Bring a pumpkin for them to experience. How many words can they list that describe a pumpkin.

Cut the pumpkin apart and cook so the class can see the changes during cooking. Baking: pumpkin seeds, pies, bread, cake, cookies, ice cream.

Bring some pumpkin pie spice to class. Have children close eyes and smell fresh cut pumpkin and spice.

Make pumpkin seed pictures.

Visual Discrimination: Use the flannelboard. Show Jack-O-Lanterns that are alike and different. Have them count; find the ones alike, and describe how they are different.

Pumpkin Hunt: Hide pumpkins to see who can find the most. Hide pumpkins of different sizes. Distribute matching Jack-O-Lanterns and have each child hunt for the hidden one that is identical in size and/or inner details.

Pumpkin Race: Put two starting lines on the floor and two matching rows of three paper pumpkins about four feet apart. Choose two children. Each one bounces a ball on each pumpkin in his row and races back to the starting line.

Pumpkin Puzzle: Cut orange paper pumpkins into odd-shaped pieces. Put each set in an envelope or clip together. Players have a given time to assemble. First one done wins.

Placemats: Have the children make placemats for the Halloween party. Make the project a learning activity. For example: Give each child a sheet of black paper and four pumpkin cutouts in each of about 5 colors. Instruct the children to paste a blue pumpkin in the upper left-hand corner, an orange one next to it, and so on until one pumpkin of every color has been used. Then ask them to paste the remaining pumpkins directly under the matching one of their papers.

Feed the Pumpkin Eater: Paint or crayon a Jack-O-Lantern face with a big mouth on the bottom of a paper plate. Cut out the mouth. Attach string to the top, and hang the pumpkin in the center of a doorway. Take turns pitching popcorn through the mouth.

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate (hold up 5 fingers)

The first one said , "Oh my, it's getting late." (wiggle thumb)

The second one said, "There are witches in the air." (wiggle index finger)

The third one said, "But we don't care." (wiggle middle finger)

The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run." (wiggle ring finger)

The fifth one said, "I'm ready for some fun." (wiggle pinky)

"Ooo-Ooo"- went the wind and out went the light, (blow)

And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight. (make fist and roll hand behind back)

Here's a pumpkin, a bigger pumpkin,

A great big pumpkin I see

Now let's count them.

One, two, three. (form the circles gradually bigger, until the largest one uses both arms. Repeat as you count)

Cornstalks grow high, way up to the sky; (reach up)

Pumpkins are round and set on the ground (form circle with arms)

But under the ground, where no one can see (point down)

Grow Carrots, potatoes, onions -- all 3 (count on 3 fingers)

(to the tune of "Did you Ever see A Lassie?")

Oh, once I had a pumpkin, a pumpkin, a pumpkin,

Oh, once I had a pumpkin, with no face at all.

With no eyes, and no nose, and no mouth, and no teeth,

Oh, once I had a pumpkin with no face at all.

So I made a Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern,

So I made a Jack-O-Lantern with a big funny face.

With big eyes and big nose and big mouth and big teeth.

So I made a Jack-O-Lantern with a big funny face.