1-2-3 Come Do Some Pumpkin Shape Activities With Me

Do you read the story “Spookley The Square Pumpkin”, by Joe Troiano?  This cute book has a message of tolerance, acceptance and being kind, which is so important in today’s diversified classrooms. 

It’s also a great read if your class follows a “bucket filling” program. I use it to practice 2D shapes as well.

With these things in mind, I designed this “shapely pumpkin packet” which includes an emergent reader booklet featuring words from the Dolch lists, with a full page option teacher's can share, as well as a 2-on-a-page pattern for your students. 

Students read, trace, write and color, as well as draw the 2D shapes: circle, oval, rectangle, square, triangle, & hexagon. They also underline the capital letters and include the end punctuation.

There’s also a quick, easy and super-fun "shapely pumpkin" craftivity.

If your school's not into Halloween, but a harvest theme, students pick a shape and make a plain, pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.

Older students can write the name of the shape on the front of their pumpkin and a list of attributes on the back.

My school celebrates Halloween, so we opt for a Jack-O-Lantern "shapely pumpkin".

I've included the blank patterns mentioned above, where students can draw on their own face, plus there's a set with facial features on each pumpkin shape that match the shape of their pumpkin. (Check out the photographs.)

Besides the standard shapes listed above, I’ve also included patterns to make a pentagon, octagon, trapezoid, rhombus, heart and star pumpkin too.

For some extra 3D pizzazz, have students strengthen those finger muscles by wrapping a green pipe cleaner around a pencil to create a vine, which they attach to the top of the back of their pumpkin using a piece of tape.

Completed projects make an adorable, pumpkin patch bulletin board. Use the 3 posters for the center of your display, and the "pumpkin patch" sign for the side.

Afterwards, use the graphing extension to see which pumpkin shape was your students' favorite.

For further reinforcement, there’s a set of colorful pumpkin cards, which feature all of the 12, 2D shapes listed.

Use as a center for an independent sorting activity. You can also make an extra set; cut the cards in half to make puzzles.
The matching pocket chart cards could also be cut in half. (These cards are on the cover photo.)

There are shape word cards for a Memory Match game as well. Children can match picture to word, or picture to picture.

You can use these for an “I Have; Who Has?” game too. “I have the circle shaped pumpkin card. Who has the circle word card?”

The packet also includes several writing prompts based on "Spookley", as well as 2 Venn diagrams, plus several bookmarks.

Because "Spookley The Square Pumpkin" is a rhyming story, I've also included  a “Rhyme Time” activity, where students think of words that rhyme with square. 

You can do this independently using the worksheet, or list them together as a whole group.  As always, I've made an answer key with an alphabetical list of 81 words! 

Today's featured FREEBIE, is also a rhyme.  Since I don't have time anymore to do a specific unit on nursery rhymes, I try to include matching themed ones with whatever we're currently studying.

Thus "Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater" is perfect for October.  Click on the link for a sweet, keepsake craftivity, along with a poster poem of the rhyme. 

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for popping in.

The trees have just started to turn beautiful orange, yellows and red, so it's time for a nice long walk with Chloe. Wishing you a relaxing day.

"Autumn leaves come falling down; red, orange, yellow and brown." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make a Venn Friend With Me

Venn diagrams are a quick, easy & fun way to introduce the concept of comparison-contrast writing.

Years ago, I came up with the concept of students choosing a partner to make a "Venn Friend" with, as an interesting way for students to get to know each other.

I designed the fall "Venn Friends" packet, which feature apples, pumpkins, leaves, turkeys, Pilgrims & Native Americans.

Introduce the lesson with the "What's a Venn diagram?" poster.

To help them do a thorough job completing their Venn diagram and jump start the writing process, I've included a list of 40 questions that they can choose from to discuss with their partner.

Each student does their own "different" portion of the "circle", and then, once they glue their "circles" together, they take turns recording the similarities that they have with their Venn Friend, using the middle "same" section.

I used a "pumpkin seed" for the middle of the Pumpkin Venn Friends, and an acorn for the leaf ones. 

You can see little boy & girl "toppers" in the pumpkin photo. 

These are black & white so kiddos can color them.  Use them on the pumpkins, leaves or apples. 

I encourage students to do a boy/girl Venn friend, not only so they have an extra "difference" but so they can see how much they truly have in common with eachother.

Doing a Name Venn with a classmate, is another option, and practices upper & lowercase letters, along with name recognition & counting. 

I also incorporate the concept of “greater & less than” with this activity, as students decide who has the most or least number of letters in their name.

I’ve made a sample using an apple, as I do this in September, for a “Getting to Know You” activity for “Back to School”.   There are 3 sets of letter tiles for your kiddos to choose from.

My Y5s enjoy this activity so much, I repeat it in October with pumpkins, and see quite a bit of improvement.

As you can see by the photograph, colorful paper plates (smaller 8” size) provide a nice 3D effect.

I pre-cut these to expedite the activity. Besides yellow & red, I also buy lime green plates, giving my students an option. 

Besides using paper plates, I've also included a wormy apple pattern.

There’s also more than one option for November. Students have 3 choices for their Venn friend topper: a turkey, a Pilgrim boy or girl, or a Native American boy or girl.

You can have a turkey find a turkey partner, a boy Pilgrim find a girl Pilgrim, or a boy Native American find a boy Pilgrim, mixing and matching however you or your students wish.

I designed the Venn friends, specifically so students could get to know a classmate better, but you could certainly have students pretend to be "real" Pilgrims and Native American children, and then compare and contrast historical information as well.

Each seasonal Venn, comes with a graphing extension, so you can get some math practice in as well.

For that finishing touch, add a school photograph. Students could also make a green hand print "leaf" for their pumpkin.

Completed projects make awesome fall bulletin boards. Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to check out the super-fun, 51 page, Fall Venn Friend packet. 

Since Halloween is just a week away, I thought a "Halloween Boo Boos" worksheet would be a fun FREEBIE. Students make corrections to the sentences that have mistakes in them.

Click on the link to grab a copy.  It's certainly a little something fun, yet educational for party day.

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. 

The winds have knocked a lot of leaves off the trees, so this afternoon the hubby, pup & I are going for a relaxing drive to see what's left of the gorgeous fall colors, before they become  a distant memory, as barren trees dot the landscape.

I am so not ready for winter. Wishing you a pretty and peaceful day.

"How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days." - John Burroughs

1-2-3 Come Make Some Number Puzzles With Me

Learning to count can be tedious and a bit overwhelming for little ones.  If that isn't a big enough job, learning to count backwards, as well as skip count are also standards.

With this in mind, I designed number "strip" puzzles.  I call them that because I cut the puzzles into strips.

Number puzzles provide a quick, easy and fun way to help students practice counting & sequencing numbers from 1-10, and counting backwards from 10 to 1, as well as skip counting by 2s & 10s, plus my Y5s absolutely LOVE them.  

I usually make the puzzles on a full sheet of paper.  Some are vertical, while other designs are horizontal. I decided to make an apple and pumpkin "shape" strip puzzle for those units.

Simply run the templates off on red and orange paper.
Choose the number puzzle that best fits your needs, or give students a choice.

For a cool mosaic effect, children trim and glue to another sheet of paper after they have traced the numbers. 

I chose black to make the puzzle pop. Remind students to leave a small gap in-between each puzzle strip. To make it more of a keepsake, have students make a green hand print leaf.

Completed projects make an interesting fall bulletin board.
Laminate an extra set of all 8 puzzles, to use for an independent math center or for "early finishers". 

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to have a look: Apple & Pumpkin Number Puzzles.

The featured FREEBIE today is a Halloween crayon resist watercolor activity.  There are 5 patterns to choose from, with directions how to set things up. 

Children pick a picture and color it.  Remind them to press hard, and really fill it in. Afterwards, they paint over the entire picture with watercolors.  The waxy build up creates an awesome effect. 

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for popping in.  I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and creatively crazy at the moment, as October is filled with so many super-fun themes: fire safety, spiders, bats, scarecrows and Halloween. 

I have a zillion ideas buzzing in my head, and as many projects started or in the rough draft stage.  Hmmmm ... What shall I work on today?  Wishing you a happy and productive day doing things that you truly enjoy.  

"In crafting there are no mistakes, just unique creations." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make A Family Pumpkin Patch With Me

Are family names part of your word wall? Do you have ESL students in your class?  If so, I think you’ll enjoy this Family Pumpkin Patch Dollar Deal.

It's a quick, easy and fun craftivity to reinforce those words, and completed projects look awesome hanging from the ceiling.

 The packet includes:

* Pocket chart cards with family names: (mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa, pets, cat, dog, bird, fish)
Use them as flashcards, in your pocket chart, or on your word wall.

* There's also a sweet family pumpkin craftivity, where children write their family's names on the back of the pumpkin pattern. 

For that finishing touch, add a green "hand print" leaf, and a school photo.

* I've included a note home to get help with this activity, or simply send the pumpkin portion home to be completed and then returned.

* There's a family word search with answer key, plus
* Graphing & Tally Mark math extensions, as well as

* 2 trace & write worksheets
* Use the “A Patch of Family Pumpkins” poster, for your display. 

Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to have a look at this fun Dollar Deal:  Family Pumpkin Patch

Today's featured FREEBIE is a manipulative "Pumpkin on a Popsicle stick puppet", that my kiddos make when we sing this pumpkin song: "Pumpkin, pumpkin round and fat, turns into a Jack-O-Lantern just like that!" 

On one side they have a blank pumpkin, on the other they have a pumpkin with a face on it. Click on the link to grab a copy. Pumpkin Poem Puppet.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. This "nana" is watching her grand grandchildren today, so it's time to hustle and put my toys away and haul out theirs. 

Wishing you a delightful day, filled with lots of heartwarming giggles.

"I love music of all kinds, but there's no greater music than the sound of my children and grandchildren laughing." -Sylvia Earle

1-2-3 Come Do Some Letter Pp Activities With Me

Woo Hoo for Diane's Dollar Deals!  I'm featuring two, pumpkin-themed ones, on the blog today. Dollar Deal Alphabet Wheels, are a quick, easy & fun way to practice letters.

I priced them at only a dollar, so that you can afford to collect all of the individual alphabet wheels.

They feature 6 nouns that begin with that letter, and come in black and white, as well as full-color, so that you can use them as an independent center or individual word work activity.

I've also included a worksheet where students trace & write the words in alphabetical order.  

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to take a peek at the Pp is for Pumpkin Dollar Deal Alphabet Wheel.

The other Pumpin Dollar Deal is an emergent reader: Pp is for Pumpkin.

It's filled with beginning letter Pp nouns. There are 11.

It's also packed with Dolch sight words and great practice for pronouns, as well as end punctuation.

Students read the simple sentences using the pictures as clues, and then add the appropriate end punctuation. (period, question mark, exclamation point).

They trace and write the Pp word, then color the picture.

There are 5, mini-strip pages, to a one-page template.
Students trim, collate and staple to the front of their "Pp is for pumpkin" cover to make a flip booklet.

I've also included matching picture and word cards to play games like Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?".

They come in color as well as black & white, so that you can use them as an independent center for Daily 5 Word Work, or children can make their own game to practice at home. 

Students can match picture to picture, or picture to word.  They can also alphabetize the word cards and use them to write their own sentences.

As with the individual alphabet wheels, I've priced these emergent readers at only a dollar, to make them affordable, so that you can collect all of the flip booklets in this series. 

Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to have a look: Pp is for Pumpkin Emergent Reader

While you're there, I would so appreciate it if you'd click on the "Follow me" button, so you'll know when I post more Diane's Dollar Deals & FREEBIES.

I'm only 11 shy of reaching the 700 followers milestone! I know it's kind of silly getting excited about breaking records, but I do none the less.  Thanks in advance.

Speaking of FREEBIES, today's is also pumpkin related.  It's an apple-pumpkin Venn diagram.

Venn diagrams are a quick, easy & fun way to practice comparison-contrast writing.  This Venn diagram is a perfect way to reinforce and review the things your students learned about apples and pumpkins.

That's it for today.  I'm trying to finish some of the other fall-themed letter wheels & emergent readers and will hopefully have Ll is for Leaf done by the end of the week.

Hope you can pop back. Wishing you a joy-filled day.

 "Beauty for some provides escape, who gain a happiness in eyeing Autumn sunsets exquisitely dying." -Langston Hughes

1-2-3 Come Do Some Writing Craftivities With Me

The key to getting children motivated to write, is simply giving them something exciting and fun to tease their imaginations and get the creative juices flowing.

Pumpkins in the News does that.  It's my latest, 29-page, writing prompt-emergent reader packet.  

I’ve included 2 class-made books: The Case of the Missing Pumpkins, as well as Our Class Pumpkins in the News.

To get the pumpkin rolling, there’s a “What can you do with a pumpkin?” poster, which includes two graphing extensions to cover more standards.

Children will readily share that you can eat and carve them, but are they aware that you can grow a record-breaking giant pumpkin, catapult them through the air, or turn them into a boat and sail them in a regatta?

All of these are popular contests and make headlines in the news.
I’ve included links to awesome videos to whet everyone’s writing appetites.

On the crazy creative side, how about the discovery of an alien pumpkin, or a pumpkin that could talk or grant 3 wishes?

Trust me, your kiddos will WANT to get right down to the business of writing! Woo hoo.

The crafty part of the project is a newsprint pumpkin.
Coloring newspaper with crayons or markers, creates a super-interesting and awesome look.

Completed projects look amazing swirling & twirling from the ceiling.  I've included several "header" cards to choose from, as a title for your display.

Little ones can search for all of the letter Pp’s and circle them.

I’ve also included several worksheets for more letter Pp practice.

Toss in a bit of shape review, with the pumpkin’s facial features, and practice spelling names via his smile. 

The emergent reader has 6, mini pages on a one-page template, to create a "just the right size" booklet, which comes in color for a teacher's edition, as well as black & white for your kiddos.

There's also a pattern with 12-on-a-page to make an Itty Bitty one.  It's packed with plenty of Dolch sight words.

I've included an optional 7th page that says "Happy Halloween".

If you don't include it with the emergent reader, you could give them to your kiddos on party day.

They are today's featured FREEBIE.  Click on the link to grab a copy in both black & white as well as color.

Well that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by. It's my sincere hope that your own little "punkins" enjoy these craftivities.  It's a gorgeous 70 degrees today; the leaves are finally starting to turn.

The fresh air floating in from my window is beckoning me to come play.  I shall succumb.  Wishing you a peaceful day.

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion." - Henry David Thoreau 

1-2-3 Come Do Some Pumpkin Life Cycle Activities With Me

Since the Life Cycle of an Apple packet, was so popular, I decided to make a matching one featuring a pumpkin's life cycle.

You’ll love the versatility, as it’s appropriate for a variety of ages and levels, with lots of options.

The Life Cycle of a Pumpkin emergent reader, is great non-fiction practice that reinforces plenty of sight words, as it includes 37 from the Dolch word lists!  Picture prompts help with the rest.

I’ve included a color copy for teachers, as well as a student copy in black & white.

Children trace and write the life cycle words, read the simple sentences, color the pictures, then cut & collate the pages into a “just the right size” booklet.

There’s a template with 6 on a page, as well as one with 12 mini-pages on a one-page template, so that you have the option to make Itty Bitty booklets, that are a real paper-saver.

To assist with reading, review the life cycle of a pumpkin with the 12 colorful pocket chart cards.

There’s a set featuring wonderful clip art, as well a set with real life photographs.
Use the smaller sets to play a Memory Match or Speed (sequencing) game.

I also made a bookmark-size template (with 4-on-a-page) for your students. 

You can also review the life cycle with a colorful pumpkin poster.  I've included a black line version your kidos can do as a worksheet.

The 6, pumpkin craftivities, also reinforce the life cycle.
Nothing like a hands-on artsy activity to get your kiddos excited, and completed projects make an awesome bulletin board or hallway display.

Because they are quick, easy & fun, and so different from each other, you could do several.

For example, do the flat Jack-o-lantern life cycle as a homework assignment worksheet, and the pumpkin life cycle wheel as an independent center or whole group activity. 

The pumpkin wheel craftivity is my personal favorite; the green stem acts as a pull-tab to easily rotate the pumpkin to show the various stages.

All of the crafts come in full-color so you can make a quick sample to share, as well as black & white for your kiddos to color.

If you do the “Oh My! Pumpkin Pie” craftivity, spritz with pumpkin-cinnamon air freshener! Your room will smell wonderful.

The ”life cycle-circles” come in 2 sizes, as well as black & white, plus full-color options, with and without word labels.

The packet also includes 15 posters featuring real photographs of the various stages of a pumpkin’s life cycle, which make a lovely bulletin board display, or simply share them with your kiddos to introduce or review the stages.

I think photographs really add to a lesson, as it's always amazing to me how many of my little "punkins" have never been to a pumpkin patch to pick out their pumpkin, or are even aware of the fact that pumpkins, like apples, come in more than one color. 

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to take a look see at this 85-pager: Life Cycle of a Pumpkin packet.  It's my sincere hope that you & your sweeties enjoy these activities as much as mine do.

While you're over there, I'd so appreciate it if you'd click the "Follow me" button. That way you'll know when I post FREEBIES, & Diane's Dollar Deals.

Thanks in advance; I'm excited to reach 700 followers.  I always design a special freebie when I hit a "milestone". Speaking of FREEBIES, the featured one today is also about pumpkins. 

I call it "Peekin' in a Pumpkin" because you can literally peek inside the paper plate pumpkin "window", and see "pumpkin guts". 

On the front of the paper plate, students draw a Jack-o'-lantern.  My kiddos absolutely LOVE doing this craftivity, and the results, suspended from the ceiling in the hall, are simply "spook-tacular!"

We get lots of "ooh ahh" comments too.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  The trees are just starting to turn, so it's time for a nature walk.

My poodle pup, Chloe, will be thrilled.  Wishing you a relaxing day; I hope it's invigorating as well.

"When the wind blows through a wood, its mass is cut and closed by every leaf, forming a train of jittery vortices in the air." -Alice Oswald

1-2-3 Come Do A Super-Fun Writing Prompt With Me

There's never enough time to get in all of the wonderful "Getting to know you" activities we do for back to school, so I do at least one each month.

My kiddos LOVE sharing about themselves, so they really enjoy this type of writing. Plus, it's fun to continue to learn more about our classmates.

With this in mind, I designed "Me!" A Fall-Themed Writing Prompt packet. 

All you have to do to get excited about this "craftivity", is make a sample of your own, to see how much fun this is!

An added bonus is that completed projects make an easy bulletin board you can keep up for months! Woo hoo. Caption: "Fall Into Writing!"

Plus, this activity is so versatile, it can be done by PK kiddos with one-word answers, all the way up through 5th grade!

Have older students write 3-4 things in each section.
You can also encourage the use of adjectives too.

There are 7, autumn-shapes to choose from: an apple, 2 pumpkins, 3 leaves and an acorn.

Because they are all fall pictures, you can give students a choice for an eclectic bulletin board display.

Just pumpkins in a patch, leaves and acorns blowing in the wind, or apples on a tree or in a big basket look terrific too.

If you choose the pumpkin pattern without a leaf, have children trace their hand on green construction paper, trim and add to the top for a "keepsake" leaf.

I've also included blank templates, so you can dream up your own writing prompts.

Do in class, or send home as a homework assignment that your kiddos will really want to do!

For that finishing touch, add a school photo. I also have my students choose 2 or 3 colors, so we can practice an AB-AB or ABC-ABC pattern, which really makes their completed writing prompt stand out.

Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to have a look see at this 20-pager: "Me!" Fall Writing Promt Craftivity packet.

While there, I'd so appreciate it if you'd follow me.  That way you'll know when I post FREEBIES, Diane's Dollar Deals, new stuff or have a sale. 

I know it sounds silly, but I really get excited seeing that  number grow.  I'm anxious to reach 700 followers.  Whenever I achieve a milestone, I create a special freebie that will hopefully knock-your-socks off!

Speaking of FREEBIES, today's featured free item is a 15-page leaf-themed math worksheet packet.  Reinforce numbers, sequencing, skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s & 10s. Plus, there are "What's Missing?" worksheets, and some for counting to 120.  Click on the link to grab a copy. 

Well that's it for today.  It's a chilly morning, but no frost on the pumpkins yet (PTL).

I am so not ready for winter-weather during fall.  Wishing you a warm and snuggly kind of day.

"How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of life and color are their last days." -John Burroughs

 1-2-3 Come Do A Few Pumpkin Craftivities With Me

Now that October is nearing an end and your students have hopefully read a zillion fall books, or you've read them during story time, have children choose their favorite fall book and do one or more of the craftivities in this Common Core Pumpkin packet, which covers a lot of reading and writing standards.  Woo Hoo!

The packet includes:

A pumpkin book report craftivity. 

"Read it" is a play on words for "Ribbit" so I've also included a little frog template that you can run off. 

Students color, trim and glue the frog to their pumpkin.  There's also a blank pumpkin template without the words "Read it"  

Students can leave the pumpkin plain, or draw on a face to make a Jack-O-Lantern, especially if they're writing about a Halloween book.

Run off the "pumpkin guts" writing prompt section on yellow paper. Students  fill in with information about their favorite book.

Add some finishing touches with crayons and a school photo glued to the stem.

The packet also includes another writing activity without a craft.

Older  students write about two of their favorite fall books on the recording sheet.

If you want them to compare and constrast the books they've chosen, they can fill out the Venn diagram to help organize their thoughts.

Are you working on retelling a story with your kiddos? The beginning-middle-end story pumpkin craftivity, will be a fun way for them to share their thoughts.

As with the other craft, I've also included a blank pumpkin pattern, so students can draw on their own face.  Run off the template of your choice on orange construction paper. 

Students place the orange pumpkin paper on the top of a yellow sheet of construction paper and cut once, creating the inside of their page at the same time that they cut out their pumpkin cover.

Children glue or staple their booklet together. (I've provided a nice wide tab on the left side.)  Cutting on the dashed lines of the orange paper, students create a flip booklet to explain the beginning, middle and end of their story.

I've included samples of both projects, so you can quickly and easily make your own examples to share with your students. 

For my book report pumpkin,  I chose the story Big Pumpkin, by Erica Silverman. 

For the retelling-a-story pumpkin, I chose The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid Of Anything, by Linda Williams.  These are two of my all-time favorite Halloween books.  They've always been favorites for my Y5's as well. 

Any of the activities work well for your Daily 5, and are especially fun for Halloween party day.  Let's face it, most children are so energized that day, that it's nice to have something a bit out of the ordinary, to grab their attention and keep them focused, while still learning something relevant.

Completed projects make wonderful bulletin boards or hallway displays. The pumpkin book report looks cute hung back-to-back suspended from the ceiling.

A nice bonus about the pumpkin craftivities without Jack-O-Lantern faces, is that you can keep these displays up through Thanksgiving, with the rest of your November harvest things.

Click on the link to view/download the Common Core Pumpkin Reading Craftivities.

Thanks for visiting today. I'm dashing off to do some serious grocery shopping. 

You know you're low on things when you're out of condiments like ketchup and mayo, to say nothing of the rest that I need to make dinner for tonight. Wishing you a productive day.

"The injury we do and the one we suffer are not weighed in the same scale." -- Aesop  

1-2-3 Come Make A Pumpkin Writing Prompt Craftivity With Me

With all of the pros and cons about Halloween and the hype about the negative versus the positive aspects of the holiday, I thought this controversy would make an interesting October writing prompt that even younger students could manage. This would be great for your writing block or Daily 5 writing portion on Halloween day, which tends to be a bit crazy.

As a whole group, brainstorm what things students like about Halloween and list them on the board.  Then discuss the negative aspects of the holiday and things that they don't like about Halloween.  Write those on the board as well.  

The lists can help students with spelling, as well as deciding what things they want to include in their own writing prompt. 

I've always been intriqued by the positive negative aspects of art, and the fun things you can create around that concept. 

With that in mind, I thought the perfect craft to use as a topper for this writing prompt, would be a positive negative pumpkin.   Click on the link to grab your FREEBIE.

Here's how to make one:

Run the pumpkin template off on orange construction paper. I've put two pumpkins on a page for qucik printing, so you'll need to cut them in half using a paper cutter. 

Likewise, cut black construction paper in half as well.  Students lay their 1/2 sheet of black construction paper underneath their orange paper pumpkin half, and then cut out 2 pumpkin halves at the same time.  One will be orange; the other black.

When they are done, they glue a half sheet of black construction paper onto a whole sheet of orange construction paper.

Now glue the orange pumpkin on top of the black construction paper side, and the black pumpkin on the orange construction paper side, so that the two pumpkins are joined together, making a positive and negative pumpkin picture. 

Finally, students glue their writing prompt underneath. I've included a completed sample if you want to use mine to make an example to share with your kiddos. 

You could do this with other Halloween themed objects as well.  I found this monster version over at In The Art Room, when I Googled positive negative art samples.  Instead of using my pumpkin pattern, students could also create a Jack-O-Lantern of their own.

While doing research, I found a helpful art site. For more information about positive-negative art click on the link. 

There's a short video clip explaining the positive negative art form, plus some cool samples like this one.  Do you see a vase or two profiles?

Thanks for visiting today.  Since it's not too brisk out, I'm off to do a bit of winterizing in my garden.  Too much for one day, but slow and sure wins the race.  Wishing you an energizing day.

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." -- Joseph Addison