Do you smell that? It’s pumpkin season! To celebrate the beginning of Autumn, we made our Pumpkin Play Dough today. This fall play dough recipe is really easy and fun for kids to make in the classroom. It is one of my favorite sensory activities because you only need three ingredients, you don’t have to cook the dough, and the kids love it. Win-Win!
How To Make Pumpkin Play Dough:
What’s Needed:
- 2 Cups Flour
- ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
- ½ Cup Canned Pumpkin
How To Make:
To begin making this fall play dough recipe, your students will first put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. I usually split my class up into groups of three or four students and have each group make their own batch.
Next, your students will take the dough out of the bowl and kneed for about a minute until the flour is incorporated. If the play dough sticks to their hands, they can add a little bit more flour to the dough.
Have your students play with the play dough on a table, desk, or other surface that you can easily clean because it may leave a little oily residue. After, they can put the play dough in an airtight container to play with another day (it’s a fun indoor recess activity) or send some home with each student in a resealable plastic bag.
In The Classroom:
There are many ways that you can use this pumpkin play dough recipe in any elementary classroom. One of my favorite ways is in my 5 senses unit. I like to have my students make a similar recipe. Then, we compare and contrast the two using their senses. We create a compare and contrast anchor chart, graph which recipe each student likes, and complete an opinion writing sample. It’s a full week of pumpkin and sensory fun to do in the Fall!
I hope that your students enjoy making this Pumpkin Play Dough as much as mine do every year. I would love to see the different ways you incorporate it into your lessons. Share your pictures on Instagram and tag @abcsofliteracy!
You May Also Like:
Are you looking for a fun and creative Fall literacy project? This Pumpkin Book Report is one your students will never forget! This pumpkin project can be sent home for families to do together or your students can work together to complete it as a class. Or, each class in your school can create a different character pumpkin and have a school-wide contest. Click on the picture to learn more!
