Pumpkin Harvest Sensory Bin
This fall theme sensory bin supports math skills while kids have fun with pretend play. Kids can sort, count and even decorate the pumpkin shapes they find buried in the 'straw'. Let's harvest some pumpkins!
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Fall is a wonderful time of year for early learning activities!
Crafts and activities are filled with the colors and shapes of the season.
- Collect autumn leaves for counting and sorting.
- After carving your Halloween jack-o-lantern, have fun painting with pumpkin pieces.
- A highlight of the season might be visiting a nearby farm or market, or simply sorting and weighing the harvest from backyard gardens.
Our pumpkin harvest activity is easy to set up with foam pumpkins and shredded paper. It was inspired by the pumpkin activity in the Fall Unit of the book Preschool Unit Lesson Plans ebook resource.(affiliate links).
Fall Unit
Pumpkin harvest activity
A pumpkin field is like a kid-size pumpkin maze. It's a wonderful place to explore how we grow and harvest pumpkins.
This fall-themed pumpkin activity provides an opportunity for kids to engage fine motor and math skills with a fun sensory experience. Kids will love digging through the 'straw' to find the pumpkins.
How to make a pumpkin harvest sensory bin
1. Fill a tub or plastic bin with shredded paper.
- Kids can help shred the paper. Tear it by hand or cut it into strips with scissors.
- Our fill is card stock that we put through a paper shredder. It's a bit stiffer than regular paper.
2. Add self-adhesive numbers or letters to foam pumpkin shapes, store-bought or ones you cut out from foam sheets.
3. Place foam pumpkin shapes in the bin. Toss the straw around to bury the pumpkins!
Fun ways to play and learn with the pumpkin harvest activity!
Numbers: Find numbered pumpkins in the bin. Arrange in numerical order.
Shapes: Sort different pumpkin shapes. Match the shapes and count the pumpkins!
Art: Decorate the pumpkins with stickers, markers or glitter.
This harvest activity is easy to set up and can be adapted to materials you already have on hand.
- Use letters or shapes instead of numbers.
- Use apple foam shapes instead of pumpkins.
- Kids can harvest the pumpkins by hand, or use tongs or tweezers to further strengthen fine motor skills.
More pumpkin playtime
- Load the pumpkins into a small wheelbarrow or toy truck to extend pretend play.
- Create a scavenger hunt by placing pumpkin shapes around the room for kids to find.
- Set up a play produce stand with pumpkins and other fruit and vegetable props.
Happy harvesting!
This is just one of the amazing activities in the Fall Unit of a preschool resource that provides a full year of themed units.
Preschool Unit Lesson Plans
A page inside the book
The activities in the book are play-based, and have been carefully chosen to offer a wide range of math and literacy skills, working across the curriculum to incorporate play, imagination, science, sensory and art.
Units are written for ease of use, complete with material lists, step-by-step instructions and full color photographs of every activity, along with printable pages to help get learners ready for school.
Kids will engage with a variety of materials to explore and learn with all their senses!
Individual units can be purchased separately
OR
Buy the bundle with all units
Program planning is fun and stress-free with this easy-to-use, year-long resource!
