Craft StationsNo. 1750 · The 2026 edition
40+ Fun & Easy Fall Pumpkin Activities for Kids
Turn pumpkins into playtime with over 40 kid-friendly activities that skip the carving knife!
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at handsonaswegrow.com.
This collection offers more than 40 pumpkin-themed activities for children, focusing on learning, play, and decoration without carving. Includes science experiments, sensory bins using pumpkin insides, and creative craft ideas.
About this
A roundup of more than 40 pumpkin activities for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, gathered from around the blog world by Hands On As We Grow. The ideas are split into four groups: getting-started pumpkin play, learning activities with pumpkins, no-carve decorating ideas, and sensory play with pumpkin insides. Each entry names the activity and the blog it came from, giving parents a one-stop list for fall and Halloween fun.
The plan
- Pick a group to start with: the collection is organized into twelve pumpkin activities to get started, nine learning activities, fifteen non-carving decorating ideas, and six activities using pumpkin insides.
- Follow the named source blog for full instructions on each activity, since the page only links out to them.
- Choose activities suited to your child's age - ideas are pitched for preschoolers, with several suitable for toddlers and babies.
- Browse the related fall content linked at the end: 40 apple activities, 36 pumpkin crafts, 15 monster crafts, spider web crafts, 15 friendly ghost crafts, and 12+ Halloween activities.
Decoration ideas
- Painted Pumpkins, from Glued to My Crafts
- Monster Pumpkins for a silly scare
- Crayon Melt pumpkins, from Mom Spark
- Sparkle Pumpkin, from The Imagination Tree
- Button-decorated pumpkins, from Doodlecraft Blog
- Neon Dip Painted Pumpkins, from A Night Owl, works for real or fake pumpkins
- Drip Art Painting pumpkins, from The Imagination Tree, good for messy toddlers
- Foam & Feathers decorated pumpkins, from Tinkerlab
- Nail and Thread pumpkin designs, from Gift of Curiosity
- Mr. Pumpkin Man, mixing jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows
- Pumpkin Mummy Family, for the front porch
- Tape Resist Pumpkins, from Happy Little Messes, for no-carve designs
- Mod Podge Pumpkins, from Burlap & Blue
- Candy Faces, from Mommy's Bundle, using up extra candy
- Colorful Corn mosaic design, from CraftoArt
- Super Simple Sticker Pumpkin, from Beyond Mommying (from the image gallery)
Activities
- Wipe-able Pumpkins, from SandwichINK - a mess-free way to play
- Pumpkin Prints with paint, from The Little People Place (Fall Gourd Stamping)
- Pumpkin in a Pumpkin, idea from Life with Moore Babies - grow a pumpkin inside a pumpkin
- Play Dough Faces, from Teach Preschool, as an alternative to carving jack-o-lanterns
- Rolling Pumpkins Art, from Childhood Beckons - a fun, active way to create
- Hammering Pumpkins, from Preschool Powol Packets - a great motor activity
- Painting with Pumpkins, from How Long is this Hall? - makes unique art creations
- Drilling Luminary Holes with heavy tools, like This Old House
- Hammering Faces, from How Wee Learn - an extra-challenge version of hammering
- Pumpkin Sensory Tub, from Counting Coconuts - a simple intro to pumpkins
- Baby Pumpkin Exploration, from Teach Preschool (also credited to CanDo Kiddo)
- Pumpkin Bowling, from Wunder-Mom / Kid Friendly Things to Do
- Rotting Science Experiment, from Kids Activities Blog - investigates decomposition
- Pumpkin Seed Counting Puzzles, from I Can Teach My Child - mixes art with counting and problem solving
- Missing Number challenge, from The Preschool Toolbox Blog
- Pumpkin Sink or Float experiment, from The First Grade Parade
- Measuring Pumpkins, from What I Have Learned, to compare size
- Miniature Pumpkin Boats, from The Preschool Toolbox Blog - another sink-or-float experiment (also listed as DIY Mini Pumpkin Boats)
- Estimating and comparing pumpkin weight, from Math Wire / Inspiration Lab
- Complete Pumpkin Exploration station, from PreKinders
- DIY Simple Pumpkin Volcano, from Little Bins for Little Hands - a spooky experiment
- DIY Pumpkin Guts sensory activity, from Creative Connections for Kids
- DIY Real Pumpkin Slime, from Little Bins for Little Hands
- Mess-Free Pumpkin Guts Exploration, from Stir the Wonder
- Pumpkin Seed Sensory Bottle, from Modern Preschool
- Dyed Pumpkin Seeds, from The OT Toolbox - for sensory play and crafts
- Pumpkin Bathtime, from Busy Toddler (from the image gallery)
More photos
Photos hosted by handsonaswegrow.com.
