Make A Pumpkin Sensory Bag

Make your own pumpkin sensory bag this fall! We love fall and experimenting with pumpkins. They are perfect for science, fine motor, and sensory play! After carving our first Jack O’Lantern of the season, I thought it would be fun to make a pumpkin sensory bag or squish bag for my son to explore. This is a fun way for little hands to explore the insides of a pumpkin without the mess!

Explore A Pumpkin Theme For Fall

Hands-on learning through play is perfect for this time of year! What better way than with a seasonal pumpkin theme?

The wagon ride to the pumpkin patch, have you ever been on one of those? I know we remember it fondly every time October rolls around. There’s so much to love about fall and pumpkin season! Check out this fun hands-on activity you can do with a real pumpkin.

A simple pumpkin sensory bag is a perfect way to extend your pumpkin play activity. This certainly doesn’t have to be Halloween related and makes a great sensory science activity. We also set up a simple Pumpkin Investigation Tray for even more scientific observation!

Check out more pumpkin projects perfect for kindergarten and preschool-age kids. Of course, you can extend the learning with pumpkin science experiments and pumpkin art activities too!

Pumpkin Books

These pumpkin-themed books will captivate kindergarteners and preschoolers’ imaginations and excite them about pumpkins and the fall season! I am an Amazon affiliate.

Be sure to take a look at our pumpkin book List with matching activities here.

“Pumpkin, Pumpkin” by Jeanne Titherington
Follow a little boy’s journey as he plants a pumpkin seed, nurtures it as it grows, and watches it transform into a big, orange pumpkin. This book beautifully captures the life cycle of a pumpkin from seed to harvest.

“Too Many Pumpkins” by Linda White
In this fun and colorful story, Rebecca Estelle discovers a bumper crop of pumpkins in her garden after a pumpkin falls off a truck and smashes on her driveway. At first annoyed, she eventually finds creative ways to use her pumpkins with the help of her neighbors.

“The Biggest Pumpkin Ever” by Steven Kroll
Two adorable mice, Clayton and Desmond want to grow the biggest pumpkin ever. Without realizing it, they end up nurturing the same pumpkin vine. This book teaches cooperation and friendship sweetly and engagingly.

“It’s Pumpkin Time!” by Zoe Hall
Follow along as a brother and sister plant, care for, and eventually harvest pumpkins. This book not only covers the growth of pumpkins but also includes a simple pumpkin recipe at the end for some hands-on fun.

“Five Little Pumpkins” by Dan Yaccarino
This classic counting rhyme comes to life with colorful illustrations and playful rhymes. Follow the journey of five little pumpkins as they roll out of sight in this engaging and interactive book.

Free Pumpkin Playdough Mats

Pair these free playdough mats with our pumpkin playdough recipe to extend the sensory fun!

Pumpkin Sensory Bag

Tip: You can draw whatever you want on the front of the bag! Not into Halloween? Draw a pumpkin instead!

Supplies:

• Pumpkin Insides
• Zip Top Gallon Bag
• Tape {optional if you want to reinforce the top}
• Sharpie {optional if you want to draw a face}, and packaging tape {optional if you want to seal top}

How To Make A Pumpkin Sensory Bag

STEP 1. Optional: If you wish, draw a face on your zip top bag to start your pumpkin sensory bag.

STEP 2. Add the insides of your pumpkin!

TIP: This is a great time to talk about parts of a pumpkin if you haven’t already! There is so much opportunity for hands-on learning when you are simply talking with your child while preparing an activity.

STEP 3. Seal the top and you have a pumpkin sensory bag.

If you have a child who is a bit squeamish about slimy feeling materials, this pumpkin sensory bag is a perfect way to explore the pumpkin comfortably! Sensory bags are terrific sensory play ideas.

Manipulating the pumpkin sensory bag with fingers or one finger is also a great fine motor activity.

Push the seeds around, separate and count them. Trace letters or trace around the shapes of the face. Hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity are simple fine motor skills used here.

Plus a pumpkin sensory bag feels and looks pretty neat!

You can use any size pumpkin for this fun Fall sensory play. Whether you are going to carve a pumpkin or simply want to explore the inside of a pumpkin, this sensory project is perfect to add to the activity.