Pumpkin themed lesson plans: free printable pumpkin stencils, STEAM activities, recipes and reading games

Hello my Omschooligans! Teacher Omi of the Omschool Tree Fort here with a whole harvest of pumpkin-themed fall lesson plans, craft projects, recipes and activities with pumpkins! I've got pumpkin math games, free printable pumpkin carving stencils for STEAM lessons, pumpkin snack crafts and science activities and more! 

🌍 A Message From Our Earth:

Pumpkin carving is lots of fun. But it also creates an enormous amount of food waste. In the US, around 1.5 billion pumpkins and gourds go in the trash. So keep reading for ways to enjoy pumpkin carving in more sustainable ways!

Pumpkin Carving STEAM Lesson Plans 

Carving pumpkins addresses a plethora of learning objectives, particularly for pre-K students. In a hands-on Montessori way, children learn eye-hand coordination, measurement, design, fine motor skills and even some basic drafting skills. Here are top websites offering extensive collections of free printable pumpkin carving stencils and patterns which you can use in the more sustainable carving alternatives, too. 

• The Pumpkin Lady: Features a library of nearly 1,000 free, handcrafted PDF stencils sorted across 16 categories, including classic jack-o'-lanterns, pop culture/celebrity portraits, animals, and faith-based designs.

• HGTV: Offers over 100 beginner- and kid-friendly templates, including dinosaurs, unicorns, haunted houses, and classic spooky shapes.

• Monday Mandala: Provides high-resolution PDF printables ranging from popular characters (like Bluey, Minecraft, and superheroes) to classic horror themes and simple shapes.

• Woman's Day: Includes a curated gallery of 60 free printable stencils with options ranging from simple faces to intricate fall-themed patterns like sunflowers and ravens.

• Homemade Gifts Made Easy: Features 75 printable PDF patterns organized by difficulty level, covering fairies, zombies, witches, and classic jack-o'-lantern expressions. 

Pumpkin carving tools you'll need

Check Amazon and Walmart for kid-friendly versions of cooking utensils. 

• Grapefruit knife. This is a paring knife with serrated edges on both sides. 
• Serrated grapefruit spoon. This spoon has a jagged edge along the top and makes gutting pumpkins easier.
• Vegetable peeler set. This is for paring down parts of the pumpkin skin to make contrasting color patterns. Look for parers/peelers with multiple functions. You might also use vegetable "stripers" such as those used in sushi prep. 
• Metal cookie cutters--the outline kind that are hollow in the middle. Flat plastic cookie cutters won't work to cut but can be used as templates. 
• hammer or wooden mallet (lightweight)
• large metal spoons for scraping insides and gutting pumpkin
• sturdy plastic knife for trimming off ragged edges. 
• medium pumpkin or gourd, one per person. 
• paper to design pumpkin pattern
• printable pumpkin patterns
• permanent marker or paint pen to draw designs 

To carve pumpkins with cookie cutters:

You can do this as a group project but it works better if each student has her own pumpkin. 

• Clean pumpkin.
• wipe outside and dry
• cut a circle around the stem to remove stem and slice off pithy part. Save this piece.
• gut pumpkin using grapefruit spoons and large metal spoons. 
• Have students design their pumpkin patterns or choose from one of the printable pumpkin stencils. 
• Align metal cookie cutter on pumpkin exterior.
• Gently tap edges of cookie cutter with hammer to press into pumpkin.
• Remove cutout piece.
• If cookie cutter doesn't go all the way through, use plastic knife to finish cutting along pattern lines, through to the inside. 
• Save pumpkin membrane and carved out pieces. 

To carve pumpkins with grapefruit knife and/or potato peeler:

• Print pumpkin stencil and cut out black parts (this is what you'll carve away)
• Trace printable pumpkin pattern on pumpkin using paint pen or permanent marker. 
• Use grapefruit knife to carefully carve out design.
• Or peel off top orange layer of pumpkin skin along design pattern. Yellow rind will show through.
• Use curved end to dig out small areas of pumpkin rind. The deeper you pare, the thinner the rind and the more light will show through.

🎃

Teacher Omi's Jack-o'-Lantern Carving Pro-Tips

Place a wax votive or battery-operated candle in your pumpkin and display!

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Remember when carving pumpkins:

• Work outside for easier cleanup and mess containment
• Supervise children using sharp tools
• Wear old clothing
• Leave pumpkin guts for squirrels

Sustainable Halloween Fun

The science behind Halloween unsustainability

In the United States alone, approximately 1 to 1.5 billion individual pumpkins and decorative gourds are grown each year specifically for carving, fall displays, and ornamental decoration. And most all go into landfills on Nov. 1. 

Key USDA & Agricultural Statistics:

• Total Annual Production: According to the USDA Economic Research Service, U.S. farmers harvest 1.44 to 1.58 billion pounds of pumpkins annually across nearly 69,000 acres. This translates to over 1.5 to 2 billion individual pumpkins.

• Fresh Market (Decorative) pumpkins vs. Processing (Canned):

  • Over 15,000 U.S. farms grow fresh-market decorative pumpkins, compared to fewer than 1,000 farms that grow processing pumpkins for food.

  • Outside of Illinois (which produces the majority of canned pumpkin puree), top-producing states like Indiana, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York produce almost exclusively fresh-market decorative pumpkins and ornamental gourds.

• Jack-o'-Lantern Specialties: Over 500 million pounds of Howden pumpkins—the standard orange jack-o'-lantern variety—are harvested every year solely for carving and decoration.

• Post-Holiday Waste: Because most decorative pumpkins are carved or left outside as porch decor, the vast majority end up in municipal waste streams or composting programs after Halloween rather than being eaten. 

  
  
  

Reusable Edible Alternative Carve-ables

In my world, food is grown to eat, not to decorate and discard. Here are some pumpkin and gourd alternatives to carve and then use in recipes! 

• Pie Pumpkins: these are smaller and can be carved using the peeler method. Or use removable  pumpkin stickers. Then after Trick-or-Treat, fully pare them and cook to make your own pumpkin pie ready puree. 
• Apple-lanterns: Using an apple corer, remove core and insert a solar candle. Solar is the way to go in sustainable outdoor lighting. Add little faces. After Halloween, rinse, cook down and make yummy Happylesauce! 
  🍏🎃

  Sugar-Free Halloween Happylesauce

  Naturally sweet, warm-spiced homemade applesauce—no added sugar needed! Perfect hands-on Omschool fall activity for all ages! 

  ⏱️ Prep: 15 mins🔥 Cook: 20 mins🥣 Yield: 4–6 servings

  🎃 Zero-Waste Halloween Tip: Perfect for turning post-Halloween "Apple-Lanterns" into a delicious treat! Just trim away any charred or candle-exposed bits, rinse well, and cook them down into fresh Happylesauce.

  Ingredients

  • 3 lbs sweet-tart to tart apples (such as Macintosh, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonamac), cored (from life as a Halloween decoration!) 
  • 1 cup water (or unsweetened apple juice)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ tsp ground cloves
  • ⅛ tsp ground allspice
  • Optional: fresh cranberries or raisins

  Instructions

  1. Prep Apples: Core and cut apples into 1-inch pieces. (Peeling is optional; leaving skins on adds extra color, fiber, and nutrients).
  2. Combine Ingredients: In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped apples, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Stir well.
  3. Simmer: Cover and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very soft and tender.
  4. Mill and mash: Remove from heat.
     • For Chunky Happylesauce: Press through an apple mill to remove skins
     • For smooth, blend till chunks are broken down. 
  5. Serve & Store: Enjoy warm or chill in the refrigerator. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
  6. Bonus Happy: Package in resealable containers decorated with pine cones or cinnamon sticks. Share with the neighbors! 
  
  
• Squash. Not all gourds are decorative. Most squash can be eaten. Look for butternut, buttercup, sweet dumpling and acorn squash. If you use for decorating, wipe them with a coating of oil to preserve. Acorn squash make the cutest little heart shaped jack-o-lanterns, carved with a tea light inside.  And then they make a yummy  dinner stuffed with sausage, apples and spices. 
• Turk's Turban Squash. Listing these separately because they actually look already like a face with a hat. All you have to do is carve out a little tope, insert your tea light, add some features and you have your jack-o-lantern. 
  
  
  
• Potatoes and sweet potatoes.
• Daikon radish. These long tubular radishes can be carved to look like ghosts and then eaten like mashed  potatoes. 
• Watermelon, honeydew or cantaloupe.  Not just for summer, melons can be cut down to the rind, to remove (and eat) the fruit, then carved as you would a pumpkin. 

Pumpkin themed snack crafts and treats

1. Clementine "Little Jack" Oranges

• Ingredients: Clementines or mandarins, black edible food marker (or permanent marker if peeling before eating).

• How to Make:

  1. Hand kids a clementine and an edible ink marker.

  2. Let them draw jack-o'-lantern faces—triangle eyes, toothy grins, or silly expressions—directly on the peel.

  3. Optionally, insert a tiny piece of celery stick into the top center to act as a pumpkin stem.

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2. Rice Krispie Treat Jack-o'-Lanterns

• Ingredients: Premade Rice Krispie treats (or a homemade batch dyed orange with food coloring), green M&Ms or green pull-and-peel licorice, mini chocolate chips or black decorating gel.

• How to Make:

  1. Have kids gently roll and shape a pre-made Rice Krispie treat into a round ball.

  2. Press a green M&M or a small piece of green licorice into the top for the stem.

  3. Use mini chocolate chips (pressed tip-down into the treat) or black decorating gel to construct eyes, nose, and a smile.

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3. Jack-o'-Lantern Rice Cake / Toast Smiles

• Ingredients: Rice cakes or toasted bread slices, orange spread (such as cheddar cheese spread, pumpkin butter, or cream cheese tinted with orange food dye), raisins, chocolate chips, or sliced olives.

• How to Make:

  1. Spread the orange topping evenly across the rice cake or toast to create a blank pumpkin canvas.

  2. Provide small bowls of toppings like raisins, chocolate chips, or olive slices.

  3. Let children arrange the toppings onto the spread to build custom jack-o'-lantern face features.

Free printable Halloween Puzzles and Word Games

🎃 Halloween Word Scramble 🎃

Unscramble the letters to reveal the Halloween words!

1. P M U P N I K — _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. S T O H G — _ _ _ _ _

3. C T W I H — _ _ _ _ _

4. Y A C D N — _ _ _ _ _

5. A C U L A R D — _ _ _ _ _ _ _

6. O S O P Y K — _ _ _ _ _ _

7. L A N T E R N — _ _ _ _ _ _ _

8. T C I R K — _ _ _ _ _

9. T A R E T — _ _ _ _ _

10. A C D O R U L N — _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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🔑 Answer Key

1. PUMPKIN

2. GHOST

3. WITCH

4. CANDY

5. DRACULA

6. SPOOKY

7. LANTERN

8. TRICK

9. TREAT

10. CAULDRON

Printable Fall Harvest Word Search

H  A  R  V  E  S  T  P  U  M  P  K  I  N

O  B  O  U  N  T  Y  A  P  P  L  E  S  M

S  C  A  R  E  C  R  O  W  G  S  F  E  A

U  F  A  L  L  S  Q  U  A  S  H  O  A  I

N  I  S  C  O  R  N  U  C  O  P  I  A  Z

F  E  P  I  E  I  C  I  D  E  R  T  O  E

L  L  A  E  Q  U  I  N  O  X  K  Y  S  L

O  D  R  A  K  E  L  E  A  V  E  S  U  E

W  E  T  C  A  R  T  R  I  D  E  B  N  A

E  R  O  R  C  H  A  R  D  P  I  C  K  S

R  S  O  U  R  A  K  E  T  R  E  E  S  T

Words to find: 

1. Trees
2. Rake
3. Wet
4. Orchard
5. Pick
6. Apples
7. Scarecrow
8. Bounty
9. Fall
10. Squash
11. Leaves
12. Cornucopia
13. Cider
14. Pie
15. Harvest
16. Bounty
17. Flower
18. Pumpkin
19. Field
20. Cart Ride

1. Pumpkin Chemical Eruption (Acid-Base Reaction)

Objective: Explore chemical reactions, gas production, and pressure by creating a foaming eruption inside a pumpkin shell.

Materials:

• 1 small to medium hollowed-out pumpkin (or carved jack-o'-lantern)

• ½ cup baking soda

• 1 cup white vinegar

• 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap

• 5–10 drops food coloring (orange, green, or red)

• Shallow tray or baking dish (to catch overflow)

Steps:

1. Prepare the Base: Place the hollowed pumpkin on a tray. Add ½ cup of baking soda directly to the bottom of the pumpkin.

2. Add the Foaming Agents: Stir in 1 tablespoon of dish soap and a few drops of food coloring into the baking soda.

3. Trigger the Eruption: Pour 1 cup of white vinegar directly into the pumpkin and watch the foam erupt out of the top and carved face features.

The Science:

This experiment demonstrates an acid-base reaction. Vinegar (acetic acid) reacts with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to create carbon dioxide gas ($CO_2$). The dish soap traps the escaping $CO_2$ gas, converting the rapid gas release into a thick, foaming eruption.

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2. Pumpkin-in-a-Pumpkin Germination (Plant Life Cycles & Decomposition)

Objective: Study seed germination and natural composting by transforming a fresh pumpkin into a self-sustaining pot.

Materials:

• 1 small pumpkin

• Potting soil

• Water

• Knife and spoon (for adult setup)

• Spray bottle

Steps:

1. Prep the Shell: Slice off the top off the pumpkin. Leave the seeds, pulp, and guts fully intact inside.

2. Fill with Soil: Fill the interior of the pumpkin with potting soil until it reaches about 1 inch below the rim, lightly covering the loose seeds inside.

3. Moisten and Place: Water the soil thoroughly until damp. Place the pumpkin in a sunny location indoors or outdoors.

4. Observe Growth: Water every 1–2 days with a spray bottle to keep the soil moist. Within 7 to 10 days, pumpkin seeds will begin sprouting through the soil.

The Science:

As the seeds absorb moisture and germinate, the inner flesh of the pumpkin gradually breaks down. Microorganisms decompose the organic pumpkin flesh, releasing essential nutrients (like nitrogen and potassium) directly into the soil to nourish the growing seedlings. Once the outer shell weakens, the entire pumpkin can be planted straight into a garden bed as a biodegradable pot.

Pumpkin Recycling and Composting

Here at the Omschool, we're all about sustainability, recycling and reducing food waste. I'd prefer we not carve them at all, or carve something reusable to eat. If you do carve a jack-o-lantern, consider doing it in such a way that it can be recycled or composted. Or, keep reading for pumpkin-alternative carve-ables. 

• Zoos, Wildlife Sanctuaries, & Nature Centers: Many local zoos, petting farms, and wildlife rehabilitation centers accept leftover pumpkins as nutritional treats or enrichment toys for animals like bears, tortoises, pigs, and deer. For example, institutions like the Detroit Zoo feature annual animal enrichment events, and smaller regional facilities often setup seasonal drop-off bins.

• Livestock Farms & Animal Sanctuaries: Local farms with pigs, goats, cows, sheep, or chickens frequently welcome pumpkin donations. Organizations like Pumpkins for Pigs maintain searchable national directories connecting residents with nearby farms and rescues.

• Municipal & Community Composting Programs: Many city public works departments, county conservation districts, and waste management authorities host post-Halloween drop-off sites or "Pumpkin Smash" collection events to keep organic waste out of landfills.

• Community Gardens & Urban Farms: Local community gardening groups and neighborhood urban agriculture projects accept whole or broken-down pumpkins to enrich their compost bins for spring soil preparation.

• Food Pantries & Food Rescues: If pumpkins are completely uncarved, undamaged, and of an edible culinary variety (such as pie pumpkins or sweet squash), local food banks and organizations like Pumpkins for the People redirect them to feed families in need.

Essential Drop-off Guidelines

• Remove All Non-Organic Materials: Ensure candles, wax, tea lights, toothpick structures, stickers, glitter, and plastic decorations are fully removed.

• Avoid Painted or Treated Pumpkins: Do not donate pumpkins decorated with paint, sealer, bleach, petroleum jelly, or chemicals, as these are toxic to animals and disrupt soil composting.

• Check Acceptability: Most animal organizations strictly accept uncarved pumpkins or only freshly carved jack-o'-lanterns without mold. Always confirm requirements or call ahead before dropping off.

Pumpkin STEAM activities

Pumpkin Counting Board Game

🎃 🌾

Pumpkin Patch Counting Adventure

Count your way from the Barn to the Harvest House! (Spaces 1 to 40)

START

2

3

4 🌾

5

6

7

8

16 🎃

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

17

18 🌾

19

20

21

22

23

24

32

31

30

29

28 🎃

27

26

25

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

FINISH

🌾 Scarecrow Spaces (4 & 18): Stop and count to 10 out loud! | 🎃 Seed Spaces (16 & 28): Take an extra bonus step!

Objective: Be the first player to travel from the Pumpkin Patch Entrance to the Harvest Barn while practicing counting and number recognition.

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Setup & Materials Needed

• Game Board: Print out the game board above.

• Game Tokens: Small pumpkin erasers, buttons, pennies or colored beads (one for each player).

• Dice / Spinner: 1 standard six-sided die (or a 1–3 number spinner for younger children).

• Counting Cards (Optional): Small cards with numbers 1 through 10 or dot patterns for extra practice.

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How to Play

1. Start: Each player places their token at the START space (Pumpkin Patch Entrance).

2. Take Turns: Players take turns rolling the die and counting out loud as they move their token forward that many spaces along the numbered track.

3. Special Spaces:

   • Pumpkin Tile (🎃): Count the total number of seeds on the space and take that many extra steps forward!

   • Scarecrow Tile (🌾): Stop and count to 10 out loud to keep the crows away.

   • Mud Puddle (🌧️): Lose 1 turn while washing off your boots.

4. Winning the Game: The first player to reach the FINISH (Harvest Barn) wins!

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Print & Play Variations

• Pre-K / Kindergarten: Use a 1–3 die or number cards so children focus on one-to-one correspondence for smaller numbers.

• Math Addition Challenge: Have players roll 2 dice, add the numbers together, and move that total number of spaces.

• Print and use this game board which has the numbers out of order. Children must identify which number should be next. This boosts higher order thinking skills of evaluation. 

Fall Harvest Story Time in the Omschool Tree Fort Book Corner

No Omschool lesson plans are complete without a bushel basket of books for story time! And no story time is complete without book-themed snacks. So here are fall and pumpkin themed books to share plus harvest-licious pumpkin cream cheese muffins kids can make themselves. 

🎃

Healthy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Moist, spiced, and naturally sweetened using applesauce or banana!

⏱️ Prep: 15 mins 🔥 Bake: 20 mins 🧁 Yield: 12 muffins

💡 Healthy Oil Swap: Replace traditional vegetable oil with an equal amount (½ cup) of unsweetened applesauce for a classic pumpkin spice taste, or mashed ripe banana for extra natural sweetness and moisture. 

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Swirl: 

• two 8 oz cream cheese packages, softened
• 1 cup sugar (or 1/2 c. maple syrup)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 stick softened butter
• dash of salt

Pumpkin Muffin Batter:

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon + ½ tsp nutmeg + ¼ tsp cloves)
• 2 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling) set aside 1/4 cup for frosting)
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce OR mashed ripe banana
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease with cooking spray.
2. Make Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Divide in half and set two bowls aside.
3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
4. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, applesauce (or mashed banana), brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fully combined.
5. Combine: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined (do not overmix).
6. Assemble & Swirl: Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups (about ¾ full). Spoon 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture on top of each. Use a toothpick to gently swirl the cream cheese into the batter.
7. Bake: Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before serving.
8. Decorate to look like pumpkin face. Color reserved half of cream cheese filling with canned pumpkin or orange food coloring. Arrange candy corn for eyes and nose and a smile of raisins or chocolate chips.  Use a Rollo candy for pumpkin stem. 

Kids Literature to enjoy with your muffins!

🎃 Pumpkins & Science

• Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell (Ages 4–8) — A young boy watches his carved jack-o'-lantern rot in the garden, sprout seeds in the spring, and grow brand new pumpkins by autumn. Ideal for science lessons on decomposition and plant life cycles.

• How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara (Ages 4–8) — A primary school class estimates and counts pumpkin seeds using skip-counting, estimation, and grouping. Great for STEAM and math activities.

• Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano (Ages 3–7) — A unique square pumpkin embraces his differences and saves the patch during an autumn storm.

• The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll (Ages 4–8) — Two mice secretly tend to the exact same pumpkin, learning to work together to raise a record-breaking giant.

• Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White (Ages 4–8) — When a truck spills pumpkins all over her yard, Rebecca transforms an accidental harvest into a festive community feast.

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🍂 Fall & Harvest

• Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (Ages 3–7) — Illustrated with real autumn leaf collages, this book follows the wind blowing leaf critters across fields, orchards, and pumpkin patches.

• Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak (Ages 4–8) — A young child walks through the woods and town, greeting the subtle signs of nature shifting from late summer into cool fall.

• The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger (Ages 4–8) — A gentle story about a lone yellow leaf finding the courage to let go of its branch as the season turns.

• Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson (Ages 3–7) — Fletcher the fox gets worried as his favorite tree loses its leaves, until winter brings a sparkling surprise.

• Apple Harvest by Calvin Harris (Ages 4–7) — A simple non-fiction book introducing young readers to how apples grow, get picked in the fall, and get turned into treats like cider and applesauce.

• Stick Man by Julia Donaldson (Ages 3–7) — Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children, but gets blown away and carried off on a long autumn journey as dogs, swans, and humans try to use him as a twig. 

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👻 Halloween & Trick-or-Treating

• The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams (Ages 3–7) — A classic cumulative read-aloud with interactive sound effects (CLOMP, SHAKE, CLAP) as spooky clothing items follow a brave woman through the woods.

• Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman (Ages 3–8) — A witch grows a pumpkin so massive she can't pull it off the vine, requiring teamwork with a ghost, vampire, mummy, and a clever bat.

• Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson (Ages 3–7) — A friendly witch invites a dog, bird, and frog onto her broomstick, and her new friends band together when a dragon appears.

• Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds (Ages 4–8) — A humorous, mildly spooky tale about Jasper Rabbit, who suspects the carrots he's been harvesting from Crackenhopper Field are following him around.

• Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O'Connell (Ages 3–6) — A playful countdown book where a witch tries to scare ten ghosts out of her haunted house, but the ghosts figure out a trick of their own.

© Omschool Tree Fort

All lesson plans and activities are property of the Omschool and lovingly shared for non-profit educational use and homeschool families. Thank you for respecting that.  💞🥰 Teacher Omi

Recycle bin cardboard puppet crafts with free printable puppet patterns

Hello my friends of the Omschool (that's Omi or grama school). Raise your hand if you're sick of winter? With all the snow days in cold regions, stuck-at-home kids can get pretty bored. Well, hang on because Teacher Omi has some recycle bin cardboard crafts for kids. Use these lesson plans for Earth Month, right around the corner. Today we'll make a recycled cardboard puppet theater and and homemade puppets from all from your recycle bin! Children of all ages will love making homemade puppets and a cardboard puppet theater. Then they can write puppet plays and act them out. Homeschoolers will love these crafts because even the youngest learners can participate! 

I've included links for free printable puppets (this one takes you to Picklebums; it's that a cute name?)

First School has free printable paper bag puppet patterns here. 

DIY Craftsy has a bunch more paper bag puppet printables. 

Visit Activity Village for all kinds of free printable puppet patterns including seasonal, holiday, animal and themed puppets. 

PJs and Paint (another adorable name!) has free printable paper puppet templates. 

To make the homemade cardboard puppets, you will need: 

 4-6 brads (also called paper fasteners) per child 

narrow hole paper punch

 stapler 

assortment of recycled cardboard scraps in many shapes, sizes and patterns. You can use scraps from other recycled cardboard crafts and projects. There should be some plain geometric shapes and also some more complicated shapes. Each piece should be no larger than 6-8 inches in diameter and no smaller than two inches or so in diameter. There should be long, thin shapes as well as broader shapes.

inch-wide strips of cardboard (keep separate from assorted ones) for moving puppets

decorations: (these are all optional; use whatever you have available) wallpaper sample books, recycled bin paper scraps--gift wrapping paper scraps, tissue paper scraps, recycle bin construction paper scraps. recycled paper tubes, ribbon, crepe paper and yarn scraps, faux feathers and gems, glitter or glitter glue, buttons, silk flowers, pipe cleaners 

markers, paint  or crayons

Procedure to make homemade puppets. Children will assemble a puppet from found pieces of cardboard. Found means children must use recycled cardboard scraps as they are, no cutting or reshaping. The idea is to assemble puppets using whatever is available. Puppets may represent people, animals, fantasy creatures, aliens or even non-living things like vehicles. Our youngest son loved construction vehicles and made his puppet a personified "scooper-upper truck" (power shovel). 

Kids should lay out pieces recycle bin puppets before assembling. Puppets should have at least two body parts, preferably 3-5. Cover or decorate each individual piece before assembling homemade puppets. Children may trace and cut paper to fit puppet pieces and glue paper on. They may paint or color puppet pieces. Feathers, gems, flowers or other embellishments should be attached after puppets are assembled. 

 Assemble puppets in this way: Attach moving parts--arms, tail, head, legs--with brads. Punch holes through the fixed and moving part of cardboard. Push fastener through and fold metal prongs back. Attach stationary parts with tape or stapler. Attach embellishments with stapler, glue or tape. Attach two recycled cardboard strips, sticks or rulers to use as handles to move the puppet. 

For very little ones, make puppets as high chair crafts. Let them select pieces and decorations. An older child can assemble them and let the littles decorate with crayons and glue stick for decorations. 

Children should work together in groups to create a story using incorporating each of their homemade puppets into the plot. They might even create invitations and advertising posters for their play. 

Make a simple puppet theater cardboard crafts for kids from a large refrigerator box. Cut a closable flap window. Kids get inside cardboard puppet theater and animate their homemade puppets in the window. When finished store puppets in the box and close the flap. You can also make smaller puppet theater crafts for kids by cutting open a cardboard box. Stand box on table and have children stand on chair behind puppet theater. Stay tuned for more recycle bin cardboard crafts for kids. 

Free printable snowflake patterns for winter science lesson plans

 Good morning! Teacher Omi (grandma) on this lovely winter day! We were just hit with a massive blizzard and it reminded me that when I homeschooled our kids, the weather and seasons played a big part in our lesson plans. Here are free printable snowflake patterns to extend winter science lesson plans! 

First Palette has long been a favorite for free printables, activities and lesson plans. This site offers free printable snowflake patterns and templates for snowflakes to cut. Use these to explore crystals, three forms of matter (solid, liquid, gas), fraction math and weather lesson plans. 

When I was a kid, we learned to cut snowflakes by folding paper. A snowflake crystal always has six sides. To create that, you need a perfect square piece of paper. And to create that from 8x11 paper, fold in half and then half again (quarters). Then without creasing, fold again, into 8ths and cut the excess off. Now open the paper and fold diagonally to form a triangle and then in half again so the points of the triangle meet. Now fold both sides half way in, so they overlap and cut off the excess. 

What you are left with is 12 sections, folded in on each others. Keeping that folded, make any cuts you like but don't cut all the way through. You can cut the center point to make an open pattern. Whatever cuts you make will be repeated 6 times. The snowflake pattern is achieved when the 12 sections are divided into six repeated sets of two each. 

You can do the same design folding the paper into 8ths. You'll still have 12 sections only this time, the pattern will be repeated four times instead of three (or six). It won't be a  snowflake but it will be very pretty. And you can teach fraction math and also the factors of 12: 1, 2,3,4, 6 and 12. You can also teach symmetry (mirror images) by showing how, when you open the snowflake pattern, the repeated patterns are facing each other, exactly the same but opposite. 

Lesson plans using recycled plastic Easter eggs and egg cartons

  I love repurposing and reusing stuff from my recycle bin in new and creative ways, especially as lesson plans. Recently, my one-year-old grandson has been discovering the fun playing with empty recycled plastic Easter eggs. This has inspired me to design hands-on activities, lesson plans and games using recycled plastic Easter eggs and egg cartons. I've includes some free printable activities to supplement. 

With Easter coming up, there will be many activities involving plastic Easter eggs: candy hunts, Easter crafts, etc. You might be tempted to throw them away, after use, but don't. There are so many educational activities to use recycled plastic Easter eggs. Save Styrofoam egg cartons as well. 

I blogged in an earlier post about using plastic eggs and egg cartons from the recycle bin as preschool learning center math, sorting and fine motor activities. The good news for homeschoolers is that these make great toddler high chair activities too. Activities are easily adjustable to age. My grandkids Juno and Emmett who are 1, love stacking or "nesting" plastic egg halves, just like blocks. We work on placing eggs in egg cartons, to practice eye hand coordination, puzzle skills and fine motor. 

Challenge kids fine motor skills in egg assembly activities. The plain colored recycled plastic eggs are easier than the shaped ones like the ice cream ones shown in the picture which can be a little tricky. But it's important for development that some tasks be difficult, especially for special needs and students with autism. We teach to fear failure and frustration when we make things too easy, or do it for them. Children need challenges, to have to work at something and to try new approaches, to learn patience, perseverance and vital problem solving skills. 

Use assembled Easter eggs in science learning centers and preschool sand and water table to explore water displacement and floatation concepts. Give toddlers scooping tools to practice fine and gross motor skills in high chair activities. Special needs students will love "fishing" for Easter eggs too! 

Have kids "hide" little items or non-messy foods in recycled plastic Easter eggs. Or hide them yourself and have students predict what's inside. This teaches math skills of size estimation. 

Sort eggs in egg cartons, by color or design. Last year, when my husband and I visited our grandkids, we brought each child a set of individualized themed Easter eggs (dinosaurs, fish, desserts, sports balls and insects). Then we played an Easter egg hunt game in which each child had to find eggs in his pattern. The 3-year-olds, Lucian and Milo, were able to identify eggs that belonged in their pattern. And Ezra, who was almost two, was able to find his fishy Easter eggs by their color. Extend pattern lesson plans with free printable animal dominoes. 

Do an Easter egg hunt, using recycled egg cartons to place found eggs. Each child brings a dozen and finds a dozen. Once her 12 spaces are filled she "wins." A homeschool mom friend of my oldest daughter came up with genius plan. It prevents kids taking too many eggs and best of all teaches math skills. Have older kids group their eggs by two, three, four and six, to learn skip counting, multiplying and dividing. Reinforce with these free printable math flash cards. 

For more hands-on lesson plans and recycle bin activities stay tuned to this blog. 

Medieval history lessons plans: Cardboard castle crafts, princess crafts with printables

I am a self-avowed history fanatic, particularly the medieval period. I also love things princess. And being a teacher, homeschool mom, education blogger and now Omi (gramma), I'm always looking to create hands-on lesson plans.  To that end, here's a guide to making recycled cardboard castle crafts with free printables. Use these are recycled cardboard crafts for kids in many cross-curricular lessons: preschool learning center activities, theater and dress up fun, arts and crafts, STEM and history lesson plans. These medieval crafts include a homemade cardboard castle, costumes and props. Homeschool parents, I promise ways to engage all ages, from baby to teen! 

(Materials are noted in BOLD CAPS within the how-to guide)

1) Make cardboard castle walls. Cut open two large RECYCLED CARDBOARD REFRIGERATOR BOXES along one long side. TAPE (duct tape works best as it resembles grey stone) two boxes together to make an octagon castle "keep." Measure, draw out and cut cardboard castle battlements (great STEM activities). History note: Castle walls had a series of crenellations and merlons (squared edge thingies) along the top. Tim's Printables has free printable recycled cardboard castle patterns for medieval crafts and castle design ideas. Cut cardboard castle keep windows: Draw a four-pane window and cut openings for the princess to look out of. 

2) Decorate recycled cardboard castle. Draw in bricks and family crest to make these medieval crafts for kids look really authentic! For more STEM fun, make moat and drawbridge. Cut drawbridge opening in the side of cardboard castle. Attach YARN or ROPE to both sides of to lower and raise drawbridge. Cut holes in the top to tie drawbridge closed when the royal inhabitants aren't receiving company. Place BLUE BLANKETS around the outside for the castle moat. Fill with STUFFED ANIMALS dragons, fish, alligators and other aquatic creatures. Add some PLANTS to make it more realistic and discuss wetland habitat science. Toddlers and preschoolers can take on the job of gathering and arranging flora and fauna.  

3) Make flags for cardboard castle. Aristocrats and nobles in medieval times had a coat-of-arms or family crest that symbolized their lineage. The design and display of a coat-of-arms is known as heraldry. A coat-of-arms was placed on banners flown when the family was in residence. Banners were carried on standards into battles. Have kids design their royal family crest. Here are free printable heraldry patterns and stencils for medieval crafts for kids. Make banners on  SCRAP FABRIC SQUARES CUT FROM OLD BED SHEETS OR TOWELS. Attach to YARD STICK OR HOT DOG STICK. Draw or paint family crest using MARKERS OR FABRIC PAINT. Older kids can make these as history lesson plans. 

4) Make secret entrances for your recycled cardboard castle (my grandkids favorite part!)  Line chairs up to make a crawl-through tunnel entrance into castle. Drape sheets, blankets and bed linens over tunnel. Establish cardboard castle dungeon. Make a parapet (walkway) by placing several chairs or a bench along the inside edge of the castle. Soldiers keep lookout here and send prisoners to sit under the chairs in the dungeon sit under bench. Fashion a turret. Put a collapsible net laundry hamper upside down on a chair inside the castle. Children crawl into hamper and onto chair to look out of the turret. These are perfect jobs for youngers. They will love exploring, arranging and guarding the cardboard castle as part of their dramatic play learning center activities. 

5) Outfit your royals. Haul out the DRESS UP BIN and collect OLD TOWELS, BED SHEETS AND BLANKETS. Donate JUNK JEWELRY and OLD FANCY DRESS. Make recycled cardboard crown crafts for the princess with these free printable crowns from First-Palette. Use this guide to make a suit of armor cardboard crafts for a knight. More STEM lesson plans! 

6) Equip the keep. The keep is the living area of a castle. Let kids fill their cardboard castle keep with snacks, blankets, pillows, coloring supplies, books and pets. When the novelty of guarding the castle wears off, kids can use it as a cozy play fort. Set your homemade castle up in a place where it can be left up for other rainy day fun or make it convertible to go outdoors on nice days!

Stay tuned for more medieval crafts! Picture is courtesy of Free Coat of Arms (couldn't find my last name, alas!)