Preschool Pumpkin Activity: A Creative and Collaborative Classroom Moment

Guest Post by Miss Maggie Stella (@teachingmissamy)

Hi Edumagicians,

I’m so excited to introduce you to Miss Maggie Stella, a preservice teacher at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Maggie is majoring in Early Grades Preparation and Special Education, and she’s been sharing her teaching journey on Instagram. Recently, she posted a super cute preschool pumpkin activity that caught my eye, and I just had to invite her to share more about it here. So without further ado, here’s Maggie (cue the applause)!

Inside the Preschool Pumpkin Activity

Hi everyone! I’m currently working at an Extended School Year program during the summer, which has helped me discover a deep passion for special education. I’m also taking a field course at Goddard Preschool every Monday and Wednesday, and recently I led a preschool pumpkin activity that turned out even better than I expected.

For this center activity, I had my preschoolers create their own Jack-O'-Lanterns using orange paper plates and pre-cut shapes. Each student chose shapes for the eyes and nose—options included squares, triangles, and circles—and identified them aloud to practice shape recognition. I provided a standard mouth shape for everyone to glue on, which kept the activity simple while still allowing for creativity.

My goal was to encourage students to create unique Jack-O'-Lanterns, and they absolutely did. One of the most heartwarming parts of the activity was seeing how eager they were to help each other. Their collaboration and excitement reminded me how much preschoolers absorb from our energy and enthusiasm.

Lessons Learned from a Simple Pumpkin Activity

While the activity was a success, I did face a few challenges. Students worked at different paces, and some needed more support than others. I learned to adapt my instructions and provide clearer guidance, which was a valuable takeaway for me as a future educator.

This preschool pumpkin activity taught me the importance of bringing energy into a lesson and being flexible with student needs. It was a joyful learning experience for everyone involved, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to lead it.

Connect with Dr. Sam Fecich

Want to keep the conversation going beyond the blog? I’d love to connect with you! Whether you're a future educator, a current teacher, or someone passionate about edtech and innovation in the classroom, there are plenty of ways to stay inspired and supported.

Discover Your Student Teacher Superpower. Take the free quiz: What’s Your Student Teacher Superpower? and uncover your unique strengths in the classroom!

Join the Conversation on Instagram. Tag me @sfecich with your thoughts and takeaways.

Remember, EDUmagicians...You have the EduMagic within you. Keep shining, keep growing, and keep making a difference.