Tubes & Pumpkins: Fall STEM Activity

This is the easiest Fall STEM activity ever! All you need is cardboard tubes and mini pumpkins and seasonal gourds! Build, knock them down, repeat!

Here is a fun and crazy quick to set up Fall activity that only requires two things and one excited toddler or preschooler.

Looking for other fun Fall STEM activities? Check out these ideas:

• Acorn Slides A Fine Motor STEM Fall Activity
• Salt Crystal Leaves: Fall STEM Activity

How to Set Up Tubes & Pumpkins: Fall STEM Activity

Grab your cardboard tubes and mini pumpkins and seasonal gourds.

Demonstrate what you want your toddler or preschooler to do by standing a cardboard tube up straight and balancing a pumpkin or gourd on top.

Have them try to do the same.

This fun STEAM activity is great for developing hand eye coordination, patience and problem solving.

It can also be very challenging for toddlers and even preschoolers.

It does require some patience.

There were times when they will knock over a few by mistake and get frustrated.

Each time try to turn it into an opportunity to show them how to deal with situations that they find frustrating by not giving up and figuring out how to get the cardboard tube to stand up straight.

The Best Part

The best part of this activity is what they get to do after they have balanced all the mini pumpkins and gourds on all the tubes – knock them down!

My kindergartener had a blast kicking and pushing them all down.

Free Play

We have done this type of balancing activity lots of times – Tubes and Easter Eggs and  Tubes and Christmas Baubles so my four year is an old pro at it but still loves it.

I love it because it always leads into her playing with her toys solo among the tubes.

This time she brought out her butterflies to play with. Another mom win!!

Learning

Check out Pumpkin Counting for a fun way to learning with this activity.

Supplies

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• Cardboard tubes (various sizes)
• Mini pumpkins and seasonal gourds

WILL YOU TRY PUMPKINS & TUBES: FALL STEM ACTIVITY WITH YOUR TODDLER OR PRESCHOOLER? Pin it for later!!