Pumpkin pie spice offers a great sensory experience for preschool teachers to share with their students. The preschoolers will either like or dislike the smell of pumpkin pie spice. Either way, the sensory experience will aid in their language development as they talk about the experiences with their peers, teachers and parents. Here are a few ideas on how to include pumpkin pie spice in your preschool lesson plans.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Fine Motor Activity:
Playing with play dough is a fabulous fine motor activity for preschoolers. Playing with pumpkin pie spice scented play dough only makes the experience even more fun! Teachers may either bring the pumpkin pie spice play dough to preschool already prepared or have their students help them make it in the classroom.
Supplies for Pumpkin Pie Spice Playdough:
2 and 3/4 cups flour
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup salt
2 cups water
6 Tbsp oil
red and yellow food coloring (mix for orange)
large cooking pot
Instructions for Pumpkin Pie Spice Playdough:
- Combine all of the ingredients in the pot.
- Stir for approximately 5 minutes over medium heat. The pumpkin pie spice play dough should be binding together.
- Remove the pot of play dough from the heat source.
- Knead the pumpkin pie spice play dough on a floured surface.
- Play! :)
Pumpkin Spice Sensory Activity:
Mix flour with pumpkin pie spice (as much or as little as you think is needed). Pour the mixture into your preschool classroom’s sensory tub. Add small pots and pans, spoons and ladles to the sensory tub. Encourage your preschoolers to talk about the smell as they play with the mixture.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Art Activity:
This is a simple, but fun art activity for preschoolers. Older preschoolers may wish to make a whole pumpkin patch, as this activity is simple, but so much fun.
Supplies for Pumpkin Pie Spice Art Activity:
orange construction paper
green construction paper
safety scissors
glue
pumpkin pie spice
Instructions for Pumpkin Pie Spice Art Activity:
- Provide each preschooler with one piece of orange paper, one small scrap of green paper and a pair of safety scissors.
- Have your preschool students cut a circle out of the orange paper and small rectangle out of the green paper. For younger preschoolers, you might provide a cup for them to trace.
- Instruct your students to glue the green stem to the orange pumpkin.
- Provide your students with a mixture of glue and water (1/1) and have them paint it onto the pumpkin.
- While the glue mixture is still wet, let your preschoolers shake a container of pumpkin pie spice over the glue.
Source: Information for the Pumpkin Pie Spice play dough was found at The Homeschool Village.
Similar articles by Susan Sonnen:
Preschool Lesson Plans: Pumpkins
Pumpkins: Preschool Learning Activities
Halloween Mini-Pumpkin Hunt for Preschoolers
