Pumpkin Play

Fall Play Ideas to Boost Your Child's Language Skills

Here’s to taking a fall tradition and adding a little language-learning to it!

how it works:

Gather your family, closest friends, or your community group. This is the perfect activity for a playdate or cozy night in with your favorite people!

Everyone bring a pumpkin! Real or fake. Big or Small. Orange or white. The choice is yours!
Whether you’re carving, painting, or decorating, infuse some language fun by incorporating these engaging ideas for your toddler.

Pumpkin Talk
Encourage your toddler to describe their pumpkin. Simple words like "big," "orange," "round," and "smooth" are perfect for building vocabulary.
Pumpkin Exploration
Let your little one explore the pumpkin’s texture. Words like "soft," "hard," "bumpy," and "cold" will help them associate sensations with new descriptive language.
Pumpkin Colors
Use the pumpkins to teach or review colors. For example, "This pumpkin is orange, and that one is green."
Pumpkin Shapes
Talk about the shape of the pumpkin. Highlight words like "round" or "circle" and compare the pumpkin's shape to everyday objects around the house.
Pumpkin Sizes
Introduce size concepts. You can say, "This pumpkin is bigger than your toy car but smaller than your stuffed animal."
Pumpkin Parts
Teach parts of the pumpkin like the stem, seeds, or even the ridges. Use sentences like, "This is the pumpkin's stem, and it’s on the top."
Pumpkin Counting
If you have multiple pumpkins, count them together. For example, "Let’s count the pumpkins! One, two, three… pumpkins!"
Pumpkin Descriptions
Ask your toddler to describe their pumpkin. Descriptive words like "happy," "funny," or "spooky" can inspire creativity and conversation.
Pumpkin Feelings
Use the pumpkin to explore emotions: "Does the pumpkin look happy or sad?" This helps children connect facial expressions with feelings.
Pumpkin Rhymes and Songs
Sing pumpkin-themed nursery rhymes like "Five Little Pumpkins" or "Pumpkin, Pumpkin." Repetitive songs are a fun way to reinforce language patterns.

Pro Tip:
You can use these ideas throughout the fall season! Whether you’re at a pumpkin patch, decorating for Halloween, or even trick-or-treating, simply name what you see and feel. This easy technique turns everyday activities into powerful language-learning moments.

Looking for more fall fun? CHECK OUT THESE RELATED POSTS:

AND don’t forget:

You can also download our free resources to continue building your child’s language, learning, and life skills—all through playful interactions.

You can also grab the Play Guide Bundle today for just $35! That’s less than $3 a month—cheaper than your morning latte—and it’s a total game changer for your entire year ahead.

Here’s to a fall filled with fun, learning, and memory-making!

Happy Fall, Friends!