Pumpkins Help Kindergartners With Math, Science, Language Skills

As part of Bronxville Elementary School’s annual fall tradition, kindergartners picked pumpkins from a pumpkin patch on school grounds before bringing them to their classrooms to closely examine and study them. They participated in hands-on activities that were designed to introduce them to different math, science and language arts concepts. 

“This is a favorite activity of the kindergarteners because they select their own pumpkins,” kindergarten teacher Janissa Wiles said. 

During the language arts lessons, the students built upon their language skills by describing and drawing their pumpkins and participating in fiction and nonfiction reading and writing activities. They also employed math skills to examine their pumpkins, including sorting them, measuring their weight, height and circumference, and recognizing their shape. Over the next month in their science classes with teacher Stephanie Kennedy, the students will test their pumpkins to learn if they float or sink in water and will dissect the pumpkins to learn about their components. 

“My favorite pumpkin activity is when the students share a surprised, happy shrill as they discover if the pumpkins sink or float,” kindergarten teacher Diane Murphy said. 

At the end of the lessons, the students take home a pumpkin study book, featuring photographs, drawings and writings from their classroom activities. The pumpkins were purchased for each kindergartner by the PTA and the pumpkin patch was made possible thanks to the help of parent volunteers who set up, decorated and ran the event.