Fall is by far my favorite season of the year. I am definitely one of those annoying fall-obsessed people. I can’t help it, I love the cooler temperatures, pretty colors, seasonal foods and fun fall activities. There just seem to be so many opportunities for quality family time in the fall; football games, hikes, festivals to name a few. Each year I make Fall Live List of all the things I want to experience as a family before winter arrives. One of my favorite fall traditions is visiting the Pumpkin Patch. I’m a sucker for the nostalgia, pumpkins and family memories. Here are some pumpkin patch inspired activities just in case you are just a little fall-obsessed, too!
Fingerprint Pumpkin Patch
Supplies:
- Printer paper or cardstock (print my download below for a ready-made pumpkin patch)
- Crayons or colored pencils
- Orange ink pad or paint
Directions:
Start by drawing a pumpkin patch. It can be as detailed as you wish. I drew a brown square for a fence and added a path and pumpkin patch signs (you can download my pumpkin patch below!) It was fun to discuss with my 5-year-old what he would put in a pumpkin patch if he owned one. Then they added pumpkins by making fingerprints with the ink pad. We tried both paint and an ink pad. I found the ink pad to be a little easier, the temptation to full-on finger paint was a little hard for my guys to resist, but I still think the orange paint works. After adding pumpkins we went back and added vines and stems. It really was a simple, quick activity, but I like their little fingerprint pumpkins!
If you are feeling extra festive here is an easy pumpkin patch snack:
Ingredients: Chocolate pudding, chocolate sandwich cookies, orange pumpkin candies
- Scoop in the pudding (or even easier use a premade cup).
- Crush cookies and sprinkle on top.
- Place pumpkins in the “patch”
Our Pumpkin Themed Book Recommendations:
- Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills (Simple board book that is great young kids)
- Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall by Kenard Pak
- Pumpkin Town by Katie McKy
- Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas
- The Biggest Pumpkin Surprise Ever by Steven Kroll
- Fall Pumpkins by Martha E. H. Rustard (A nice non-fiction read)
- Splat the Cat and the Pumpkin Picking Plan by Catherina Hapka and Rob Scotton
Some of our other favorite pumpkin activities:
- Go for a pumpkin walk; walk your neighborhood and count the pumpkins you find at each house. Before you go have everyone guess what they think the highest number will be, and see who wins!
- Have a pumpkin picnic- cut sandwiches or quesadillas into pumpkin shapes. Pair them with orange foods such as carrots, orange slices or cheese crackers.
- Get in the kitchen and bake a pumpkin treat.
- Cut loose and let the kiddos paint a pumpkin.
- See how many different jack-o-lanterns faces you can create. Bonus points for hitting different emotions.
- Have a family movie night and watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
This is one part of a series of ideas for thrifty family fun on our Thrive & Dime blog.
About the writer: Formerly a school counselor, Megan now spends her days playing trucks, reading dinosaur books, dispensing snacks and adventuring with her three little men; ages 5, 2 and 6 months.
