Last week I wrote about my favourite Halloween songs and rhymes. I recently stumbled upon the Pete the Cat book version of “5 Little Pumpkins” and decided it would be an easy enough felt story to make for a novice like myself . It’d also be great to help my toddlers visualize the rhyme as we count on our fingers. Lots of people have done a felt story version before – check out the Halloween board by Flannel Friday for more ideas. Here’s what I did!
Step 1: Find clipart pictures of pumpkins and adjust them to different sizes. Print and cut out.
Step 2: Trace pumpkins onto felt. I used a pen. Cut out the pumpkins. I ran out of orange felt and had to add some yellow pumpkins.
Step 3: Cut out all sorts of different shapes for the eyes, noses, and mouths. These pieces are tiny and can be tricky, but the kids will not care one bit if they are wonky. I promise. I used scraps of black felt for this part.
Step 4: Cut out strips of brown felt and make one end pointed. They can be different lengths and widths. Cut out two longer strips that will hold the gate together. Make the gate as long or as short as you’d like.
Step 5: Assemble pumpkins and gate usually hot glue. Burn your fingers multiple times – don’t fight it; it’s inevitable. Don’t panic when your gate looks like it’s been through a windstorm. This gives it character (right?).
Step 6: Use in storytime!
Thank you to Kathryn at Fun with Friends at Storytime for hosting this week’s Flannel Friday round-up. I love the Flannel Friday community.
I am super impressed by your fence and tiny detailed pumpkin faces! You make it look so easy. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Jessica! The tiny little faces were definitely the hardest part, but I gave up trying to make them perfect.
Hi, Lindsey!I have to tell you I am so lucky to meet Jbrary. I am a Chinese English teacher. From last Sunday, I began to have storytimes for preschoolers. Last Sunday’s theme was “food”, and I applied your idea to my storytime. We sang “Bread and Butter”、“pat a cake”、“Bananas Unite” and all the kids loved the songs，so all of us had a wonderful time last Sunday. Thank u sooooo much. I love your ideas so much. Thank u again.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Haddy! I’m so glad Jbrary has been helpful to you. Food is one of my favourite topics – that’s probably why we have so many songs about food 🙂
Hi everyone! I switched this up a bit and am using it for my Thanksgiving toddler storytime….here it goes:
Five pumpkins rolling by, one cracks open (clap hands) and we turn it into pie! I tell my grandma and my grandma smiles, “grab more pumpkins and make more pie!”
Then you count down with four, three, two and one…when you get to no pumpkins it goes like this.
No pumpkins rolling by, we grabbed them all and turned them into pie. I look at my grandma and my grandma groans , “no more pumpkins and no more pie!”
just don’t slip up and say crap instead of crack like I did!! lol!!
Hahaha! I’ve definitely slipped up before too. Thanks for sharing this alternate version!