost about $1 each to make.

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsIf you haven't made puffy paint by mixing shaving cream, Elmer's glue and tempera, then you're in for a treat. 

This photo doesn't do justice to how absolutely awesome these turned out, as our pumpkins puffed up to over an inch high when they dried.

We also revisit this technique in January when we make snowmen.  Click on the link for the Puffy Pumpkin.  To see a photo of our snowmen click here. For some reason, you can see the puffiness much better in the snowman pictures.

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsFinally, to round out my baker's dozen, I wanted to share 3 outstanding pumpkin crafts that I found Online. 

Tammy's Kool Aid Pumpkins from over at Housing a Forest, has been pinned over 1,000 times from my pumpkin Pinterest board.  She has a quick tutorial of how to make these terrific-looking pumpkins that smell scrumptious.

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, kool aid pumpkinsMrs. Withrow, over at Garden of Praise, makes these adorable Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater nursery rhyme pumpkins with her kinders, and substitutes their name for the word wife.  LOVE the pictures she took of her kiddos to place inside.

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, pumpkin plate mask, 5 little pumpkins activities, kool aid pumpkinsLastly, but not "leastly" is a sweet paper plate pumpkin Mask, from over at DLTK Kids

If you don't have time to have each child make one, whip 5 different Jack-O-Lanterns up yourself, and have students use them as manipulatives to act out the popular 5 Little Pumpkins Sitting On A Gate poem.

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, pumpkin plate mask, 5 little pumpkins activities, kool aid pumpkinsMrs. Alvarado over at Learning Safari does this with 5 large tag board pumpkins.  Too cute!

pumpkin crafts, pumpkin activities, pumpkin writing prompts, common core pumpkins, life cycle of a pumpkin, pumpkin facts, pumpkin masks, pumpkin puppets, peekin in a pumpkin, pumpkin plate mask, 5 little pumpkins activities, kool aid pumpkinsWhew! That's a whole "lotta" pumpkin stuff. Hopefully you found a few things to add some extra fun to your pumpkin activities. 

I'm off to do some much-needed grocery shopping.  Maybe my grandson and I will make a stop at the farmer's market to pick out a pumpkin!  Wishing you a fun-filled day!

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Fall Writing With Me


Since the "Apple Sense" craftivity was downloaded quite a bit, I decided this format would also work well for Pumpkin Sense.   No matter what grade your students are in, they need to be reminded to use their senses to make their writing "come alive."  The use of adjectives is equally important, and such a simple thing to explain using examples.  I find that if students can add a bit of art to their creations, writing is more fun and completed projects make wonderful bulletin boards that build self-esteem.   

pumpkin activities, writing prompts for October, writing prompts for fall, adjective activities, common core pumpkins, common core apples, common core bats, common core spiders, spider activities, bat activities, apple activities, back to school writing prompts, sunflower activities, turkey activities, turkey writing prompts, writing prompts for november, Pilgrim writing prompts, pilgrim activities, adjective poster, free adjective anchor chartRun off the pumpkin template on orange construction paper.  Students add a bit of color to the the stem, with a green crayon.  You can make this even cuter, by having students trace their hand (with their fingers spread) onto a sheet of green construction paper, trim and glue their "leaf" next to the stem.  Adding a photograph gives things that finishing touch.

Run the "pumpkin guts" off on yellow construction paper.  Students trim and fill in their answers.  Before hand, discuss the 5 senses, as well as what an adjective is, explaining the importance of using both to write better.  

Brainstorm words that can be used to describe a pumpkin using the various senses and write them on the board.   Students can draw from this word bank when they write. 

So that they are practicing starting a sentence with a capital letter, have students write a complete sentence, rather than filling in their answer.  Review proper end punctuation.  To make sure that they use adjectives, encourage students to underline them.

You may want children to write a rough draft, checking to make sure that every noun has a descriptive word before it.  Can they think of a better word to describe what they are seeing, feeling, tasting, smelling, etc?  When they are satisfied with their final draft, they can write it on the yellow insert.   Click on the link to view/download the Pumpkin Sense craftivity.

pumpkin activities, writing prompts for October, writing prompts for fall, adjective activities, common core pumpkins, common core apples, common core bats, common core spiders, spider activities, bat activities, apple activities, back to school writing prompts, sunflower activities, turkey activities, turkey writing prompts, writing prompts for november, Pilgrim writing prompts, pilgrim activities, adjective poster, free adjective anchor chartContinuing with adjective practice, I designed a Describing Fall packet. 

Students think of words that describe the various fall themes: school, apples, leaves, pumpkins, spiders, bats, scarecrows, sunflowers, turkeys and Pilgrims, and then fill in the appropriate boxes with adjectives.  Once they have done that, students incorporate several words into 1 or 2 sentences that they write on the back of their worksheet. 

pumpkin activities, writing prompts for October, writing prompts for fall, adjective activities, common core pumpkins, common core apples, common core bats, common core spiders, spider activities, bat activities, apple activities, back to school writing prompts, sunflower activities, turkey activities, turkey writing prompts, writing prompts for november, Pilgrim writing prompts, pilgrim activities, adjective poster, free adjective anchor chartChildren can add a bit of color with crayons or markers.  When everyone is done, have them share their work.  I've also included a definition of an adjective anchor chart. Click on the link to view/download the Describing Fall Adjective Writing packet.

pumpkin activities, writing prompts for October, writing prompts for fall, adjective activities, common core pumpkins, common core apples, common core bats, common core spiders, spider activities, bat activities, apple activities, back to school writing prompts, sunflower activities, turkey activities, turkey writing prompts, writing prompts for november, Pilgrim writing prompts, pilgrim activities, adjective poster, free adjective anchor chartIf you're looking for more activities involving the 5 Senses you may like Sam's Senses craftivity.  Children cut and glue the labels to Sam the pumpkin man.  What makes Sam special is that his hands are the traced hands of the student.  Click on the link to view/download Sam. 

cov cc goMy Fall Senses, is a quick and easy candy corn graphic organizer that again helps students practice their writing skills.  Click on the link to view download this fall writing activity.

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"Strength: A river cuts through a rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence." -Unknown