We are celebrating the last week of our spooky month by dedicating an entire week to pumpkins! Learn more about these gorgeous gourds with daily STEAM Learning Lab lessons. Today we bring you two lessons: Mystical Fairy Houses and Pumpkin Bowling!

Pumpkin Fairy House
Ages 2 and up

Looking at their rounded shape and waterproof exterior, a pumpkin seems like a lovely place for a fairy(or some Legos, or some plastic dinosaurs or any tiny toy) to live. Since a pumpkin is a blank canvas it is easy to put windows or doors anywhere you, and the new occupants would like.

A pumpkin fairy house can also be a great chance to imagine what kind of fairies would want to live in your pumpkin. Why would they want to put windows and doors where your child carved windows and doors?  What is it like to live in your climate? This pumpkin house can be a fun chance to make up some fairy tales of your own. For more fairy tales, check out this fun book.

Materials:

  • Pumpkin
  • Carving set
  • Optional: Dollhouse items
  • Optional: battery-powered candle

Directions:

  1. What kind of fairies are going to live in your house? Plan out where they would like doors, windows etc. We recommend at least one large window if you want to place items inside the fairy house
  2. Carve your pumpkin, cleaning out the inside and adding doors and windows
  3. Add some comfortable furniture for your inhabitants! You can use toys or make your own furniture out of materials you find outside like twigs, stones and leaves

Pumpkin Bowling

All Ages

It’s time to get outside and enjoy the brisk fall weather! This game works great outside amidst the fallen leave, or even inside if that works better for you. The whole family can enjoy this fun, Halloween-themed game together. Just like in regular bowling, older (and bigger) family members can use larger pumpkins, while younger kids can use those cute mini pumpkins. Turn on some Monster Mash and you are all set!

Materials:

  • 6 rolls of toilet paper
  • A round pumpkin
  • Black marker

Directions:

  1. Draw ghost faces on all of the toilet paper rolls
  2. Stack toilet paper in 3 layers. The first layer should have 3 rolls, the second layer should have 2 rolls and the third layer should have 1 roll.
  3. Bowl with the pumpkin! Stand at least 6 feet away from the toilet paper rolls and roll the pumpkin along the ground (you can adjust this distance based on the age of the person bowling) 4. Whoever can knock over the most toilet paper rolls with the pumpkin wins!

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