9 Pumpkin Science Activities for Kids

Fall science experiments with real pumpkins. These fun ideas combine everything I love: fall season, pumpkins, science activities. Have you tried pumpkin science experiments? There are so many science activities you can do with pumpkins. Here are just some ideas.

9 Pumpkin Science Activities for Kids

Learn life cycle of the pumpkin. Where are the seeds? How are the seeds spread? Do pumpkins have flowers? How long does it take for the real pumpkins to form and mature? 

Explore the inside of the pumpkins and learn each part of the pumpkins. How many seeds do you see? What are inside a pumpkin besides seeds? How thick is pumpkin skin? Is the skin soft or hard? Does the pumpkin’s inside feel the same as the outside? 

Observe a rotting pumpkin and learn why it happens. It is nasty, so tell kids not to touch the mold. But do keep a science journal and have kids writing down what they see each day.  For younger kids who can’t write yet, they can draw pictures and symbols to record their scientific observation.  

Learn the science of preserving a pumpkin. What makes pumpkin rot? What does bleach do to the carved pumpkin? How does freezing pumpkin prevent it from rotting? 

Learn chemistry with this Pumpkin Slime. Why is the slime so stretchy? Can you make it more slimy and stretchy? 

It is fun to creates a volcano out of the pumpkin. For a more dramatic effect, watch this Oozing Pumpkin video. What is in the foam? What is chemical composition? Where does it come from? 

Can pumpkin conduct electricity? Make a pumpkin battery, see if it works. How do you explain the result? How is circuit formed?  

Set a science hypothesis – will the pumpkins float in the water? Why? Try with a whole pumpkin, then with a carved pumpkin? Are the results the same? 

Measure the weight and circumference of several pumpkins and order them from lightest to heaviest. How are the circumference and weight correlated? 

Plant pumpkin seeds inside a pumpkin, see how it grows. Here is another picture of the pumpkin sprout. Having kids chart the growth, or comparing the growth between two pumpkins. 

Explore the 5 senses with pumpkins: touch the pumpkin skin, then cut it open, touch the inside, feel the seeds; see the color, the shape; smell the inside of the pumpkin and compare it with a different fruit or vegetable; taste it, compare the taste of raw pumpkin with cooked pumpkin; describe the sound when you squeeze a pumpkin and when you cut a pumpkin; … there are so much you can do with 5 senses with pumpkin.

Do you have any cool science ideas with pumpkins?Looking for more fall themed activities for kids? Check out 10 Apple Themed Learning Activities for Kids and More than 70 Autumn Science Activities for Kids.