Pumpkins aren’t just for carving—they’re also the perfect tool for fall science experiments with kids! Whether your little ones love gooey slime, fizzy volcanoes, or testing what sinks and floats, pumpkins bring a seasonal twist to hands-on STEM learning. Science in the fall doesn’t have to feel like schoolwork—it can be as simple as grabbing a pumpkin from your front porch and turning it into a mini-lab for curious kids.
These pumpkin science experiments are fun, engaging, and perfect for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and older kids who are always asking “why?” Plus, they sneak in problem-solving, fine motor practice, and early STEM skills in a way that feels like play.
Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Science Experiments
Pumpkin activities check all the boxes for meaningful fall play: they’re sensory, seasonal, and spark curiosity. Kids learn best when they’re hands-on, and these science experiments give them the chance to touch, test, and tinker. You’ll love that most of the materials are things you already have at home (vinegar, baking soda, craft sticks, and of course, pumpkins). And the best part? You can try one activity a day or line up a full weekend of pumpkin-inspired science fun.
Pumpkin Science Experiments
1. Pumpkin Guts Slime
Make slime extra festive by mixing it inside a hollowed-out pumpkin! Kids can stretch, squish, and explore textures while observing how the slime mixes with pumpkin seeds and pulp.
2. Pumpkin Volcano
Turn a pumpkin into a bubbling volcano with baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring. This experiment combines chemistry and fall fun with an eruption kids will want to repeat again and again.
3. Exploding Pumpkin Baggie
An exploding pumpkin baggie is such a fun and easy way to mix a little science with Halloween fun! All you need is a pumpkin-decorated ziplock bag, a bit of baking soda, and vinegar for kids to watch as the baggie swells up and pops from the fizzy chemical reaction.
4. Pumpkin Sink or Float
Before cutting open your pumpkin, test whether it sinks or floats in a tub of water. Then compare pumpkins of different sizes and guess why some float while others might sink.
5. Pumpkin Oobleck
Mix cornstarch and water inside a pumpkin to create oobleck, a non-Newtonian fluid that acts like both a solid and a liquid. This sensory activity is a perfect intro to physics for little learners.
6. Pumpkin Boats
Cut small pumpkin pieces and test if they can float as boats. Add a paper sail or toothpick flag to see if your mini pumpkin boat can stay upright in water.
7. Pumpkin Ramps
Roll pumpkins of different sizes down ramps made from cardboard or wood. Kids can compare speed, distance, and weight while learning about motion and gravity.
8. Pumpkin Catapults
Build a simple catapult from craft sticks or LEGO and launch mini pumpkins across the yard. Kids can test angles, force, and distance—classic STEM fun with a fall twist.
9. Rotting Pumpkin
Set up an observation station with a carved pumpkin and track how it changes each day. This is a fascinating way for kids to learn about decomposition and life cycles in nature.
10. Bubble Science with Pumpkins
Scoop out a pumpkin, dip the opening in bubble solution, and try blowing giant bubbles from it. Kids will be amazed by the shapes and sizes that form.
11. Pumpkin Geoboard
Hammer pushpins into the outside of a pumpkin and stretch rubber bands between them. This turns the pumpkin into a geoboard for exploring shapes, symmetry, and geometry.
12. Growing Pumpkins in Pumpkins
Scoop out a pumpkin, fill it with soil, and plant pumpkin seeds right inside. Kids can watch the seeds sprout and learn about the plant life cycle firsthand.
13. Pumpkin Seed Art
Turn pumpkin seeds into science-art by dyeing them with food coloring and gluing them onto paper in the shape of a fall tree. Kids explore textures, colors, and patterns while practicing creativity.
Pumpkin science experiments are a simple way to celebrate fall while giving kids a hands-on learning experience. From fizzing volcanoes to testing what floats, each activity builds curiosity and sparks conversation. So grab a few pumpkins—big or small—and turn your home or classroom into a science lab this fall. You’ll be surprised how much learning can come from one orange gourd!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
