Weekly Update October 31, 2025 - A Week of Pumpkins and Halloween Fun at The Fox Hill School

After learning all about apples over the last few weeks, we’ve moved on to a new fall favorite: pumpkins! The Fox Hill School was filled with hands-on exploration, art, sensory play, and festive Halloween fun as we dove into everything pumpkin.

Focus Book of the Week: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

This week, our read-aloud The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams, sparked a wonderful exploration! We loved acting out the story, especially with the "clomp, clomp" of shoes and the "pumpkin head that say Boo Boo!" Seeing the pumpkin head led to some lively discussions about where pumpkins come from, how they grow, and their importance in fall and Halloween. This natural curiosity guided us into our next study: a hands-on adventure exploring pumpkins through stories, art, and sensory play.

Knuckle Pumpkins: A Creative Fall Art Activity

One of our favorite art projects was making knuckle pumpkins. Using our knuckles as stamps to make pumpkin shapes gave everyone a fun, hands-on way to explore texture and shape while also getting a chance to be creative. To make knuckle pumpkins, we painted our knuckles with orange paint and then made a fist and stamped them on paper.  We were so surprised that they turned out looking just like pumpkins!  Once they dried, we added green vines, tendrils, and brown stems.

This art project was more than just fun; it also supported some important developmental skills! By using our knuckles to stamp pumpkin shapes, we worked on strengthening our fine motor muscles and hand-eye coordination, both essential for future writing and self-care tasks! The cool, wet paint offered sensory input while encouraging experimentation with pressure and texture. Most importantly, each child’s unique creation fostered creativity, confidence, and joy as they explored the process of making art in a playful, hands-on way.

Sculpting Pumpkins with Clay

In another art and sensory experience, we used air-dry clay to sculpt our own pumpkins. This activity allowed everyone to learn through touch, creativity, and exploration. Rolling and shaping the clay was another way to help strengthen the small muscles in our hands and work on our fine motor skills. Working with clay also encouraged spatial awareness and problem-solving, as we figured out how to form round shapes. The cool, mushy clay also offered a different sensory experience. Once we shaped our pumpkin, we pushed a stick into the top to make a stem.  We also twisted pipe cleaners into spirals and added them to the top of our pumpkins to make a tendril.  We had so much fun sculpting our pumpkins and can’t wait to paint them once they dry!

Opening a Pumpkin: Hands-On Science and Discovery

After reading about pumpkins and making our own, we decided it was time to explore a real pumpkin!  We started by examining the pumpkin's outside, then sliced it open to reveal its exciting, squishy interior. We got the chance to touch the gooey pulp and seeds, learning about each part: skin, flesh, stem, pulp, and seeds. We also used descriptive words to explain what we were seeing and feeling.

Shape Jack-O’-Lanterns: Learning Through Play

We also made jack-o’-lantern faces using several different foam shapes. This creative math activity encouraged shape recognition, spatial awareness, and decision-making—all while celebrating Halloween.

Creating Spooky Halloween Stories Through Dictation

Another way we celebrated Halloween was by dictating our very own Halloween stories. Everyone shared their ideas aloud and then illustrated their stories.  We had some great stories about friendly ghosts, silly monsters, invisible campfires, magical pumpkins, and even muskrats! This process not only honored our creativity but also helped us see ourselves as real authors and storytellers. Dictation encourages language development, storytelling skills, and confidence in self-expression.

Trick-or-Treating and Classroom Halloween Fun

We ended the week with our own classroom trick-or-treat celebration! On Thursday and Friday, we made Halloween bracelets, spooky drawings on black paper with oil pastels, and played a pumpkin toss game.  We then trick-or-treated in our classrooms and had a Halloween dance party! 

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Reminders:

• November 2 - Daylight Saving Time ends - turn clocks back

• November 11 - Veterans' Day - NO SCHOOL

• November 14 - Tuition payment 4 scheduled

• November 26 - Early Release @ 11:30 - No "Explore More" program

• November 27 - Thanksgiving - NO SCHOOL

• November 28 - Day after Thanksgiving - NO SCHOOL