What’s hiding inside a pumpkin?
A real pumpkin is one of the simplest ways to spark fall STEAM learning. Children can look, touch, smell, measure, predict, compare—and get their hands into all that wonderfully slimy pumpkin pulp!
Pair the hands-on exploration with our free Pumpkin Investigation Printable to help capture their discoveries along the way.
Invite Play
Start with a pumpkin and ask:
“What do you notice?”
Give children time to explore the outside before cutting it open. Offer simple tools such as magnifying glasses, linking cubes, or measuring links.
Then ask:
“What do you think is inside?”
Let children make their predictions before opening the pumpkin.
Observe Wonder
Now cut it open and investigate!
Let children look closely at the seeds and pulp, touch the different textures, and compare the inside with what they predicted.
Listen for the words they use: slimy, sticky, wet, stringy, smooth, bumpy.
Follow what catches their attention rather than trying to answer every pumpkin question at once.
Extend STEAM
Keep the investigation going with questions such as:
- “How could we measure our pumpkin?”
- “How many lines can you find?”
- “Do you think our pumpkin will float or sink?”
- “What else would you like to discover?”
One pumpkin can lead to science, math, measurement, sensory exploration, predictions, and plenty of preschool curiosity.
Get the Free Pumpkin Investigation Printable
Our free three-page Pumpkin Investigation Printable gives children space to record what they see, smell, feel, hear, and taste; investigate the inside and outside; measure their pumpkin; and make a float-or-sink prediction.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE PUMPKIN INVESTIGATION PRINTABLE
Want to keep exploring pumpkins?
Our Pumpkin STEAM Experience is filled with more hands-on ways to investigate, build, create, and discover with pumpkins.
EXPLORE THE PUMPKIN STEAM EXPERIENCE
Preschool STEAM Lab members: your Pumpkin STEAM experiences are already included inside the Lab.
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