Pumpkins can be used for all kinds of readiness for kindergarten learning: colors, shapes, counting, and sizes. Did you know that calling something little or big involves a great deal of thinking? Not only does a child need to learn some words such as big, little, small, large, etc, but then has to learn how to use them correctly. Next, a child needs to hold one item in hand or in mind and then compare a second item to the first. Plus, that answer can change, such as a baby blanket can be big compared to a washcloth or small another time compared to a quilt. As with so many other concepts lots and lots of experiences are needed as children develop their understanding of sizes. Doing this regularly with all kinds of objects will also help with kindergarten readiness.
Pumpkins come in all different sizes and many communities have a contest for the largest one in town. This time of year they are perfect for talking about sizes. What other words can you and your child use for this very, very, very big pumpkin?