Pumpkin Prints

[30 Minutes]

Invite your child to explore a pumpkin and use pieces to create colorful prints!

You'll need:

• pieces of pumpkin • wet cloth or paper towel • shallow dish • tempera or powdered paint • water • paper • paint brush

What to do:

1. Cut pieces of a pumpkin shell into various shapes and sizes--or cut a design into the smooth outer surface of the pieces.
2. Make a paint pad for each color to be used.
3. For each paint pad, help your child fold a wet cloth or paper towel and place it in a shallow dish.
4. Let him sprinkle it with powdered paint or brush on tempera paint. A little water can be added if the paint pad dries.
5. Let him press a cut pumpkin piece into a paint pad and then down on paper to make one or more prints.
6. Pumpkin prints can be used for holiday wrapping paper, gift tags, or greeting cards.
7. Make patterns by using several shapes and repeating the design. Try patterns like big piece/small piece or rectangle/triangle/square and repeat the sequence.

Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.

• How do you paint with pumpkin pieces?
• What other things can you do with a pumpkin?

Useful information:

While you are having fun together, this activity helps your child develop small muscle skills, observational skills, and pre-math skills.