Help students explore pumpkins both inside and out. Bring a large whole pumpkin, as well as some cooked pumpkin for tasting, to class. Encourage students to describe the inside and outside of the whole pumpkin using all five senses. Let the class touch the pumpkin and encourage students to verbally describe what they are feeling and seeing. Cut the top off the pumpkin and let students take turns looking and feeling inside it. Again, ask students to describe what they feel, see and smell. Lay out newspaper and scoop out the inside of the pumpkin. Let students investigate the flesh and the seeds. Finally, let students taste the cooked pumpkin.
Bring in different varieties, sizes and colors of pumpkins, ranging from large to very small decorative and pie pumpkins. Ask students to name the similarities and differences between the pumpkins. Ask them to organize pumpkins into groups based on color, texture or other attributes, then ask them to arrange the pumpkins in order from largest to smallest or heaviest to lightest.
Use paper plates to make jack-o'-lanterns. Give each student a paper plate and orange paint. Encourage students to paint their plate orange to make a pumpkin. When the paint is dry, let students paint faces on their pumpkins. Next, give each student a green stem cut from construction paper to glue on the top. Hang the pumpkins in the classroom. Alternatively, make pumpkin masks by attaching a tongue depressor to the bottom of the paper plates.
Show your class pictures of a pumpkin's life cycle, from seed to pumpkin, and leave the pictures out for students to reference during this activity. Bring in pumpkin seeds to show the class. Give each student four squares of blank cardstock and one pumpkin seed. Ask students to glue the pumpkin seed on the first card. On the second card, ask them to draw a pumpkin vine emerging from the soil. On the third card, ask students to draw a pumpkin growing on the vine, and on the fourth, ask students to draw their favorite food made from pumpkin. Help students place the cards in order on a sheet of construction paper.