If you have never tried this art medium, a pumpkin salt painting is a fun and beautiful way to create a piece for display. Look at my pages How to Turn a Pumpkin Lapbook into a Fun Unit Study and Fall Season Unit Study and Free Lapbook for more ideas!
And learn about the big round squash that signals fall is here.
Dig into pumpkins literally and figuratively by studying them through lapbooks, crafts, activities, recipes and more.
Look no further than down the page to find lots of ideas to do just that.
Pumpkins are a vibrant and versatile member of the squash family that hold a special place in North American culture and cuisine.
Originally from this region, they’ve become a symbol of the fall season and are celebrated for their plump, round shape and vibrant orange hue.
However, pumpkins come in a variety of other colors, including white, green, and yellow, each with its own unique charm.
Interestingly, pumpkins aren’t even vegetables as many people believe.
Botanically speaking, they’re classified as fruits because they develop from the ovary of a flowering plant and contain seeds.
Pumpkins have inspired art for centuries.
They have been used in everything from folklore and fairy tales to paintings and sculptures.
The iconic shape and vibrant colors have made them a popular subject in both traditional and contemporary art.
But today I want to show you how to create your own special little pumpkin art piece using glue, salt, and watercolor paints.
It really is a great activity for all ages and can run the gamut from a simple round pumpkin to a field full of more detailed pumpkins for older kids.
PUMPKIN BOOKS FOR KIDS
Next, look at these books about pumpkins.
Read aloud or have fun reading together before or after this fun pumpkin salt painting.
8 Pumpkin Books
Grab some of these fun books about pumpkins, fall and fall harvest.
Rebecca Estelle has hated pumpkins ever since she was a girl when pumpkins were often the only food her family had. When an enormous pumpkin falls off a truck and smashes in her yard, she shovels dirt over the pieces and forgets about them. But those slimy pumpkin smithereens sprout up in autumn, and Rebecca Estelle finds a sea of pumpkins in her garden. A heartwarming classic for more than twenty years, this story shows what happens when one thrifty gardener figures out how to make other people happy with the squash she can't stomach.
Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie follows Apples for Everyone in the Picture the Seasons series. This beautifully photographed picture book about everybody’s favorite fall treat is sure to please kids both young and old. The glossy, festive images and lively text are sure to get your family in the mood to celebrate the season.Pumpkins! Who can resist the sight of big, round, orange pumpkins ripening in a field?
Every year, giant pumpkin contests take place at fairs across the country—the 2012 record-holder weighed over a ton! The latest craze is to carve the most enormous pumpkins into racing boats. But what’s next? Why not think really big? Award-winning artist Wendell Minor does just that as he imagines larger-than-life pumpkins decorating some of America’s favorite places—as immense as the Capitol dome, Mount Rushmore, the Brooklyn Bridge, even the Grand Canyon! This celebration of famous landmarks and landscapes plays with concepts of size and scale and is full of fun facts.
How many seeds are in a pumpkin?" Mr. Tiffin asks his class as they gather around the big, medium, and small pumpkins on his desk. Robert, the biggest kid, guesses that the largest one has a million seeds; Elinor, sounding like she knows what she's talking about, guesses the medium one has 500 seeds; and Anna, who likes even numbers better than odd ones, guesses that the little one has 22. Charlie, the smallest boy in the class, doesn't have a guess.
This is a clear and appealing environmental science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Plus it includes a find out more section with activities such as an experiment to show how plants use roots to drink water from the ground and a recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds.
"Mr. Tresselt writes quiet, factual prose about katydids, reapers and threshing, falling leaves, apple-gathering, and the first frost."-
Mr. Hermit Miser doesn’t like his neighbors, and they don’t like him. But when a pumpkin vine sprouts in Mr. Hermit Miser’s yard and makes its way into the neighbors’ yards, but he wants all those pumpkins for pies … well, what is he to do?
With adventures in pumpkin-snatching, failed attempts at baking pies, and pumpkin goo everywhere, this tale about being neighborly in a not-so-perfect way will be an endearing autumn story for all the readers in your circle.
Next, look at some of these fun pumpkin activities.
12 PUMPKIN CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR FALL
- Learn How To Make A Paper Popper Pumpkin Treat Bag to gift to friends and family.
- Make these beautiful DIY Pumpkin Beeswax Candles and add a special touch to your home while your child learns a new skill in candle making.
- Fill your home with a wonderful fall fragrance while you use DIY Pumpkin Spice Salt Dough to make little decor pieces to place all around.
- How To Do An Easy Science Pumpkin Study By A Rotting Pumpkin Experiment.
- Kids who love sensory experiences will enjoy this ooey gooey Pumpkin Guts Slime Recipe while they learn about our favorite squash.
- Fall Y’all:Pumpkin Pie in a Bag (Easy Homeschool Co-op Idea)
- Recipes are such a wonderful way to teach your child reading, following directions, life skills, and of course science, give this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread a try.
- For a different style of pumpkin art I also have a tutorial for a Kids Fun Glue and Watercolor Fall Pumpkin Unit Study, see which method you prefer.
- Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study
- Easy Fall Crafts for Middle School: DIY String Pumpkin Art
- Pumpkin Anatomy | Kids Exploring the Parts of a Pumpkin And Printables
Check out my Dynamic and Fun Pumpkin Lapbook for Multiple Ages and learn everything you ever wanted to know about pumpkins from life cycle to fun facts.
PUMPKIN SALT PAINTING
This cool art project once dried gives your pumpkin outlines a cool crystalized look that is unique.
Encourage your kids to get creative and use colors other than basic orange to fill in the lines.
Because this activity can be quite messy you will want to put a plastic tablecloth or a silicone mat beneath the paper.
You will need:
- Watercolor paper
- Table salt
- School glue
- Watercolor paint
- Water
- Paintbrush
First use a pencil to draw out your pumpkin(pumpkins).
Keep it simple but add as much detail as you like including vines, leaves, and ground cover.
When you are satisfied with your pumpkin drawing, use the tip of a bottle of school glue to ‘draw’ over.
Draw over the top of the pencil lines with a nice thick line of glue.
While the glue is still very wet, cover it completely in salt, you want to use plenty to make sure the glue is coated.
Pour off all the excess salt (Keep it for another art piece).
Load up a small paintbrush with water and saturate your colors.
Dip the paintbrush in watercolor and then lightly tap it along the salt lines.
Watch how it grabs the color and begins to spread it along the lines.
You could also use liquid watercolors if you prefer.
Continue adding paint and gently tapping the salt lines until you have colored in your entire salt pumpkins and any other details you have.
Set aside and allow to dry completely.
To preserve your piece for longer you can spray it with a clear sealer.
