Looking for educational fall activities for children? This adorable pumpkin size sorting printable is an easy hands on learning activity for preschool and kindergarten.
This is a great option for a no prep fall math center activity. Simple sorting games help kids develop important skills while engaging them in play.
Find out the benefits of sorting and the types of skills it helps kids work on then grab the free printable at the bottom of this post.
Repetition plays a crucial role in learning and mastering new skills, especially for young learners.
By repeating activities, children reinforce what they have learned, gradually improving their understanding and proficiency.
The beauty of this pumpkin sorting game is that it can be played over and over again, making learning an engaging and fun-filled process.
Altering themes according to seasons or holidays keeps this repetitive practice fresh and exciting.
It adds a festive touch to the lessons and makes the activity more appealing to children.
See all of our printable games for kids here and find more activities for the kids to do.
Benefits of the Pumpkin Size Sorting Activity
Our Pumpkin Size Sorting Activity is a fantastic tool for enhancing early math skills, specifically the crucial skill of sorting.
Sorting activities like this one help children develop observation and categorization skills. By comparing and grouping the pumpkins, they enhance their ability to recognize similarities and differences.
By sorting the cute pumpkins into three designated size mats—large, medium, and small—children intuitively begin to understand the concept of size comparison.
This hands-on activity not only fosters critical thinking as they determine which pumpkin fits on which mat, but also reinforces cognitive skills as they identify and group items based on their size.
Plus, the fun, fall-themed design keeps the learning process enjoyable and engaging, making this seasonal learning activity a perfect addition to any homeschool, classroom, or math center setup.
Printable Activities to Support Early Math Skills
Are you on the lookout for fun and engaging math activities that are perfect for preschool and kindergarten students? If so, you’re in luck! I’ve got a bunch of awesome ideas that you’re going to love.
Incorporating additional printable activities into your fall curriculum can significantly enhance early math skills for young learners.
These activities are designed to promote number recognition, counting proficiency, simple addition, and pattern matching in an engaging and interactive way.
By providing a variety of hands-on materials, children can explore mathematical concepts at their own pace, reinforcing their understanding through playful learning experiences.
Whether it’s through playful worksheets or manipulatives, these resources ensure that each child can develop a strong foundation in math while embracing the joy of learning during the fall season.
- Printable Fall Counting Mats 1-10
- Dinosaur Counting Game
- Froot Loops Counting and Matching Game
- Fall Counting Book Printable
- Cowboy Math Picture Puzzle Printables
- Princess Math Picture Puzzle Printables
Whether you try one or all of these activities, your preschool and kindergarten students are sure to have a blast while sharpening their math skills at the same time.
Free printable available at the end of this post.
Why is Sorting Important for Preschoolers and Kindergartners to Do?
By sorting the pumpkins and grouping them into different size categories (big, medium, small) they are using and strengthening their observation, logic, and reasoning skills.
They need to look at the different pumpkin tokens, compare them, and categorize them.
As children decide where each pumpkin belongs, they engage in critical thinking and problem-solving. This process strengthens their cognitive abilities and decision-making skills.
A fun addition to this activity would be to give them papers and crayons and see if they can draw their own big, medium, and small pumpkins, cut them out (smaller kids may need assistance), and sort them into the correct order.
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Legato Counting/Sorting BearsLearning Resources Veggie Farm Sorting SetLearning Resources Super Sorting PieWOOD CITY Toddler Fine Motor Skills Toys, Bee to Hive Matching Game
Is Sorting a Math Skill?
Sorting is an early math skill that is important for preschool and kindergarten children to work on.
Hands on sorting activities allow them to learn how to recognize similar objects and practice grouping them together.
This is important for building on math skills, such as grouping number sets, when they are older.
Developing a child’s sorting skills will help them recognize patterns and easily make matches. This becomes important for solving more complex math equations later.
Young children can also use these cut-outs to count and make simple number sentences. For example, how many small pumpkins are there?
If you put 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small together, how many pumpkins do you have? Encourage children to count as high as they can!
Encourage young artists to draw their own pumpkin sets to sort, injecting even more creativity into this math skill builder.
By doing this they can also work on fine motor skills by gripping a crayon, drawing, and, with help, using scissors to cut them into squares, circles, or triangles, which also works on shape recognition.
Can Toddlers Use the Pumpkin Size Sorting Activity?
Yes, toddlers can participate in the pumpkin size sorting activity.
They can work on sorting the pumpkins by size and also practice grouping the matching faces.
Since sorting is a skill that toddlers learn, this hands-on activity not only promotes fine motor skills and strategic thinking but also provides a valuable learning experience for them.
Toddlers and kindergartners can also use actual pumpkins, mirroring the big, medium, and small paper activity.
It can be fun for tiny hands to feel the rough or smooth skin, notice the real-life size differences, pick them up carefully (maybe with help), and move them into the correct order. Possibly a visit to the pumpkin patch is in order?
Related Post – 21 Fall Activities for Toddlers
What’s Included In the Printable Pumpkin Size Sorting Activity?
The printable activity includes three size mats and eighteen pumpkin cards. There are six pumpkins in each of the three sizes: large, medium, and small.
It is important to note that each pumpkin face has a large, medium, and small version. So children must look closely at all the pumpkins before sorting them into their correct category.
What do I Need to Do the Pumpkin Size Sorting Activity?
If you’re looking for a low prep activity for your fall math center, I highly recommend using a laminator machine to laminate the mats and tokens before playing.
This not only adds durability to the materials but also allows for repeated use in hands-on math centers.
To get started, you’ll need a printer to print out the free printable set, which you can receive by filling out the form at the end of this post.
If you’re homeschooling and using a lot of printable activities and worksheets, we recommend the Epson EcoTank printer for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Epson EcoTank ET-3760 Wireless Color All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank PrinterAmazon Basics 9-Inch Thermal Laminator Machine, WhiteIDekooror Photo Storage Box 5Scotch Brand PRO Thermal Laminator, Never Jam TechnologyBright Creations Rainbow Photo Storage BoxesFirbon A4 Paper Cutter 12 Inch Titanium Paper Trimmer
How to Play the Pumpkin Size Sorting Game
Our printable pumpkin sorting game is the perfect way to incorporate fall into big and small sorting activities.
There are three mats and each one is labeled with a size: Large, Medium, Small.
There are six sets of cute pumpkins with faces (not jack-o-lanterns). Each set includes a big, medium, and small pumpkin token. Cut these out ahead of time for a very low prep activity
Mix up the pumpkin tokens and ask your child to sort them by size onto the correct mat.
You can adjust the difficulty of this activity for toddlers and younger kids as needed. For example, you can lay out just the Large and Small mats and tokens to start with and then add in Medium later.
Additional Ways to Use the Pumpkin Size Sorting Printables
Beyond the classic sorting game, these charming pumpkin printables can be utilized in several innovative ways to make learning fun and engaging.
For instance, you could introduce an element of pattern matching to enhance the game’s complexity.
Each pumpkin face has a unique character, so invite the children to sort not just by size, but also by matching the pumpkin faces.
This adds an extra layer of visual discernment and cognitive challenge to the activity.
To further develop fine motor skills, consider turning the activity into a cut-and-paste worksheet. Children can cut out the pumpkins and paste them onto their respective size mats.
This hands-on approach can make the learning process more tactile and interactive, thereby reinforcing the size sorting concept.
Books About Pumpkins
Incorporating pumpkin picture books with this activity can further enrich the learning experience.
Children can discover fun facts about pumpkins and their growth process, thereby forging a deeper connection with the activity while fostering a love for reading.
Pumpkin Day! (Step into Reading)You’re My Little Pumpkin PieSeed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie (Picture the Seasons)Big PumpkinHow Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow?Biscuit Visits the Pumpkin Patch: A Fall and Halloween Book for Kids
More Fall Learning Activities for Kids
Incorporating the Pumpkin Size Sorting activity into a fall-themed unit study or a pumpkin unit along with other educational fall printables provides a learning-rich experience for kids.
Continue to strengthen their hands with these pumpkin fine motor mats. Preschoolers can trace a pumpkin, build one out of playdough, and use dot markers too.
These engaging activities can be wonderfully paired with other fall educational activities like making leaf rubbings, which can help children understand the changing seasons while nurturing their artistic abilities.
Plan an exciting preschool chemistry lesson with this bubbling pumpkin experiment. Kids will enjoy watching the vinegar and baking soda react!
An additional idea to consider is our Roll and Color Fall printable dice game. This game is not only fun but it also encourages number recognition skills.
Children roll the dice, identify the number shown, and then color in the corresponding number on fall-themed images, such as leaves and pumpkins.
This activity is a valuable addition to any fall-themed curriculum, making learning number recognition a delightful experience.
In Autumn Cut & Paste Workbook for Preschool: Fall Scissor Skills Activity Book12 Kits 3D Pumpkin Fall Leaf Wreath Craft KitFall Fine Motor Toys – 294P Fall Thanksgiving Counting Sorting Sensory Bin Filler Set24 Packs Fall Crown Craft Kits48 Sets Fall Craft Kits Fall Leaves Ornaments Decorations Art SetsI Spy Autumn Book for Kids
Easy Pumpkin Crafts for Preschoolers
Crafting also holds significant educational benefits for children, acting as an excellent extension activity that reinforces learning through creativity and hands-on exploration.
Create a 3D coffee filter pumpkin craft for an easy fall decoration. Kids will love watching the color blend in the coffee filter paper.
Work on fine motor and letter recognition with a simple pumpkin name craft.
Another easy project for kids of all ages is a tissue paper pumpkin suncatcher. Get the printable craft template in our set of fall tissue paper suncatcher crafts.
This parts of a pumpkin craft is a fun way for young children to learn and identify all the pieces of this fascinating gourd.
These craft activities not only boost fine motor skills and foster creativity, but also enhance the child’s understanding of the fall season and its associated elements.
These craft activities can be an engaging and insightful addition to any fall-themed curriculum.
So, whether it’s understanding sizes, recognizing patterns, practicing number recognition, or crafting, this fall season can be a time of exciting education and exploration for every child.
From the homeschool setting to the classroom, these seasonal learning activities offer a plethora of ways to make learning enjoyable and relevant to the season.
Darcy is the founder of “Life With Darcy and Brian,” where she combines her love for education, board games, and crafting to create engaging learning experiences for kids. Her creative projects and writing have been featured in outlets like The Toy Insider, CafeMom, Mom.com, Parents.com, Country Living, and The Pioneer Woman.
Anne
Sunday 29th of September 2024
Please send the pumpkin size sorting activity.
Darcy Zalewski
Wednesday 2nd of October 2024
Hi Anne, please fill out the form a little above the comments that says "get the free pumpkin size sorting printable" and it will be sent to your inbox to download and save.
Jan
Saturday 14th of September 2024
You share great activities that spark interest. Thank you!
Darcy Zalewski
Wednesday 18th of September 2024
Thank you so much, Jan! We love to engage kids in fun learning activities. :)
Thersa
Tuesday 10th of October 2023
Great activity.
Darcy Zalewski
Tuesday 10th of October 2023
Thank you, Thersa!
Carla Laberman
Friday 22nd of September 2023
Please send me the pumpkin size sorting printable. Thanks for this activity.
Darcy Zalewski
Friday 22nd of September 2023
Hi Carla, to receive the printable just enter your email address into the form near the end of the post. The activity will be emailed to you.