Fall in North America coexists with harvest, color-changing foliage, and pumpkin season. Hunting for the perfect pumpkin is an adventure all in itself, but pumpkins are not just for eating! Celebrate the cozy spirit of autumn with your children by taking advantage of some pumpkin-themed fun!
Pumpkin crafts
Pumpkin-up your house by creating artsy pumpkins.
Pumpkin treats
Fill your kitchen with the tantalizing aroma of pumpkin pie spice! Here are some sweet and savory suggestions to inspire you.
Pumpkin science
As the leaves fall, spend a weekend conducting some cool and colorful STEM experiments.
Make a mini pumpkin foaming volcano. You will need mini pumpkins, dish soap, white vinegar, baking soda, and food coloring (purple, green, and orange). Remove the stem area of each pumpkin and clean out the insides. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and a couple squirts of dish soap to each pumpkin. Add a squirt of food coloring in your color of choice (or all three!). Slowly pour approximately 13 cup of vinegar into the opening and watch your pumpkin volcano start to erupt. Note: This will be messy! Place pumpkins onto a tray or into a large container. You may want to do this outside.
Turn Skittles into a pumpkin. You will need orange and green Skittles, a white plate, and warm water. Create a border of orange Skittles around the edge of the plate, and close the top of the circle with a line or two of green Skittles to create a stem. Pour warm water into the centre of the plate, and watch as the colors start to swell and flow into a watercolor-like pumpkin.
Pumpkin thrills
Calgary is a veritable pumpkin-playground in the fall. Enjoy family time exploring one of these local attractions.
Pumpkin games
Keep your kids busy and make some amusing memories with these re-imagined popular games.
Pumpkin ring toss. Gather pumpkins of various sizes and set them in a line from small to large. Then, toss rings onto the stems. Tip: Glow stick necklaces make excellent rings.
Pumpkin balancing relay. Balance a mini-pumpkin on your head and race to the finish line.
Pumpkin Tic Tac Toe. Create your own Tic Tac Toe game. Paint mini-pumpkins into Xs and Os, and fashion a game board by criss-crossing painters tape on the floor.
Pumpkin hopscotch. Sketch a quirky hopscotch in a pumpkin motif with colorful chalk.
Pumpkin mini golf. Clean out a handful of large pumpkins. Next, carefully carve a cavernous and clever mouth into each one. Set them apart, and have fun attempting a hole in one on your own unique mini-golf course.
Born in the prairies, Stephanie has lived in both Canada and the U.S. She is a mother, cancer-survivor, cat lover, and avid traveler. Stephanie is the creator of the family travel blog, Next Family Getaway, nextfamilygetaway.com, where she shares trip ideas and travel advice for those traveling with kids.
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