Pumpkins

Fall Pasta Sensory

10/30/2013

Supplies:

Cooked pasta
Plastic bags
Food coloring
water
sensory table or bin

Instructions: Rinse cooked paste in cold water. Add 20 drops of food coloring to ½ cup of water in plastic bag. Add pasta and mix around until desired color is reached. Rinse pasta again. Complete this process for each of the colors you want. Place pasta in sensory table and let children play.

*The children had Halloween on their mind and decided that the colored pasta was:

red = brains
yellow = scarecrow parts
orange = pumpkin guts
brown = worms
purple = witch’s hair

I wrote down the children’s descriptions and we will use their descriptions to create Halloween stories later this week.

Pumpkin Pie Playdough

10/30/2013

Supplies:

5 1/2 cups flour
2 cups of salt
8 teaspoons of cream of tartar
3/4 cup oil
1 small container of Pumpkin Pie Spice
4 cups of water
Optional: red and yellow food coloring (1 part red to 2 parts yellow)
Large pot
Wooden spoon or something similar
Optional: Fall or Halloween cookie cutters

* This recipe makes a big batch of play-dough! We cut the recipe in half and had plenty

Instructions:
In the large pot add all ingredients and mix together. Cook over medium heat, stir until the mixture no longer has any lumps. Remove the dough from the pot and place on a well-floured surface. Knead the dough out until smooth. The dough can now be played with. When done playing with the dough, store it in an air tight container or sealable freezer bag.

Painting with Licorice

10/28/2013

Supplies

Licorice
Paint
Paper

Instructions:
Have children use licorice as a paintbrush. Let them be creative with the licorice and how they want to use it as a paintbrush.

Floating Skittles and M & M’s

10/28/2013

Supplies:

Skittles and/or M&Ms
Water
Cups

Instructions: Place Skittles or M&Ms into a cup of water letter side up. Be careful not to shake or stir the water. Watch as the letter slowly starts to float to the top of the water. Not all the letters will make it fully intact!

Halloween Inspired Hand & Finger Print Painting

10/25/2013

Supplies:

Washable Paint
Paper (we used colored cardstock)
Hands and fingers
Optional: paintbrushes

Instructions: Press hands or fingers into paint and stamp paper with them to create Halloween inspired paintings. * Could use a paintbrush to apply paint to hands and fingers.

Pumpkin Soup

10/23/2013

Read the book: Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper
This beautifully illustrated book is about three animal friends making pumpkin soup the same way, every day, until one wants to switch jobs. The friends disagree and their friendships is put to the test.

Supplies:

Water table (if one is not available a roasting pan or plastic tub will work too)
Water bottles with orange colored water (red & yellow food coloring added to water)
Plastic bowls
Ladle
Pumpkin shaped ice cubes or plastic pumpkins (usually can find at local dollar store)
Pumpkin Pie Spice (optional)

Directions:

Have a group of children work together to use the supplies given to them to make a pumpkin soup.

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies

10/23/2013

Supplies:

13 x 9 pan; well-greased with butter or cooking spray
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup of canned pumpkin puree
4 cups mini marshmallows
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 cups crispy rice cereal

Instructions:
With adult supervision- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the pumpkin puree and heat for 2-3 minutes. Fold in marshmallows, stirring constantly until all marshmallows are melted.

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Cool the pumpkin marshmallow mixture at room temperature for 15-20 minutes (the cooling helps avoid soggy treats).

Once cooled, add the crispy rice cereal and stir until cereal is well-coated. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan, spread out evenly and gently press down with a rubber spatula or butter hands. Refrigerate to set for at least 1 hour. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Store in an airtight container up to one week.

Pumpkin and Squash Sensory Table

10/21/2013

Pumpkin/squash guts and seeds sensory table:
After cutting open a pumpkin and/or squash place into sensory table and let children smell the pumpkin/squash and feel the different textures of the guts.

Have the children sort the seeds from the guts to save for toasting.

Toasted Pumpkin and Squash Seeds

10/21/2013

Toasted Pumpkin and Squash Seeds:

Supplies:

Pumpkins and squash
Baking sheet
medium size bowl
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
Salt (any flavor that is desired)

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Lightly grease pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
After removing the seeds from the squash and pumpkin, rinse with water, and remove any strings and bits of flesh. Pat dry, and place in bowl. Mix the seeds with the olive oil and salt until evenly coated. Spread out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15-25 minutes, or until seeds start to pop. Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet before serving.

Pumpkin and Squash Taste Testing

10/20/2013

Cut a pumpkin, acorn squash, butternut squash, and hubbard squash (or any other squash) and remove the guts and seeds.

Place the squash/pumpkin insides a deep pan and in the center of each add a pat or two of butter, a few drizzles of honey or maple syrup, 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar and a few sprinkles of cinnamon and nutmeg.

For a spaghetti squash remove the seeds and guts and add butter to the center and add savory seasonings such as pepper, garlic, paprika, etc.

Add ¼ inch of water to the bottom of the pan and bake on 400 for 1 to 1.5 hours. It is done when the pumpkin/squash is tender and tops are brown.