It just makes sense, when looking for fun STEM activities for kids to do in the fall, that pumpkins are involved.  

These pumpkin STEM activities are easy to do and don’t require a lot of fancy equipment.  They’d be fun to do at school, at a scout meeting, or with the kids at home.  

Pumpkin activities are perfect for October.  

Many of these activities can be done either before, or after, you’ve finished with your no-carve decorated pumpkin ideas.   I love when we can use things more than once!  

If your child loves doing STEM, I suggest keeping these STEM supplies available at home.  These are some of the most often used supplies when it comes to kids STEM/STEAM projects. 

Having them handy allows your child to explore and get creative whenever the mood strikes.  Plus, it saves you from having to take last minute trips to the store before starting a project.  

For more fall themed STEM fun, check out our apple wrecking ball.    

Pumpkin STEM Activities

Pumpkin Pulley — Kids will have fun turning that plastic pumpkin into a simple pulley system and using it to carry toys and other items.  

Pumpkin Catapult —  Create your very own mini catapults.  Then use them to fling tiny pumpkins across the room.  Who can get their pumpkin to go the farthest?  You can even use this as a fun game for the kids that is perfect for fall.  

Pumpkin Geoboard — Kids can work on forming shapes and create fun artwork with their very own homemade geoboard.  

Pumpkin Clock — Discover how you can use mini pumpkins to make a working clock.  This one is perfect for elementary and middle school aged kids.  

Dissolving Candy Pumpkins —  What will dissolve the candy the fastest?   Make a hypothesis and carry out your own tasty experiment to find the answer.  

Candy Pumpkin Tower —   How tall can you make your tower before it collapses?  The pumpkin shaped candy in this STEM challenge makes it fun to do all fall. 

Halloween Skittles Experiment — Put those tiny candies to good use in this simple science activity.  

Pumpkin Sink or Float — Do pumpkins sink or float?  Toddlers and preschoolers will have fun testing out their hypothesis in this simple activity.  

Rotting Pumpkin Science — Once those pumpkins are past their prime, keep them for this simple “gross science” activity.  

Squishy Circuit Pumpkin — Kids will have fun learning about circuits when the turn old pool noodles into glowing Jack-O-Lanterns.

Pumpkin Volcano —  Fizzy science is always a hit with kids.  Challenge your child to turn that pumpkin into a foaming volcano.  This one is so much fun they’ll be begging to do it over and over.  

These pumpkin STEM activities are perfect for fall.  For more fun ideas for October, check out these Halloween STEM activities. 

You may also enjoy these related posts:

• More Pumpkin STEM Activities from Homeschool Preschool
• How to Make a Rubber Band Shooter
• Build a Marble Roller Coaster
• Engineer a Water Wheel
• Pedulum Painting STEAM Activity 

The post Fun Pumpkin STEM Activities for Fall first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Thankfully there is still time for some fun Halloween STEM Activities.

Making a craft stick pumpkin catapult is fun for kids of all ages.  And once it’s made, kids will have fun using it for a Halloween game that will keep them busy and having fun.  

Ocotober is perfect for pumpkin STEM activities like this one.  

Kids love flinging things.  That’s what makes this activity such a huge hit.  

If your child enjoys this project, you may want to check out our catapulting Peeps post, too.  

Craft Stick Pumpkin Catapult

Affiliate links have been provided below.  See my full disclosure for more details.  

Materials Needed:

• 7 Jumbo Craft Sticks 
• Plastic Bottle Cap
• 3 Rubberbands 
• Hot Glue Gun
• Candy Pumpkins
• Pumpkin Bucket 

To make your simple catapult, you will follow the same basic craft stick catapult directions. The only difference is you will use a bottle cap as a basket to hold the candy instead of a plastic spoon.  We also used jumbo craft sticks instead of the smaller ones. 

Start by stacking 5 craft sticks and securing the ends together with 2 of your rubber bands. 

Hot glue your plastic bottle cap to the end of one of the remaining sticks.  

Stack the stick with the bottle cap on top of the last craft stick and fasten them together with the last rubber band.  

Slide the stack of 5 craft sticks from earlier in between these 2 to make the catapult’s crossbar.  

To help hold it all together, and to make it have a bit more “oompf” when you use it, criss-cross the rubber band holding the 2 stacked craft sticks so it goes around the crossbar.  

We found that the catapult worked better when we twisted that last rubber band around the end of the sticks extra tight.  

Catapulting Pumpkins Halloween STEM Activity 

Once you have your catapult ready, it’s time to test it out.  

What better target than a smiling pumpkin candy bucket?

Place your bucket on a flat surface in front of your pumpkin catapult.  

Load the basket of the catapult with a piece of candy and get ready to play.  

To fire the catapult, use one hand to hold the crossbar down against the table.  Use your other hand to press the basket of the catapult down, and then let go. 

The candy will shoot up into the air.  

Can you get the candy to land in the bucket?  

Experiment with where you need to place your catapult.   

You can also experiment with how the catapult is made.  Try adding another craft stick or 2 to the crossbar.  Will this make the candy fly further?   What if you take away a craft stick?  

Try using a different rubber band to hold the catapult together.  Or, try moving the crossbar further to the end of the catapult.  Does this affect how far your candy goes?  

You can turn this STEM activity into a fun DIY Halloween game.   

For solo play, start with 10 candy pumpkins and see how many you can get into the bucket.   Or, see how many pumpkins you can get into the bucket in 1 minute’s time.  

You can also compete with a friend.  Who can get the most points for pumpkins in the bucket?  

When your child finishes, challenge them to build a toothpick and candy pumpkin tower. 

This simple craft stick pumpkin catapult is a fun Halloween STEM activity for all ages.   

You may also enjoy:

• Vanishing Ghosts STEM Activity
• Make a Pumpkin Pulley
• Pumpkin Volcano
• Halloween Party Games for Kids

The post Catapulting Pumpkins: Simple & Fun Halloween Activity for Kids first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

This week we had fun mixing the two in a Halloween Candy & Toothpick Tower STEM Activity that’s perfect for kids of all ages.  

It has quickly become one of our favorite Halloween STEM Activities.

The pumpkin shaped candy in this STEM challenge makes it fun to do all fall.   You can also use the same candy to use with this pumpkin catapult.   

They are two of our favorite pumpkin STEM activities to do in October.  

For more fun with pumpkins, be sure to check out our pumpkin Pulley.  

Halloween Candy & Toothpick Tower STEM Activity 

Materials Needed:

• Candy Pumpkins
• Rounded Toothpicks
• Ruler or Tape Measure

Set up this activity by pouring a liberal amount of toothpicks into a small container and candy pumpkins in another container.  Be sure you have rounded toothpicks, as they are stronger than the flat ones and tend to break less often.  

1-3 kids should be able to share the materials this way.   If you are working with a larger group you will want to make several stations with containers holding toothpicks and candy at each station.  (This could be a fun kids Halloween party idea!) 

Challenge the kids to build the tallest structure they can using only toothpicks and the candy pumpkins.  The structure must stand for at least 30 seconds after it has been completed.  

Before starting remind kids that toothpicks are pointy.  They should be careful not to jab fingers as they build.  

To build the toothpick and candy structure, insert a toothpick into a pumpkin and add another candy on the toothpick’s other side.  

Continue adding toothpicks and candy to build a sturdy base.  

Allow kids to chose whether they will try a triangle base or a square base for the structure.  Which do they think will be stronger?  

Older kids may even try something more complex.  Will a bigger base help make the structure more stable?  Let them experiment to find out.  

This STEM activity for Halloween can easily be modified for different ages.

We used mellocream pumpkins (similar in texture to candy corn).  These gave an extra bit of challenge to my middle school students. 

They were harder to stick toothpicks into, and we discovered the toothpick structures began to bend after a few minutes, making them less stable.  There was a lot of laughing as towers slowly twisted and collapsed when not supported enough.

If you are working with younger kids, I suggest using the jelly pumpkin candy.   The gummier candy is easier to stick toothpicks into. 

The gummy candy also tends to make the structures a bit stronger, allowing younger kids to be more successful.  

Once the structures are finished, measure the highest point of each to see whose toothpick tower is tallest.  

How to Build a Sturdy Toothpick Tower

We discovered that a tower built with a series of triangles was stronger could be built taller than one with squares. 

This is because triangles are very strong shapes.  Unlike the squares, which deformed quickly, the triangles were able to hold their shape under pressure. 

We had so much fun with this Halloween Candy & Toothpick Tower STEM Activity.  I know your kids will enjoy it, too. 

You’ll also want to read these posts:

• Marshmallow & Toothpick Spider Web
• Vanishing Ghosts STEM Activity
• Kids STEM Activities
• Candy Corn Craft Stick Catapult 
• Pumpkin Activities for Kids 

The post Halloween Candy & Toothpick Tower STEM first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

With the start of fall, we decided to make a pulley with a pumpkin twist.  

Whether you make it indoors, using your stairway like we did, or you try it outside, this pumpkin STEM activity is super fun. 

Gather the kids and make a Pumpkin Pulley this week! 

Fall is in the air.  The temperatures are changing, and apples and pumpkins seem to be everywhere.  It’s the perfect time for pumpkin activities like this one. 

In this STEM activity your child will be making a basic pulley system.   

A basic pulley is made of a wheel on a fixed axle, usually with a groove to help guide the rope or cable.  This simple machine is made with just a few items and can help make work easier.

For older children you may want to provide the needed materials and let them experiment to figure out how to build the pulley on their own. 

For younger children you may need to provide instruction.

This pulley is one of our favorite Halloween STEM activities to do in October.  

If your child loves STEM, be sure to check out all our STEM Activities for Kids.   

Pumpkin Pulley Activity 

Affiliate links have been provided below.  See my full disclosure here. 

Materials Needed:

• Plastic Pumpkin Candy Bucket
• Wood Dowel Rod 
• Cardboard Tube
• Yarn 
• Duct Tape

If you don’t have a wood dowel rod handy, you can easily substitute it with a nice-size stick.  We were able to find one in our backyard that was 1/2 inch thick and long enough to be used between our stair rails.

Slip the cardboard tube over your dowel rod or stick. 

The cardboard tube will act as the wheel of your pulley.  It will rotate around the stick (your axle) with less friction than just pulling the yarn over the stick on its own.

Use duct tape to secure the dowel rod so it is between two stair rails.  (You could also set up the pulley system off the side of a deck or between two kitchen chairs.)

Tie one end of your yarn to the handle of the pumpkin bucket.  You will want to double knot it to be sure it stays secure.

Thread the other end of the yarn over the cardboard tube.  Your pumpkin pulley is ready to try out!

Have your child fill the bucket with small toys or other items.

Before trying the pulley system, ask your child to lift the bucket with one hand to see how easy it is to lift above their head.

Then have them use the pulley to lift the bucket.

Does it make the work easier?

How Does a Pulley Make Work Easier

A pulley is a simple machine that can raise and lower things much easier and faster than we can with just our two hands.  That’s because the pulley allows us to change the direction of the force we use when lifting an object. 

It’s easier to pull down on the yarn to lift the bucket up than it is to lift it straight up by hand.

Later you can make a craft stick catapult to explore levers, another simple machine, with your kids.  You might also like this apple wrecking ball.

The kids have had lots of fun this week sending toys up and down in their toy pulley.  It has inspired hours of pretend play.

What will your child carry in their pumpkin pulley?  

Get more fun kids activities like this delivered to your email by subscribing to our newsletter. 

The post Simple Halloween STEM Activity: Make a Pumpkin Pulley first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

When we found a small white pumpkins at the store, I could hardly say no to the two excited kids sticking pumpkins in the cart.  And so we came home with a few.  

The washi tape decorated pumpkins became a pretty, simple fall centerpiece for our dining table.  

We love creating with colorful tape.  In fact, we’ve had lots of fun making duct tape water bottle holders and even a colorful duct tape sit-upon. 

This was our first experience with washi tape, and we had so much fun! 

Affiliate links have been used below.  See my full disclosure for more details. 

Washi Tape Decorated Pumpkins

A few rolls of fall-colored washi tape (browns, orange, and yellow), is all it takes to give those little pumpkins a boost and turn them into a cute centerpiece for your table.

This craft is so simple that my 6 and 8 year-old were able to do it.

• Simply start with one color of tape and start applying it at the base of the pumpkin’s stem.  Cut it off at the bottom of the pumpkin.
• Then turn the pumpkin around and do another strip of tape in the same color directly across from the first strip, essentially dividing the pumpkin in half.
• Our pumpkins were quite small, so we used the same pattern of tape once again to divide into quarters.
• Then use a different color of washi tape in between the quartered sections.
• A collection of 2-3 small pumpkins make a cute fall centerpiece to be proud of.

This simple idea is just one of the many crafts you will find in this awesome book:   Washi Tape Crafts: 110 Ways to Decorate Just About Anything.  

If you are a fan of washi tape, or you’re just someone who has admired it from afar but didn’t know what to do with it, this book is for you!  

It is literally jammed-packed full of washi tape hints and craft ideas.  Projects range from these simple washi tape pumpkins, to decorating light switches and window blinds and even making intricate flowers and jewelry — all using washi tape.

And, the book comes with 10 rolls of washi tape to get you started, making it a great gift idea!

This super simple washi tape craft is perfect for fall.   Your child will love creating their own washi tape pumpkin for the table.  

You’ll also enjoy these posts:

• Crayon Drip Pumpkins
• Engineer a Pumpkin Pulley
• Pumpkin Volcano STEM Activity 

*This was orginally a sponsored post.  All opinions are, as always, completely my own.  

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