Sunny afternoons in the pumpkin patch are a fun way to support children’s early learning and kindergarten readiness. Well, any time and any weather can make for a great outing. There’s something magical about the bright orange of pumpkins glowing against the beige and brown tones of fall. Plus, pumpkins are a promise of all the fun and excitement that comes with Halloween.
For children, the differences in the seasons are a source of wonder. Pumpkins come with cooler weather, grass and plants are turning brown and drying up, days are shorter and nights longer, and there are only a few birds and bugs. Nature no longer wears the colors of summer. Children are adding to their memories of fall and storing new ideas about the season. Going to the pumpkin patch happens only this month and repeating an activity year after year builds the understanding of the cycle of the seasons. What an exciting way to connect to nature.
In the pumpkin patch, there are wonderful words like bright, round, heavy, wrinkled, stem, curved, flat, and green. Kids will compare sizes and shapes of pumpkins. How many pumpkins are there? Too many to count? Often, kids will be able to take one home. Choosing is another skill that kids need to practice. The color may be important to them, or they might like a certain shape or size. Some children may want a very big pumpkin, some a smaller one. With all those pumpkins, it may not be easy for some kids to make a choice while others will decide right away. This is all part of the learning and the experience. Now, do these girls look disappointed at all?
Instead of being sad when car problems meant they wouldn’t be going to visit a pumpkin patch, these two girls found pumpkins at the corner store and made their own patch, complete with sign and glowing smiles. The kids are teaching grownups how to be happy! Is there a pumpkin patch in your neighborhood?