Orange "Pumpkins"

Peel a clementine, add a little green stem on top and you have a pumpkin you can eat! It takes one minute to make, and your little one can do most of the peeling.

What you need

• Clementines or mandarin oranges

• A small piece of cucumber or celery for each stem

• A plate

How to make it

1. Start the peel. A grown-up makes a small tear in the peel to get it started.

2. Peel it. Your little one pulls off the rest of the peel, piece by piece.

3. Make the stem. Cut a tiny stick of cucumber or celery.

4. Add the stem. Push the stem gently into the hole at the top of the clementine. Now it's a pumpkin!

5. Look inside. Pull the pumpkin apart into sections and count them together.

Why we love it

Peeling is hard, careful work for little fingers, and it's great practice for the pinching kids use to hold a crayon. The lines on a peeled clementine look a lot like the lines on a real pumpkin, which ties right into today's Painted Mini Pumpkins project and this week's What Kind of Line? worksheet.

Make it your own

• Pumpkin patch: Make a whole patch on a plate and count the pumpkins.

• Draw a vine: Add a curly line of cucumber strips or a few green grapes, cut into quarters, for the vine.

A quick safety note: For kids under 4, cut clementine sections in half and keep the stem pieces very small and thin (celery is stringy, so cucumber is easier). Always have your child sit while eating.

Shop these items

Find the books and supplies from this week in one place. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

• Starter supplies: the basics we use most weeks

• See every week in our Amazon storefront

More for this week: see all our Pumpkin activities, Letter H activities and Number 8 activities.

Every child is different. Please use your own judgment about what's safe and right for your family. Always supervise children during activities and while eating, and adjust foods for allergies, dietary needs and your child's age and chewing ability. Sprocket & Sprout shares these ideas for fun and learning only. We are not responsible for any injury, allergic reaction, damage or mess that may result from trying them. This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.