17 Fun and Engaging Pumpkin Centres and Activities for Kindergarten

Need some fresh ideas for your October centres that doesn’t involve Halloween? Pumpkins are the perfect theme for October — hands-on, low-prep, and so easy to tie into your literacy, math, and fine motor goals.

In this post, I’ve rounded up my favourite hands-on pumpkin activities for Kindergarten that your students will love! Scroll through to see photos, grab tips for easy differentiation, and download a few freebies to make your fall planning even easier. 🍁

1. Pumpkin Inquiry Table

I always like to follow my students’ interests as much as possible, and inquiry tables are one of my favourite ways to do this when topics for inquiry don’t naturally come up in conversations or observations. An inquiry table gives students the opportunity to explore and wonder which makes it easier to hone in on their interests and adapt or expand lessons based on what this particular group of kiddos is most curious about!

For this pumpkin-themed inquiry table, I set out:

• A few real pumpkins and a magnifying glass (I keep them whole at the start of the week, then cut the top and scoop out the seeds with the kids. Then we leave out the pulp and seeds in a small bowl and they can investigate that plus the inside of the pumpkin as well!)
• A pumpkin words chart
• Pumpkin fact cards to spark curiosity, support writing and build background knowledge
• Non-fiction books about pumpkins (My favorites are From Seed to Pumpkin by Jill McDonald, Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin Pie by Jill Esbaum and From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer)

I also added a See/Think/Wonder recording sheet to help uncover student questions and observations. Of course, blank paper works too but I’ve found this framework often leads to deeper inquiries that grow naturally out of student wonderings.

Any printable shown in this post that is not a freebie (like the pumpkin words chart, the see/think/wonder page or the pumpkin fact cards) can be found in my Kindergarten Pumpkin Themed Centers: Literacy, Math, Fine Motor & More! pack.

2. Parts of a Pumpkin Poster + Labeling Sheets

I first created this Parts of a Pumpkin poster for our inquiry table, but it also works perfectly as an anchor chart for any pumpkin lesson where you learn about the parts of a pumpkin! To extend the learning, I added a labeling activity that pairs well with any non-fiction pumpkin book you read.

Two student versions are included so you can easily differentiate:

• ✏️ Tracing labels – for students who need extra support with printing
• ✏️ Copying labels – for students ready to print independently

This way, every child can participate meaningfully at their own level while reinforcing key vocabulary and concepts!

3. ✨FREE✨ Pumpkin Life Cycle Cut + Paste Printable

Since many teachers requested a life cycles printable, I created this simple cut-and-paste activity as a perfect follow-up to a non-fiction read aloud about pumpkins! Students cut, sequence, and glue the stages of the pumpkin life cycle — making it both hands-on and a great way to reinforce comprehension.

Grab this freebie by clicking here or on the button below!

4. Slice the Pumpkins!

If your students love using scissors but need more practice with precision cutting (and let’s be honest, that’s most of them 😉), this activity is the perfect fit!

I’ve included a variety of pumpkin templates with different cutting lines, plus blank pumpkins for those who enjoy cutting “creatively.” Copy them on orange, white and green constructionn paper to mimic real pumpkins, and let the kids “slice” away!

✨ Bonus ideas:

• Laminate and reuse with dry erase markers for pre-writing practice
• Use the included Tracing Pumpkins page for extra fine motor and handwriting support, no prep required!

This activity is simple, hands-on, and a classroom favourite for building those essential scissor skills!

5. Trace the Vines

You asked, and I listened — more pre-writing printables! ✏️

Here’s a fun, pumpkin-themed way to build those early fine motor and handwriting skills!

Simply print, laminate, and set out with green dry erase markers to let your students trace the “vines” from the pumpkins. This activity helps strengthen fine motor muscles, improve pencil control, and get students ready for future writing tasks — all while tying in that seasonal fall fun! 🎃

✏️ 6. Uppercase & Lowercase Tracing Printables

Just print, laminate, and set out with dry erase markers for an easy-prep literacy centre your students can complete completely independently! 🙌

It’s such a simple setup, but trust me — they love these!

Add it to your writing centre with the trace the vines printables and the word chart/mini books (below) to have an option for all writers!

7. Pumpkin Words Chart and Mini Book

Thematic word charts are a staple in our room, and this Pumpkin Words Chart is a versatile tool that can be used in many ways:

• Students can use it to draw a pumpkin themed picture
• Students can draw and label a pumpkin word
• Students can use the chart to help them write a pumpkin sentence!

To extend the learning, I’ve included Pumpkin Mini Books with multiple versions so you can choose the one that best fits your class needs:

• ✏️ Tracing only
• ✏️ Printing only
• ✏️ Color/Trace/Print (with and without handwriting lines) + coloring picture

This flexibility makes it easy to differentiate and provide the right level of support for every student while reinforcing pumpkin-themed vocabulary!

8. Pumpkin Colour/Trace/Write the Room

Write the Room is always a class favorite, so I knew I had to include an pumpkin version in this pack! Since the pumpkin theme is often taught early in the school year, I designed this activity with multiple levels of support so all students can feel successful:

• Color the Room – for students still building fine motor strength
• Trace the Room – for those ready to trace letters with support (shown above)
• Write the Room – for students confident with printing

This flexibility makes it easy to differentiate and ensure every child participates meaningfully in this engaging literacy activity!

🍃 9. Connect the Letters

I loooove this one! These pumpkin letter and beginning sound cards can be used in so many ways, but my favourite is to punch a hole at the top of each pumpkin and have students connect the matching ones with “vines” — a.k.a. green linking chains!

This hands-on activity helps reinforce uppercase to lowercase matching, letter identification, and even beginning sounds when you add the picture cards. It’s engaging, self-directed, and such a fun way to sneak in fine motor practice too! ✏️

10. What Sight Words Do You See?

This is an oldie but a goodie! Since most of us aren’t teaching them as sight words anymore you can change it to heart words and write the heart words that your class has learned on the pumpkins instead! Set them out on tables with magnifying glasses and whiteboards and invite students to find and read the words and record them on the whiteboards!

If your class isn’t quite ready for heart words yet, you can easily adapt this centre for letters, numbers, or shapes instead. It’s hands-on, easy to differentiate, and always a hit during pumpkin season! 🍂

11. Can You Make a Sight Word Pumpkin Patch?

Here’s another one that my past classes loved (and can easily be adapted to a heart word, alphabet or number pumpkin patch!).

The sight word cards in the image are old, but if you want similar heart word cards with decodable sentences (that align with the UFLI S&S) you can find those here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Heart-Word-Flash-Cards-with-Simple-Decodable-Sentences-3021212

12. Fill the Wagons

These simple trace and build cards are perfect for your pumpkin-themed math centre! Students trace the numbers, then use loose parts like pumpkin gems (I got these pumpkin gems at Dollarama), pom poms, or play dough to fill each wagon with the matching number of “pumpkins.”

It’s a great way to reinforce number recognition, one-to-one correspondence, and fine motor skills all at once!

13. Pumpkin Pie Recipe Sensory Bin

If your students love pretend play, this centre will be a huge hit! 🧡

Students use the recipe cards to “bake” their own pumpkin pies by counting out the right number of ingredients (like scoops of pumpkin puree (rice dyed orange) cinnamon sticks, pom poms, or mini pumpkins). It’s a hands-on way to reinforce number recognition, one-to-one correspondence, and following directions.

I got the mini pie tins and pumpkin gems at Dollarama! If you have any food allergies and want to avoid using cinnamon sticks, you can also roll up brown construction paper to mimic them!

14. 2D Shape Hunt

This activity is just like Write the Room — but with a math twist! Simply tape the shape cards around the classroom and invite students to go on a hunt to find and record them.

Two recording sheet options are included so you can easily differentiate:

• ✏️ Colouring version – great for students still developing fine motor skills
• ✏️ Tracing version – for students ready to trace and refine their shape formation

This centre makes practicing shape recognition active, hands-on, and fun — and it’s always a class favourite!

15. Sort the Pumpkins

This colourful sensory bin is always a hit! Students use tongs or tweezers to pick up the pom poms and sort them into the matching coloured pumpkins. It’s a fantastic way to practice colour recognition, sorting, and fine motor skills all at once.

I filled my bin with black beans to make it look like the “pumpkins” were sitting in a pumpkin patch!

16. Pumpkin Patterning Cards

These simple and versatile cards are perfect for introducing and practicing patterns in a hands-on way! Students can extend AB, AAB, ABB, and ABC patterns, and you can add pom poms and tweezers for an extra fine motor boost.

For even more flexibility, a photo version is also included in the pumpkin pack — perfect if you prefer using real-life images alongside your manipulatives!

17. Can You Make a Maze for the Pumpkins?

I love STEM centres that help build skills like creativity, innovation, and problem-solving — and this one checks all the boxes!

Students were given paper or plastic plates, strips of green construction paper, and tape, then challenged to build a maze for the pumpkins (orange pom poms with green pipe cleaner stems). They experimented with how to make loops, adjust the size, and fix designs when their pumpkins wouldn’t fit through — all while collaborating and sharing ideas. 💡

We saved the finished mazes and let everyone try out each other’s creations during Friday centre time before sending them home. The pride and excitement were adorable!

All of the activities featured in this post are part of my Kindergarten Pumpkin Centres Pack — a fun, low-prep resource designed to help your students practice literacy, math, and fine motor skills in engaging, hands-on ways.

You can grab the full pack here on Teachers Pay Teachers and have everything ready to go for your pumpkin unit this fall or by clicking on the cover image below! 🎃

I hope these ideas help make your October centres a little easier to plan (and a lot more fun to teach). 💛 Wishing you a season full of pumpkins, play, and happy learners!