Preschool Pumpkin Theme: Activities, Crafts, and Learning Fun

Planning a preschool pumpkin theme this fall? You’re not alone! Pumpkins are such a fun, hands-on way to celebrate the season while sneaking in a bit of learning. If you’ve ever found yourself looking for easy, engaging pumpkin activities for preschoolers, you’re in the right place.

Pumpkins are versatile — they can roll across the floor in a bowling game, bubble over in a science experiment, or turn into silly faces with a few loose parts. Best of all, every activity can be tailored to fit your group, whether you’re teaching a whole class or playing at the kitchen table with your own kids.

In this post, I’ll share practical, low-prep ideas that make your pumpkin theme for preschool both memorable and meaningful. From math and literacy to dramatic play and social-emotional learning, there’s something here for every kind of learner.

Ready to dive in? Grab my free pumpkin lesson plans for preschool to kick off your theme with a splash! You can find the planner at the bottom of the post.

Why Plan a Pumpkin Preschool Theme?

A preschool pumpkin theme is one of the easiest ways to celebrate fall with little learners. Pumpkins are everywhere this time of year, which makes them a natural tie-in to the season and a familiar object kids are excited to explore.

What I love most is how many areas of learning pumpkins can touch. From hands-on science experiments to simple math games, story time connections, and even dramatic play, pumpkins give you endless opportunities to weave skills together. They can support fine motor practice during seed scooping, encourage creative expression through art, or help little ones recognize and talk about emotions.

The best part? These pumpkin-themed preschool ideas work in any setting. Whether you’re planning activities for a whole classroom or just looking for fun ways to keep your preschooler engaged at home, pumpkins offer something for everyone. It’s seasonal learning that feels fresh, playful, and meaningful all at once.

Pumpkin Theme Science Activities

Science is one of the easiest places to bring pumpkins into your preschool plans. Kids are naturally curious, and pumpkins make the perfect hands-on tool for exploring big ideas in simple, playful ways. If you’re looking for pumpkin theme preschool ideas science can shine with, here are a few favorites:

Pumpkin Sink or Float Experiment – Kids love making predictions, testing real pumpkins, and charting what happens. This classic activity is always a hit and is the perfect way to introduce the scientific method. Grab my free Pumpkin Sink or Float worksheet to get started!

Pumpkin Life Cycle Activities – Show preschoolers how a pumpkin grows from seed to sprout to vine. You can tie this into fall gardening or even extend it with pumpkin seed planting.

Pumpkin Stem Activities – Let kids examine and compare stems, notice textures, and make connections to how pumpkins grow. This is a great way to build observation skills.

Nonfiction Pumpkin Books – Pair your experiments with informational read-alouds to help little ones connect what they see in real life with what they hear in stories.

Pumpkin Shadow Play – Shine a flashlight on pumpkins in a darkened room and let children trace the shapes. It’s science, art, and play all in one!

Apple Volcano Tie-In – If your kids loved the apple volcano, try adapting it with a small pumpkin. It’s messy, exciting, and totally worth it.

Pumpkins are naturally engaging, and these activities turn that excitement into meaningful early science learning.

Pumpkin Theme Math Activities

Pumpkin math activities can be simple to pull together because pumpkins lend themselves to so many hands-on activities. Whether you’re scooping seeds or comparing pumpkin sizes, every activity helps preschoolers build early math skills in a playful way.

Pumpkin Measuring Station – Set out scales, rulers, and string so kids can measure pumpkins by height, weight, and circumference. They’ll love comparing results and noticing how each pumpkin is unique. (I’ll be sharing a full post on this soon!)

Counting Pumpkin Seeds – After carving or cutting open a pumpkin, let kids scoop and count the seeds. It’s a little messy, but it’s a wonderful way to practice one-to-one correspondence.

Sorting Pumpkins – Offer a variety of mini pumpkins and gourds. Invite kids to sort them by size, color, or shape. Sorting is an essential early math skill that feels like play.

Printable Math Fun – If you’d like ready-to-go options, try these:

• Pumpkin Counting Activity
• Pumpkin Preschool Math Worksheets
• Pumpkin Counting Worksheets
• Pumpkin Color by Number Worksheet

With just a few pumpkins, you can introduce comparing, counting, measuring, and sorting in ways that feel fun, seasonal, and meaningful.

Pumpkin Theme Literacy & Alphabet Activities

Pumpkins aren’t just for science and math — they’re also an excellent tool for building early literacy skills. If you’re looking for pumpkin theme ideas, literacy can be playful and hands-on with just a few simple materials.

Pumpkin Faces with Loose Parts – Add googly eyes, yarn, and felt shapes to mini pumpkins and let kids create silly or spooky faces. Then invite them to tell short stories about their pumpkin characters. This ties in beautifully with storytelling and social-emotional learning.

Pumpkin Sentence Sequencing Worksheets – Practice sequencing and comprehension skills with these ready-to-use printables.

Biscuit Visits the Pumpkin Patch Book Companion – Pair a favorite fall read-aloud with literacy activities designed to reinforce vocabulary and story structure.

Pumpkin Emotions Sensory Bin – Combine sensory play with SEL by adding pumpkin faces that show different emotions. Kids can explore feelings and words at the same time.

From exploring emotions to sequencing sentences, pumpkins give you endless ways to weave literacy into your fall theme in meaningful and fun ways.

Pumpkin Theme Dramatic Play & SEL Activities

If you’re planning a pumpkin theme for preschool play, don’t skip dramatic play and social-emotional learning. Pumpkins make it easy to set up imaginative spaces and activities where kids can practice cooperation, role play, and expressing feelings.

Pumpkin Patch Dramatic Play – Transform a corner of your classroom or living room into a pretend pumpkin stand. Add baskets, price tags, toy wagons, and play money so kids can “buy” and “sell” pumpkins. It’s a wonderful way to weave in math, language, and cooperation skills through role play.

Pumpkin Emotions Game – Use mini pumpkins or cutouts and let children draw or attach felt pieces to show different emotions like happy, sad, or surprised. This activity gives little ones a playful way to recognize and talk about feelings.

Pumpkin Patch Sensory Walk – Tape paper pumpkins to the floor or lay out orange mats to create a path. Kids can hop, tiptoe, or crawl along the “pumpkin patch,” burning energy while practicing balance and coordination.

These playful activities encourage creativity, build confidence, and support important SEL skills — all while keeping your pumpkin theme fun and engaging.

Free Pumpkin Lesson Planner for Preschool

Planning a pumpkin preschool theme doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. This free planner gives you everything you need to map out a whole week of fall fun! Inside you’ll find space for daily plans, center activities, book lists, printable trackers, and even craft prep notes — all designed to make your teaching smoother and more intentional.

Grab your free Pumpkin Lesson Planner today and start planning hands-on pumpkin activities for preschoolers with confidence!