Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere...

We wrapped up our gardening project this week. I am really enjoying having these project blocks to focus entirely on one theme or topic!

Fall is definitely on people's mind-- simply look at the amount of pumpkin-laced items at Trader Joe's! My first Autumn in California has been strange, and it still feels like summer to me, but I decided to embrace the fact that it is actually October and end our month long project with some pumpkin fun!

We did some brainstorming of adjectives to describe pumpkins, along with some things we already know about pumpkins.

 After that, we watched a video about the life cycle of a pumpkin:

 

 Since we were now experts on the life cycle of a pumpkin, we then practiced sequencing the events and making Pumpkin Life Cycle Mini Books!

Then came the fun part! Actually dissecting and examining our pumpkin!

 

We talked about some of the parts of the pumpkin we saw and identified their "scientific" names. Then, the kids filled out diagrams of the inside of a pumpkin.

 

 Unfortunately, I forgot to get a photo-- but we ended up toasting the seeds from the pumpkin for a special end of the day snack! We did one batch with salt and one without. The kids (and I) definitely preferred the salted seeds! Yummy!