Pumpkin-Themed Show and Tell

Oh I love show and tell.  Seriously, I do. I know that for some teachers it is probably their least favorite thing, and I know teachers that refuse to do it because it create chaos in their classrooms - but I love it.  There are so many ways to use show and tell to support what you're learning in the classroom (check out this post for ideas).

One way to make show and tell really work for you is to link it to whatever theme or project you are currently working on.  Since October and November are all about pumpkins, here are some ideas for pumpkin related show-and-tell:

• Ask children to bring a photo of a pumpkin that they have at home (or that they find in their neighborhood)
• Think about the properties of a pumpkin, and then ask children to bring something related to those (i.e. something orange, something slimy, something with seeds, etc.)
• Ask families to bake something with pumpkin or share a pumpkin recipe
• Send home a small pumpkin for families to decorate with materials they have at home, then ask them to bring back the finished pumpkin for show and tell.  If you are worried about families having materials at home, this would make a great family engagement event.  You could provide a variety of materials and space to decorate (and let them dry), then children could share them the next day
• See how many things the class can collect that are shaped like pumpkins (treat buckets, cookie cutters, chocolate bars, candy corn, jewelry, etc.) and make a list as the children find new things

Each of these opportunities would be a great way to get to know your students and their families better. It would also make wonderful assessment evidence because it would give you the chance to see how children understand the assignment, and how well they are able to speak about whatever they've chosen to share.