Make Scented Pumpkins

What You Need:

• Orange and green construction paper
• Scissors
• White glue
• Water
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Paintbrush

What You Do:

1. First, help your child cut out the pumpkin. Have them cut a large circle from the orange construction paper. If your child needs help cutting out the right shape, you can have your child trace a plate, or you can sketch out the shape and have your child cut along the lines. Talk about the shape and color as your child cuts. What other fruits and vegetables are shaped like a circle or are orange in color?
2. Have your child cut a small rectangle from the green construction paper. This will be the stem. Have your child glue the green rectangle to the orange circle to create their pumpkin.
3. Now it’s time to make your scented paint! Help your child measure equal parts of white glue and water. Encourage your child to stir the two ingredients together until the mixture is smooth.
4. Next, help your child open the container of pumpkin pie spice. Encourage him to sniff it. What does he smell? Allow your child to liberally sprinkle the spice over the glue and water mixture and stir again.
5. Now give your child a paintbrush and encourage them to cover every inch of their paper pumpkin with the scented paint. When the paint dries, it'll be shiny and have a delightfully grainy texture from the added spice. And it'll even smell like pumpkin pie!

A great outing to go with this activity is a visit to your local pumpkin farm where your child can observe the pumpkin life cycle in action. Talk to your child about the process: pumpkins start off as one little seed. The seed sprouts into a seedling. The seedling grows into a vine. Flowers blossom along the vine and each flower becomes a little green pumpkin. As each pumpkin ripens, it becomes bigger and turns orange. While you're at the pumpkin farm, pick up a pumpkin of your own, take it home, and give your child another sensory experience by teaching them how to make pumpkin pie!