Don't you just love Fall? What is your favorite Fall family tradition?
One of our favorite Fall activities is visiting a pumpkin patch. Last week we took a fieldtrip to a local pumpkin patch called Uncle Shucks. To prepare for our fieldtrip I made this Pumpkin Journal Page for our homeschool group. Be sure to click the picture below to download your FREE copy!
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| FREE Pumpkin Journal Page. |
We had a good time on our fieldtrip, however we ended up learning more about corn than pumpkins. We took a guided tour of the corn maze where we learned 10 corn facts. Then we took a hayride along the Etowah River. Next an employee read a book to the kids called, "Tops and Bottoms." The kids not only learned about entrepreneurship and hard work but they also learned the difference between root vegetables and leaf vegetables.
Afterwards the kids had a blast feeding the goats, playing on the giant tractor tire playground and finding their way through the soybean maze. We also hit the corn maze again.
Though the trip was not what we really expected the kids had fun with their friends and did learn a few thing,s so that is all that matters.
On the way out each of the kids received a mini pumpkin and coloring book. The coloring book was packed with lots of great information which we have been reading over as we continue learning about pumpkins. I also plan to utilize the 3 "Cornference Classroom" materials on the Uncle Shucks website.
We also purchased a large pumpkin which we will be baking some goodies with this coming weekend. Check out all these yummy recipes on the Handbook of Nature Study blog.
Before I continue I want to give you a few quick tips which will hopefully help you make the best out of a fieldtrip that doesn't go as planned. It is important to try to make the most out of the fieldtrip no matter what, especially if it wasn't a free one. Even if you are disappointed chances are your children still had a blast and learned something too. Let them explore, touch, and ask as many questions as possible. Though we didn't get to learn much about pumpkins that day the kids can tell you how to tell difference between corn used for animal feed and corn used for human consumption. See they learned something! Remember the learning can continue when you get home, which is exactly what we did with the pumpkins!
Keep reading for some more pumpkin learning ideas!
10 Pumpkin Facts:
1) Pumpkins are a member of the gourd family, which includes cucumbers, honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon and zucchini.
2) Pumpkins are native to Central America and Mexico, but now grow on six continents.
3) The heaviest pumpkin weighed 1,810 lbs 8 oz and was presented at the Stillwater Harvest Fest in Minnesota in October 2010.
4) The top pumpkin production states are Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California. 90%-95% of the processed pumpkins are grown in Illinois. Morton, Illinois is the pumpkin capital of the world.
5) Pumpkin flowers are edible.
6) The word pumpkin originated from "pepon" – the Greek word for "large melon," somthing round and large. The French adapted the word to pompon which the British changed to pumpion. Later the American colonists changed that to the word we use today, "pumpkin."
7) Pumpkins are a fruit.
8) Pumpkins are 90% water.
9) Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them and made mats. They also used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine. Native Americans called pumpkins, "isqoutm squash."
10) Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.
This past weekend we picked up two more smaller pumpkins at my husbands Fall company picnic. So I let the kids make jack-o-lanterns out of those and do some hands on learning and exploring. They loved pulling out the pumpkin insides. As they cleaned out the pumpkins I had them examine the different textures, seeds, stem, skin, etc. The Handbook of Nature Study blog also has some great ideas for exploring pumpkins.
We watched this great video on YouTube....
Be sure to also snag these great pumpkin unit study ideas (most are FREE):
-Pumpkin patch writing prompts
-Pumpkin mini helper
-Life cycle of a pumpkin (mini-book) - almost free currently 15 cents
-Farmer Mike Grows A Giant Pumpkin story-time - YouTube
-Pumpkin math identify #5 and pumpkin counting - A+ Interactive Math
-In this Teacher Tube video we learned all about the life cycle of a pumpkin
-Fun pumpkin art project
Gwyn made a horse on her pumpkin and Rowyn made a silly face. The kids also painted the tiny pumpkins that we picked up at the pumpkin patch with acrylic paints. Don't they all look so cute?
Click here to read more "Fall Into Nature" posts from Schoolhouse Review Crew!
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32 comments:
Thanks for sharing this, Kathy! Sounds like a fun site. I look forward to finding out more about the blogging opportunities.
:)
did you know that pumpkin seeds are a natural anticoccidiant? (mind that's no use to you if you don't raise small livestock). :)
Awesome! I absolutely love pictures of kids with pumpkins! I'm pinning this to my (CarlaINHouston) Free Printables!! board!
We're going to the pumpkin patch tomorrow!
As a new homeschooler love this and your blog!
I'm pretty impressed with how much learning went on during that field trip. I also didn't know pumpkin flowers were edible!
Wow-- the cornmaze is amazing!!!
Looks like so much fun! Love the maze!
We love visiting a good pumpkin farm every year! This looks like so much fun!
I hadn't heard much about this before. Thanks for the extra info.
I think it is so cool that pumpkins are 90% water
How awesome! We have a pumpkin patch close by...I think this motivated me to do it Sat!
Great Giveaways! Love it
It looks like you had a great time!
Love this! I had no idea about some of these facts.
We visit the pumpkin patch every year and love it. This looks like so much fun.
Making the best of everything is a great lesson in itself!! Kids can always find a way to have fun.....love the corn maise!!
Looks like SO much fun and LOVE all the pumpkin facts!
We just took our kids to pumpkin patch too!
Sounds like you all had a great trip. I love pumpkin patches.
I had no idea that pumpkin flowers are edible or that they are 90% water. Thanks for all the cool facts!
We'll have to find a better patch to visit next year, but the kids had a blast anyway :)
wow! that's a lot of pumpkin fun. Every year I tell my self that I'm going to plant pumpkins but i never do. I'd rather go to the pumpkin patch anyway, much more fun
Aww it looks like a FUN place! I love pumpkin farms! Great facts too, I actually thought pumpkins were veggies :)
It sounds like you had a great time. I also liked reading all the pumpkin facts you shared.
Thanks for this! We're going to the pumpkin patch this weekend!
I have never been to a pumpkin patch so this was a nice read and I can tell that your little ones had fun.. and that is always great..
As always, AWESOME post! Thank you for the printable, it looks great!
Thanks for all the wonderful links and ideas! What a great study!
Sounds like a fun filled day! We are still looking to visit our corn maze/pumpkin patch. Thanks of the great homeschool resources. Great pumpkin facts too....didn't know that they are fruit! Who knew? lol
I had no idea that pumpkins were 90% water. Sounds like you had a fun day. By the picture of the corn maze it looked like it was huge. We haven't done the corn maze this year. Thanks for sharing all the wonderful links as well.
Wow, there's a lot about pumpkins I didn't know! The corn maze looks fun, I think we are going to try one this year.
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