My preschool students had the best time with our pumpkin math and engineering challenge! In fact, the kiddos are still asking for it to be included during center time. I decided it would be fun to add a literacy element to this activity, too. So our class Pumpkin Counting Book was born!

how to make a pumpkin counting book with kids

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Materials
Photos from our engineering challenge
Construction paper
Binding machine (optional)

What we did
During our S.T.E.M. activity, the children and I took many photos! They used the camera on my phone, while I took photos with my camera. I waded through the many photos and chose some to print – at least one for each number (1 to 10). I just printed them on the color printer we have at the school – nothing too fancy!

Then it was time for the kids to help me assemble the book. I called the children over 1 or 2 at a time. On white construction paper, I wrote the words – “I see 1 pumpkin. I see 2 pumpkins.” Etc. Each number had its own page. The children then glued on the appropriate picture(s).

I made a simple cover page for the book and glued it to a piece of orange construction paper. All the pages will be run through the laminator, then I’ll bind the book and set it out to read again and again!

$Our Pumpkin Counting Book - meaningful early literacy and math, based on a STEM activity$

Extension ideas
We’ll likely keep Our Pumpkin Counting Book in the classroom for the rest of the year. The children will read it again and again (and again)! They’ll likely ask me to read it over and over (and over!), too. This will give them a lot of exposure to simple, repetitive text along with the math concepts. Here are some more ways to extend this activity:

Have children match magnetic numbers to each page of the book.
Have a set of manipulatives on-hand (like more of the pumpkins, orange Unifix Cubes, or simple counters). With each page, the kids can count out the appropriate amount.
Make sentence strips of the book and place them in a pocket chart. Kids can use pointers to read a different way.
Write the sentences from the book on a strip of paper. Then cut up the paper and have the kids put together the “sentence puzzle.”

Would your children/students enjoy making this pumpkin counting book?

A Full Week of Pumpkin Lesson Plans

Continue learning about pumpkins with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities related to the theme, and we’ve provide different versions for home preschool families and classroom teachers so all activities are geared directly toward your needs.

pumpkin-lesson-plans