Pumpkins and Golf Tees

After seeing this "pumpkin hammering" activity on the 'blogosphere' several times, I decided to try it out in our yard.

We set out two pumpkins, four small wooden mallets, and a TON of golf tees. The children REALLY enjoyed this activity and they were very successful at pounding the tees into the pumpkins.

They even branched out and pounded tees into our giant pumpkin and ornamental squash (oops!). It was a fantastic skill building activity for all the children in our program (ages 2-5).

Unfortunately, our fun was cut short. We have one naughty little squirrel that adores the dollar store pumpkins (yup...ONLY the dollar store pumpkins!) and during nap time, when the yard was quiet, he came to find the feast that we had so kindly laid out for him (ha!). As he had done to five of our previous pumpkins, he gnawed a huge hole into one of the ones on the table! So, we were down to one hammering pumpkin (which, by the way, I kept in the fridge that night for safe keeping). Sniff!

Once every tee was pounded in, it was time to take them out. YIKES! No one mentioned how terribly hard this task was!!!! So, the pumpkins sat on my counter until I found a hammer. 

I pulled out a few tees myself, and then realized what a great activity this would be for the children. So, during "patio time" (which is a more controlled atmosphere than the big yard), the children got to pull the tees using the backside of the hammer. It took them some time and thought to figure out how to wedge, pull, and lift the hammer correctly, but they did it.

Several of the children spent a lot of time on this activity. We even had one three year old dedicate half an hour to this activity. It was a wonderful fine motor and problem solving activity for the children. It was also a fantastic finger-saver for me!

Finding Fall, Part 2

If you read Finding Fall Pt. 1, you'd remember that I recently went to a ranch to purchase an abundance of squash, gourds, pumpkins, and corn stalks. We displayed our horn of plenty in the lobby for several days, but today it was time to let the children play! Our fabulous group of teachers got together during nap time and we spent the afternoon transforming our Outdoor Classroom into an Autumn festival of sorts.

First, we scattered hay and set the GIANT pumpkin to perch for the season. We then set out all of the other squash, gourds and pumpkins for the children to explore. A far cry from "display only,"we encourage the children to tote, carry, push, pull and explore the bounty. Consider the items "loose parts" that can be used in every form of their play (well, as long as they are not purposefully damaging the items). We have provided wheelbarrows, pots, pans, and a wagon to encourage their interactions with the new items. They are also encouraged to use the pint-sized rakes to help rake the hay back into our planters!

In the above sensory bin, we mixed cornmeal, beans, and Fall colored rice. We added dried gourds (complete with dried seeds to rattle), some unusual pumpkins, pinecones, spoons and small cups. This is a very "natural" bin and encourages children to explore the patterns and textures that nature provides. To stimulate some scientific observations, I also plan on adding a sensory bin filled with moist dirt, dried beans and small shovels to the yard. My hope is that the beans will sprout over the course of the week and the children will be able to discover and investigate the growing seeds. I can't wait to hear them chatter about why the beans in the dirt sprouted, but the beans in the cornmeal did not. 

The dramatic play area became a Western Cowboy Cookout. We provided lanterns, western clothes, cowboy hats, cowboy books, aluminum pots and pans, play food, a picnic table, and a bale of hay on which to sit. We try to carry this theme for several weeks, so, as time goes on we will probably put in a few more items to add interest...a "campfire" with roasting sticks, a farmer's market, a tent, books about cowboys, and more. 

I do love a great dramatic play area, but I do sometimes feel that we limit the children's creativity by providing items such as realistic play food. When we give the children plastic spaghetti, it can only be spaghetti. Whereas, if we provide more natural items (pinecones, sticks, rocks, etc), the items can transform into anything the children would like them to be. So, to offer an alternative to our more "structured" dramatic play, we have a "mud-kitchen" playhouse in the sandbox where we offer the children a selection of natural and open-ended play material.

 Do you have any great Autumn ideas or photos for the Outdoor Classroom? I'd love to hear them in your comments! Feel free to link to your blog.