Pumpkin Science Experiments – Pumpkin Volcano for Kids

My kids love hands-on Science Activities, and Pumpkin Science Experiments are one of our favorites. You can get the kids outside, and it doesn’t matter how messy they are. That’s a win for the kids and for you. 

Pumpkin Activities are the perfect fall theme for children of all ages. We started this for a toddler and preschool Volcano Science Experiment years ago, and now it’s become a yearly tradition. Baking Soda and Vinegar Science Experiments are so easy. Why not put it in a pumpkin for extra fall fun? Your children will love this Erupting Pumpkin Science Activity.

Pumpkin Science for Kids

Pumpkin Science Experiments – Pumpkin Volcano

If you are looking for simple Science experiments and activities, add this to your fall list. Kids love bubbly, fizzy, erupting, and fun, which makes this Pumpkin Volcano Activity perfect every time you do it.

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Pumpkin Science for Kids

Exploring science through pumpkins is the perfect fall activity for curious kids. There are plenty of pumpkin-related science learning activities to explore: float them, weigh them, cut them open, measure the circumference, and explore what’s inside. 

Pumpkin science experiments and exploration give you a unique opportunity to teach your kids how to think like a scientist. Explore the scientific method and encourage kids to be curious and ask lots of questions.

Encourage your little learners to make observations, form a hypothesis, and collect data about their pumpkins. You can even use this amazing and helpful Charlotte Mason and Montessori inspired all about pumpkins unit to introduce your preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary learners to pumpkins and all their parts.

Pumpkin Books for Kids

Are you looking for fall picture books to explore with your kids this season? Check out these great pumpkin read-aloud books, perfect for storytime this Fall:

• How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara – This book adds some pumpkin themed fun to learning about counting skills like skip counting and estimation. It’s the perfect book to share after creating your pumpkin volcano to add a little extra math to your pumpkin exploration.
• Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White – I love this book for many reasons! It allows children to learn many important lessons through a beautiful story they won’t soon forget. With mentions of the Great Depression and lessons that focus on thinking about others rather than focusing on yourself, White’s story is a perfect Thanksgiving read-aloud this Fall.
• Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell – Get ready for more science with this creative book about the pumpkin life cycle. In this book, kids can see what happens to a pumpkin after Halloween. Add these pumpkin life cycle cards, and you’ve got yourself a fantastic Fall science lesson!
• The Pumpkin Runner by Marsha Arnold – Kids will love the illustrations and Joshua Summerhayes, the loveable hero, in this book. This Fall must read is based on actual events, so you won’t want to miss finding out what happens at the end of this important race.

Pumpkin Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

Planning a pumpkin themed unit for your preschool or kindergarten classroom this fall? Then, you won’t want to miss these pumpkin lesson plans.

These early learning bundles cover lots of important skills including: counting and number recognition, phonics and literacy, and fine motor skills. Keep scrolling to discover even more fun activities for your kids to explore this fall. 

 

How to Make a Pumpkin Volcano

What you will need to make your Pumpkin Volcano is in this picture below. However, I have it displayed in list form towards the bottom of the page.

Pumpkin Science Experiments for Preschoolers

Begin by carefully cutting around and removing the top of your pumpkin. Adults should do this step for children because pumpkins can be very hard to cut, and it will take a sharp knife.

Remove the top from the pumpkin, and use a spoon to scrape out all of the seeds and pulp, until the inside of the pumpkin is mostly cleaned out. Kids love helping with this part. If you don’t mind a little mess, let them get their hands in the pumpkin to clean all of the seeds out.

When the pumpkin has been cleaned out, you are ready to start erupting pumpkins.

This Pumpkin Scooper is perfect for kids and adults to scoop out your pumpkins.

Next, fill a few small cups with vinegar and add green food coloring to one cup and red and yellow food coloring to the other cup to make orange.

You can use a popsicle stick or spoon to stir the colors and disperse them entirely into the vinegar. Your children will love adding color to the vinegar, and making it a little more festive adds to the excitement!

Place your small pumpkins into a baking dish with high sides, a clear bin or another container.

This will help to catch the mess when the fizzing effect overflows, and it makes for easy cleanup. We all love the easy cleanup.

Pumpkin Science Activity

Pour some baking soda into the bottom of each pumpkin. You can use at least 2 tablespoons. I usually have a set of bowls or measuring cups filled with your ingredients ready to use. This way the kids can spend their time doing science and discovering what will happen as they add more.

Pour the colored vinegar into the pumpkins over top of the baking soda. Watch as a fizzing reaction occurs and bubbles over.

Fall Activities

You or your children can stir the baking soda left in the bottom of each pumpkin to cause another smaller reaction, or even pour more baking soda on top.

You can even set this up at a Kids Science Table so they can spend the day discovering what kind of reaction vinegar and baking soda make.

Children can spend an hour playing like this and experimenting with their erupting pumpkins.

Pumpkin Volcano Video

Fizzy Pumpkin Experiment

Materials:

• Pumpkins
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Green, red and yellow food coloring
• Popsicle stick or spoon for mixing
• Sharp knife
• Spoon
• Large baking dish or container for eliminating mess

Instructions:

1. Begin by using a sharp knife to carefully cut around and remove the top of your pumpkin. Adults should do this step for the children.
2. Remove the top from the pumpkin, and use a spoon to scrape out all of the seeds and pulp, until the inside of the pumpkin is mostly cleaned out.
3. Fill two cups up with vinegar.
4. Add green food coloring in one cup, and add red and yellow food coloring to the other cup to make orange. You can use a popsicle stick or spoon to stir the colors and disperse them entirely into the vinegar.
5. Place the two small pumpkins into a baking dish with high sides or another container. This will help to catch the mess when the fizzing effect overflows and makes for easy cleanup.
6. Put some baking soda into the bottom of each pumpkin. You can use at least 2 tablespoons.
7. Pour the colored vinegar into the pumpkins over top of the baking soda. Watch as a fizzing reaction occurs and bubbles over. You can stir the baking soda left in the bottom of each pumpkin to cause another smaller reaction, or even pour more baking soda on top.

Pumpkin Volcano Science Experiment

You can find our Watermelon Volcano (that’s super cool) by clicking here. This was one of our first science experiments with toddlers, and it was so much fun. 

Pumpkin Books

Pumpkin Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

Pumpkin Lesson Plans Preschool 

Science for Kids

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EXPLODING PUMPKIN SCIENCE

How to Make a Pumpkin Volcano