Use those leftover pumpkins for science and math learning fun.
Don't throw them out! There are many simple and fun uses for a leftover pumpkin. Try filling a large tub with water and seeing if pumpkins float. Do they? Discuss why or why not.
Math and Measurements. Dry the pumpkins and have the students do some estimations. How heavy is the pumpkin? Now weigh the pumpkins and have the students compare the estimate and actual weights. Next have students estimate the size of the pumpkins girth. Give each child a piece of yarn as long as he thinks the middle of the pumpkin is. Then measure the pumpkin with a cloth seamstress' tape measure. Let the students compare their yarn pieces. Guess how many seeds the pumpkin contains? Guess, then count, placing the extracted seeds in piles of five foreasy counting.Next cut the pumpkins. Let the children hull out the seeds and count them. Compare estimates to actual counts.
Be sure to open some of the seeds and examine them. Compare and notice the sizes and difference in coloring. (The shell of the pumpkin seed is called the seed coat. The inside is the embryo, which sprouts when the seed is planted.)
Roast seeds for a snack! Separate the fibers from the seeds and lay the seeds on paper towels to dry. These may be baked on a cookie sheet covered with foil or in a glass baking pan. Mix 1 Tablespoon of butter and 1/2 tsp. salt for each one cup if seeds. Stir to coat. Bake at 350 degrees. Stir every ten minutes until browned.
Some of the students might try planting their seeds to see if they can grow a pumpkin vine. Dry and separate the seeds and save in a ziplock bag in the freezer until planting time. A pumpkin vine is too large to grow in a classroom environment or small garden plots. They need room. However, you may try sprouting some in a jar in the window.
Cook! Some of the pumpkin meat can be used for making small tarts or pies or for pumpkin bread. Here is a great site with all sorts of pumpkin recipes.
