Its October! And since day one, my kiddos have asked me how many more days until Halloween. They were so excited to dress up, get candy, and turn our pumpkin into a jack o lantern.
Literally as we did the calendar on October 1st, someone shouted, “It’s Halloween!” My whole class went bonkers and it took a bit of time and a whole lot of counting the actual days until Halloween to calm them down.
In the midst of all that excitement, I had so much fun seeing those little kindergarten eyes sparkle as they told me about all their holiday plans. That was all it took to make it my mission to make this October the most fun ever in my classroom, despite all the deadlines I had.
But never fear, October fun is here!
Up first was carving a pumpkin to make a jack o lantern. There is soooo much learning, (YES! connected to state standards) in carving a pumpkin. We designed jack o lanterns, talked about shapes, voted, counted, and so much more in preparation for carving.
And once that pumpkin was carved, an opportunity to connect some serious writing and science popped up!
You may be familiar with the story of, Pumpkin Jack. If not a quick Google Search will give you all the information you could ever need, but in short, instead of throwing away your carved pumpkin, you put it inside a container and watch the decomposition. Hopefully, in the end, the pumpkin seeds will sprout and all of your students will be able to take home a pumpkin sprout!
So how do you manage all this while keeping the kids engaged and learning?
Here’s what I used to add so much writing and science practice to our pumpkin observations: the Pumpkin Jack-O-Lantern Observation Journal! This resource offers a perfect blend of seasonal fun and meaningful learning.
Here’s how it hits all the right notes:
- Keeps students engaged: This writing activity lets students observe and track a pumpkin as it decomposes over time. It’s hands-on, interactive, and gives them something they’ll actually be excited about—and you won’t have to fight for their attention!
- Offers holiday fun without the chaos: It gives the kids that Halloween-themed activity they’re craving without turning the classroom into total mayhem. Plus, it’s inclusive—there’s no pressure on kids to bring costumes or candy to participate.
- Supports learning goals: You’re still hitting those educational standards, with students practicing writing, observation skills, and critical thinking. It feels festive but stays educational and on track for first-quarter goals.
- Inclusive for all students: Since it’s focused on observing pumpkins, not Halloween-specific celebrations, even students who don’t celebrate can participate without feeling left out.
- Easy to implement: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to make this work. It’s a grab-and-go activity that’s simple to integrate into your busy day and ensures you’re balancing both the fun and the academic rigor.
Using this activity, you can bring some of that Halloween excitement into your classroom in a productive way, all while maintaining control of the classroom environment and sticking to your educational goals.
All the things!
- October can be chaotic as students are distracted by Halloween excitement.
- Teachers are juggling assessments, state standards, and holiday activities.
- The Pumpkin Jack-O-Lantern Observation Journal offers a solution by:
- Keeping students engaged with hands-on learning.
- Providing festive fun while staying aligned with educational goals.
- Including all students, even those who don’t celebrate Halloween.
- Offering an easy-to-implement activity that balances fun and rigor.
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