Add the pumpkin seed counting book to your classroom printable books this fall. It’s perfect during a pumpkin theme or after you’ve taken a field trip to the pumpkin patch.
Incorporate the counting pumpkin seeds printable book into your kindergarten, pre-k, or preschool pumpkin activities during the fall. Use the book to explore important early math skills while practicing early literacy concepts with your students.
Keep in mind that you don’t just have to use this as an emergent reader, either! You can easily take the printable and turn it into pumpkin seed counting mats for your math centers.
Related: Free Preschool Printables
You can grab your own copy of the pumpkin seeds printable book at the bottom of this post. Please note that it actually comes with TWO emergent readers! One is in color, while the other is black-and-white.
Pumpkin Seed Counting Book
There are a variety of ways you can use this printable with your students. Read below for tips for prepping the book, as well as ideas for incorporating the pumpkin seed counting printable into your classroom.
Related: Number Activities for Preschoolers
Keep in mind that you don’t have to use it the same way I did. You and your students might come up with a new idea for the printable, and that is more than fine!
How to Prep the Counting Pumpkin Seeds Printable Book
First, grab the materials you need for getting the book ready to go. Here’s what we used (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
Yes, that’s it! You really don’t need much to get the pumpkin seed counting book ready for your students. Once you have the basics ready, why not grab a few additional materials to use with the book, such as:
- Crayons
- Markers
- Small yellow and/or orange pompoms
- Orange and/or yellow pony beads
- Real pumpkin seeds
- Play dough
Then it’s time to put the emergent reader together! I specifically design most of my printable books so that you just have to print, fold, and staple. Here’s a short video that shows exactly what to do:
Basically, you need to print the pages out. Then fold them in half down the middle, keeping the text and images on the outside. Next, arrange the pages in the appropriate order with the folded sides on the right. Finally, staple along the left side.
Of course, if you’d rather cut the pages in half and then staple the book together that way, that’s fine. Whatever you find works best for you.
Using the Pumpkin Seed Counting Book with Kids
I think this book is best used once the kids have had the chance to explore the inside of a real pumpkin. That way, they have some familiarity with pumpkin seeds ahead of time.
As I already mentioned, the free printable actually comes with two versions of the book – one color and one black-and-white. Here’s what to do if using the black-and-white version with the kids:
- When you’re ready, call a small group of children over to you. Explain that they get to be illustrators of a book all about counting pumpkin seeds.
- Walk through the pages of the book with your students, pointing out words and letters they know. Be sure to highlight the high frequency words I and can, and have the kids help you find all of the numbers.
- Then let the children start coloring in their books. Depending on the ages and needs of your students, the coloring process can take one day or more. I suggest that you let the kids go at their own paces, even if that means it takes multiple days. Or consider adjusting the books so they only go up to 5 (instead of 10).
Have your students use crayons, markers, or colored pencils to color in the illustrations. I find crayons to work best, but you can change things up if you want. If you want to get really fancy, have the children dip their fingertips into washable ink pads and dot them over the pumpkin seeds. Something a little different to engage the kids.
When the books are done, be sure to read through them together. Model how to point and read each word. Be sure to keep the books to reread, too!
Other Ways to Use the Counting Pumpkin Seeds Book
You can also use the color version of the pumpkin seed counting book with your students! If you’d rather they each have a color version, go for it. Or just keep the color book as your own copy to read to and with the kids.
Here are a few more ideas for the printable:
- Make your own pumpkin seed counting mats! Simply cut the pages of the color version right down the middle. Laminate each of the mini pages or place them in dry erase pockets. Then place them in your math center! Kids can add manipulatives, loose parts, real pumpkin seeds, or play dough over the illustrated pumpkin seeds. Encourage the children to touch and count each seed.
- Turn the counting pumpkin seeds printable into a pocket chart activity. Write the words on sentence strips and add them to your pocket chart. Cut the images out of the book and laminate them. Then place the images next to the words in the chart. Have your kids practice reading the words and matching the illustrations to the correct words.
- Turn the printable into a number formation activity. To do so, make the book into individual number mats (with or without the words – your choice). Then pair the mats with dry erase markers. Have the kids write numbers directly on the mats or on small white boards.
- Or pair the pages with a pumpkin-themed sensory writing tray. Fill a shallow tray with orange sand, salt, or sugar. Have kids use their fingers to write the corresponding numbers in the sensory base. Then challenge the kids to trace over that number with real pumpkin seeds.
As you can see, there are MANY ways to practice math and literacy with this simple printable. How will you use the pumpkin seed counting book with your students? Don’t forget to grab your copy at the bottom of the post.
What Skills are Being Practiced?
Just in case you were wondering, I wanted to outline the various early learning skills kids are practicing with the counting pumpkin seeds printable:
- High frequency words
- Left-to-right, top-to-bottom directionality
- Basic book handling skills
- Number identification
- Counting
- One-to-one correspondence
- Subitizing
- Number formation
- Fine motor skills
As you can see, the pumpkin seed counting book printable really packs a punch when it comes to learning!
More Pumpkin Seed Activities for Kids
We are really big fans of pumpkin seeds around here! I know many people like to taste test them, and I am all for that. But if you end up with TONS of extra pumpkin seeds, as I have some years, you can use them for even more. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Pumpkin Seed Art (we especially loved making a fall tree)
- Making Ten with Pumpkin Seeds
- Pumpkin Seed Name Activity
- Counting Game and Pumpkin Seed Craft
- Pumpkin Seed Slime
- Pumpkin Seed Shape Mats
- Christmas Tree Art (with dyed pumpkin seed “lights”)
You can find even more pumpkin seed activities for the kids if you’re interested. I think they’re a great complement to the pumpkin seed counting book.
Pumpkin Lesson Plans
Let Preschool Teacher 101 save you a ton of time with fully-developed, done-for-you early childhood resources. Our lesson plans and supplemental materials are perfect for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten classrooms. If you’re a big fan of our work, be sure to join The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101, a membership site for teachers like you. Members get access to our materials (and members-only exclusives) for a steep discount.
Click on the image below to get our pumpkin lesson plans. This resource comes with a weekly overview, detailed daily lesson plans, whole group activities, small group lessons, center ideas, book suggestions, and related printables!
You can also find us on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Get the Free Pumpkin Seed Counting Book
As promised, you can get your own copy of the counting pumpkin seeds printable book! It’s available to members of Fun-A-Day’s (free!) email community. If you’re already a member, enter your email in the form below to have the download link sent to your email. If you’re not a member, put your information in the form to join us. You’ll get the printable book as a welcome gift!
Open the form up here if you can’t see it above.
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