October 21, 2010

MYO Pumpkin Patch


Target has these adorable pumpkin coasters in their party/paper products aisles. I originally bought them to use as invitations, but the possibilities for crafts and activities is just too tempting! They're perfect to string together into a fall garland, draw faces on for the 5 Little Pumpkins, or simply scatter across the yard to create a pumpkin patch.


I wrote numbers 1-10 on the back of the pumpkins and spread them around the yard for A to find and place in her bucket. The idea was to introduce her to the numbers as she picked up each one.


The fatal flaw in my plan was believing my two year old would want to pick up the pumpkins and place them in her bucket.


It never occurred to me that she would prefer the pumpkins on the ground where they lay.

"Would you like to put the pumpkins in your bucket?" "No tank you." "Um, okay..."

I guess I'll wait until E gets home from school. Then we can use the pumpkins to demonstrate the mathematical concept of doubling, like in the book:

Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins by Diane Ochiltree

Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins (Book and Audio CD) (Paperback)E loves this book, and while I'm not as enthralled with the story of a raccoon that accidentally dumps 16 pumpkins down a hill, I like the math concepts hidden inside. The main character goes to load up her wagon with pumpkins for Gramps. At each stop she makes, she adds twice the number of pumpkins, starting with 2, then 4, and so on until she gets 16. Here, the wagon tips and spills the pumpkins down the hill. Sam is upset she ruined Gramps pumpkins, but he hands her a spoon and together they turn the bruised pumpkins into pumpkin pie.

11 comments:

  1. I had to laugh at the fact that she didn't want to pick up the pumpkins. I know exactly how you felt. She looks so cute with her orange pail.

    We own that book; I like the math concepts in the book too.

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  2. Love the idea too, but I know what you mean when you plan something and they don't want to "play along". The most important part is FUN and it looks like you always have that! Thanks for sharing! Kerri

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  3. You had a great idea! too bad littlest Page didn't want to play...I'll try it with Mariann and tell you how it went!

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  4. Now you know why so many of our learning "crafts" involve cookies - there are fewer no thankyou's with cookies :)

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  5. At least she was polite when she declined to pick up the pumpkins- LOL!

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  6. Too cute! Toddlers are so funny! She'll get a kick out of hearing this story when she gets older.

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  7. Too funny! My imagination is constantly running wild with how pleased my kids will be with my ideas and yet, they always seem to take them a new direction that I never see coming!

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  8. This is such a cute idea!
    I love how she left them there! =))

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  9. Precious. Maybe she will ask for pumpkins to pick up come Easter time. You never know. :)

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