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Pumpkin Math: How Many Segments?

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Time for some Halloween S.T.E.A.M.!  Fall is such a fun time to get creative with learning. I love pumpkins and wanted to do a little bit of pumpkin math plus art today!   I am participating in the Virtual Book Club this month. The book we are focusing on is 5 Little Pumpkins by Dan Yaccarino. See more pumpkin ideas at the end of the post.

pumpkin-fractions-halloween-math

Pumpkin Math

To do this pumpkin math activity, I used small pumpkins, but any size will do!  This could be adapted for little kids or older kids easily. We decided to see how many different segments a pumpkin has. We counted them by sticking in a tack. To make it more fun (and add a little extra learning), we made patterns with them.

pumpkin-math

I found these googly eye tacks a while ago at the dollar store, I think. Aren’t they adorable?

pumpkin-counting-and-patterns

Then I had the kids paint the stripes down the different sections of the pumpkins. They followed the patterns of the tacks they pushed in along the top of the pumpkin.

pumpkin-halloween-math-patterns-counting-fractions

Pumpkin Fractions

To adapt it a bit for my older kids, I made it into a fraction lesson.  With a, 2-color pattern half of them were white and half of them were green.  With a 3-color pattern, it divided them into thirds (not quite evenly). I only got two pumpkins for my kids, but you could keep going with this and do lots of different fractions.

pumpkin-pattern-math

The fun thing about this activity is that it teaches several math skills, and is adaptable for many ages. Plus, there is pain involved!  Adding an art element always makes my kids happy!

Want more pumpkin learning ideas from the Virtual Book Club team? Check out some of these:

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds With Kids: A Five Senses Experience – To Be a Kid Again

Preschool Pumpkin Skin Experiment – Preschool Powol Packets

Easy Colorful Mosaic Pumpkins for Kids- Toddler Approved

5 Little Pumpkins Fine Motor Busy Bag – Views From a Step Stool

Retelling with Finger Puppets – Chickadee Lit

Pumpkin Suncatchers – Clare’s Little Tots

Make a Felt Pumpkin Face – Mama Smiles

Free Printable Pumpkin Shape Puzzles- School time Snippets

Pumpkin Light Box Letter Formation – Adventures of Adam

STEAM Kids Halloween

 

Also be sure to check out our Halloween STEAM book!

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One Comment

  1. As a math educator I worry when I see 20 segments 3 colors 1/3 are black, 1/3 are blue and 1/3 are orange and then see you toss it off as “not quite”. There are a lot of parents out there, I assume, using your stuff, to to make such a BIG mistake is really unforgivable. Please fix it by talking with parents about what to do when the pattern doesn’t divide out evenly.

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