Making a geoboard pumpkin is an amazing way to explore pumpkin math concepts with the kids. It expands the traditional geoboard concept into a three-dimensional math experience kids love getting their hands on!
What a Fun Idea for Pumpkin Math this Fall!
This simple, but super fun, pumpkin math activity was originally inspired by our homemade geoboard and hammering golf tees. We’ve made geoboard pumpkins many times, both at home and at school, and the kids always enjoy it.
Materials We Used
- Pie pumpkins
- Rubber bands
- Pushpins
- Golf tees
- Wooden mallets
How the Kids Explored the Pumpkin Geoboard
I began by setting the materials out on one of my classroom tables. Then I sat down with the kiddos and added pushpins to one of the pumpkins.
It’s fun to just play with the kids, listening to their conversations and laughing with them! I didn’t do much beyond adding some pushpins to one of the pumpkins before the kiddos were off and running with their pumpkin math fun!
At first, the children added more pushpins, then began using the rubber bands to make patterns and shapes.
From there, they discovered the wooden mallets and golf tees! Most of the kiddos LOVED using the mallets to hammer the tees into the pumpkins. Some tried to make designs with the golf tees, while others just enjoyed the process of hammering them into the pumpkins!
Please note, some centers don’t permit the use of pushpins by children. If that’s the case, simply use only golf tees instead.
As always, I really enjoyed watching the children and listening to their comments. A few kids spent only ten minutes with the geoboard pumpkins, while other spent over an hour!
Since this activity was such a success, I had it up in the classroom for multiple days without the students tiring of it!
Some of the skills involved in all this geoboard pumpkin math fun
- Fine motor skills = pushing the pins into the pumpkins and maneuvering the rubber bands
- Gross motor skills = hammering the golf tees into the pumpkins
- Creative expression = using the rubber bands and golf tees to create original designs
- Math = geometric shapes and 3D exploration of the shapes, along with patterning
- Science = observing how the pumpkins changed with the insertion/removal of the pins and golf tees
- Literacy = so much language and conversation
Have you ever made a pumpkin geoboard with the kids? Be sure to check out Still Playing School’s jack-o-lantern geoboard for even more pumpkin math!
Pumpkin Preschool Lesson Plans
Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 learning activities related to the theme, and we’ve provided different versions for classroom teachers and home preschool families so all activities are geared directly toward your needs.
Get your pumpkin preschool lesson plans
Preschool Pumpkin Lesson Plans for Classroom Teachers
Pumpkin Lesson Plans for Homeschool Families
You can also find us on Teachers Pay Teachers
Originally published October 23, 2013
rebecca S says
November 11, 2014 at 12:40 pmLove the idea, particularly hammering in the golf tees. I’m not sure what state you are in, but in California, push pins are not allowed anywhere in the center. Last year a 4 year old boy died after swallowing a push pin.
Amie says
September 26, 2017 at 8:21 pmHow long did your pumpkins last? Did you let them take the pins and golf tees out and then use the pumpkins again?
Mary Catherine says
September 26, 2017 at 9:59 pmHey Amie! We’ve done this multiple years, and each time we use the pumpkins for about a week. Sometimes the kids took out the pins and golf tees at the end of the day, sometimes they didn’t. I did have them remove the rubber bands each day so they could start fresh the next day. After a week, we often used the holey pumpkins to experiment with pumpkin decomposition, or to experiment with growing pumpkin plants.