Most of America will be having fun decorating and carving pumpkins for Halloween – one of our favorites! But how can we use it to our fullest advantage, since we are doing these fun activities anyways? This is how we make the most out of pumpkin carving!
Give the kiddos time to warm up: both physically and emotionally. Don’t give in too soon if they don’t jump in right away. As you can see, our two year old was not a huge fan…at first… but she moved through her stages fairly quickly:
1)Mind is blown! What the HECK are we doing right now? I am having so many thoughts right now.
2) I’m not doing this. I want no part of this. Nope. I have made up my mind. Decision making skills in use.
3) NO. I SAID NO. JUST NO. We’re done here. I’m exercising my rather stubborn personality.
4) Why are we still doing this? Why do Mom and Dad insist on me trying new things? Ugh! I better get used to that, I suppose.
Sensory Activity! (Finally)
It’s around stage 5 that she’s ready to cautiously dive in. Let the kiddos dig in the pumpkins or put seeds and slimy filling in front of them to squeeze, pull, rip, “organize”, make pictures with it, or anything they might think of. Maybe even taste it! They probably won’t like it, but hey, it’s yet another learning experience!
Why sensory? What’s the big deal? It engages your little one’s senses: touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. Sensory activities promotes exploration and naturally encourage kids to use scientific processes while they play, create, and explore.
Even at this point, she wasn’t a HUGE fan. I added a bowl of water so that she could clean the seeds and it was ‘Game On’ from here. It took away a little of the slime factor yet added an additional sensory play experience. Nailed it!
And the pumpkin adventure has come full circle: from picking the family’s pumpkin at the farm to cleaning and carving, and eventually added to the Halloween decor. Another family tradition in the books!
Happy creating! XO
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