Have you ever tried out a potato clock? Did you even know a potato could power a clock? How about a pumpkin? We decided to build a pumpkin clock instead for a cool pumpkin STEM project. Pumpkin STEM activities are the best!
Pumpkin Clock STEM Project
For a fun Fall STEM lesson, try making a pumpkin clock! Like a potato clock, this project uses the natural acids in a pumpkin to power a small clock. It’s a creative way to explore concepts like electricity and chemical reactions
💡 You might also enjoy making a Lemon Battery or Potato Battery for more fruit science and STEM!
Supplies:
- Green Science Potato Clock Kit
- 2 Small Pumpkins
How to Make a Pumpkin Powered Clock
The instructions in this Green Science Potato Clock Kit are straightforward to follow! I did use a small knife to make slits for the copper and zinc strips. I imagine a potato is easier to push through, but I didn’t want to bend the strips as that started to happen.
The potato clock kit suggests trying different fruits and vegetables to see if they produce the energy needed to power up the clock. Turn it into an experiment and apply the scientific method.
I love that we can reuse the clock kit items for more tests, so it’s really worth it to keep these materials. It was really cool to see the pumpkin clock working.
How Does a Pumpkin Clock Work?
What’s the science behind this pumpkin clock? Well, you just made a battery out of your pumpkins! Talk about green science!
Small particles inside the pumpkins help convert the chemical energy inside the metal strips into electrical energy—an electrical current moves between the two strips. The pumpkin allows the current to flow. An electrical current is also flowing through the wires to power the clock.
Check Out More Fun Pumpkin Activities
Printable Pumpkin STEM Pack
Perfect for K-2/3rd Grade and homeschool! Many activities can be modified for preschool and older kiddos as well.
Pumpkin is a festive and classic theme for fall and this pack is perfect for exploring pumpkins with a non-Halloween theme! Includes science, STEM, engineering, early math, and art projects.
The kids will have a blast trying 100+ pages of “totally doable” projects! Read more here.
Printable Pumpkin Preschool Pack
Need a younger version of our Pumpkin STEM Project Pack? Perfect for older toddlers and preschoolers to explore pumpkins this fall season. 14+ Pumpkin theme activities include instructions, templates, and a great book list.
What a fun idea to try the classic potato clock experiment with pumpkins!
This is perfect for October. I’m adding it to my collection of pumpkin STEM activities for us to try this month.