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Who knew that the humble hot glue gun, usually reserved for those “Oops! I broke it” moments or crafty masterpieces, could bring an autumn pumpkin to life? Toss out the carving kits and dive into a craft that’s not only beautiful but also as mesmerizing to create as it is to gaze upon. Welcome to the Hot Glue Gun Pumpkin Craft adventure!

Crafty Tips for Pumpkin Perfection

Keep It Clean: Hot glue can get stringy. To avoid spiderweb-like strands, release the trigger before pulling away and use a clean toothpick to guide the end of the glue strand.
Shade and Play: Encourage your preschooler to experiment with colors. A dab of orange mixed with a smidge of red can create a delightful gradient!
Beyond Pumpkins: Once you both get the hang of it, why not try other autumn motifs? Leaves, acorns, or even a cute squirrel!

Skills Blooming in This Craft

Not only is this activity an autumnal blast, but it’s also peppered with learning:

Motor Skills Maven: Handling the brush and painting within the lines is excellent for refining fine motor skills.
Color Curiosity: Mixing and blending watercolors can introduce color theory in the most playful way.
Sensory Sensation: The cool, wet brush contrasted with the tactile feel of the raised glue lines is a sensory delight.
Patience Practice: Waiting for the glue to dry and the paint to set helps inculcate a sense of patience.

WILL YOU SET UP THIS HOT GLUE GUN PUMPKIN CRAFT? PIN IT FOR LATER!

What You’ll Need

Hot glue gun
Watercolor paper
Watercolor paints
A bowl of water and brushes

Crafting Your Hot Glue Gun Pumpkin Craft

Warm Up That Gun: Plug in your hot glue gun and let it get all warmed up. Remember, safety first! Ensure it’s on a safe surface, away from tiny curious fingers. On the watercolour paper use a pencil to draw out the outline of a pumpkin.

Pumpkin Outline: Once the glue gun is ready, draw the outline of your pumpkin directly onto the watercolor paper. You can go classic round or opt for a quirky, elongated shape – let the imagination run wild!
Watercolor Wonderland: After your glue outline has cooled and solidified, it’s time to paint! Dip the brush into those luscious autumn hues and color inside your pumpkin’s boundaries. The raised glue lines will keep the paint from spreading out, making it easier for little hands.

So, next time you’re yearning for a taste of fall indoors, reach for that hot glue gun and watercolors. The Hot Glue Gun Pumpkin Craft is not just an art project; it’s a door to a world where creativity meets learning, one gluey line at a time. Here’s to crafting memories that stick!

Age Suitability

This activity is good for toddlers aged children 3 years old and up with adult assistance.

Mess Level

The mess level for this activity is high. Protect surfaces by placing the activity in a shallow tray.

Difficulty to Create

Easy.

Skills Developed

Language development, shape recognition, color recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, imaginative play, creativity.

Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!

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

Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.

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.

The Best Sensory Play Kits for Kids

Play is at the core of learning during the early years and it can take many forms. One of the most important of these is sensory play because it engages all of a child’s senses (taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing) and has a enoumous positive impact on brain development.

Our Sensory Play Kits are some fun and easy ways to keep your child engaged while at the same time using sensory play to nurture their mind!

Shop our ready made play kits here.