October is the perfect time to start talking about pumpkins and all the fun activities that come along with them. One of my favorite pumpkin stories is “Five Little Pumpkins,” and it’s a great way to teach young children about ordinal numbers.
The Story of Five Little Pumpkins
“Five Little Pumpkins” is a cute and catchy poem that tells the story of five pumpkins sitting on a gate on a moonlit night. As each pumpkin rolls off the gate, it encounters a different Halloween character, such as a ghost or witch. The poem ends with the fifth pumpkin rolling away and all the other pumpkins following suit. It’s a fun and engaging story that young children love to hear again and again.
There are many ways to incorporate “Five Little Pumpkins” into your classroom or home. Here are a few ideas:
Ordinal Numbers
One of the main concepts that “Five Little Pumpkins” teaches is ordinal numbers. Each pumpkin rolls off the gate in order, and the poem repeats the phrase “first,” “second,” “third,” and so on. This is a great opportunity to introduce or review ordinal numbers with your young students or children. You can have them practice putting numbers in order by having them act out the poem or by using pumpkin manipulatives.
Halloween Characters
Another fun aspect of “Five Little Pumpkins” is the different Halloween characters that the pumpkins encounter. You can use this as an opportunity to discuss different Halloween traditions and monsters. For example, you could have your students or children create their own Halloween characters and write stories about them.
Art Activities
“Five Little Pumpkins” also lends itself well to art activities. You could have your students or children create their own pumpkins out of paper or clay. They could also draw or paint the Halloween characters from the poem. This is a great way to incorporate creativity into your curriculum while still tying it back to the poem.
Dramatic Play
If you have a small group of children, you could act out the poem as a play. Each child could take on the role of one of the pumpkins or a Halloween character. This is a fun and interactive way to reinforce the concepts taught in the poem.
Sensory Play
Finally, “Five Little Pumpkins” can be used as inspiration for a sensory play activity. You could create a pumpkin sensory bin filled with “pumpkin guts” (such as cooked spaghetti or slime) and have your students or children act out the poem as they play with the sensory materials. This is a great way to incorporate sensory play into your curriculum while still staying on theme.
In conclusion, “Five Little Pumpkins” is a fun and engaging way to teach young children about ordinal numbers and Halloween characters. There are many activities and lessons that can be tied back to the poem, making it a versatile addition to any curriculum or home activity. I hope you and your students or children enjoy exploring the world of “Five Little Pumpkins” this October!
