Simple Pumpkin Writing Center and Fall Literacy Activity for Preschool

Make a simple and inviting pumpkin writing center as a fall preschool literacy activity.

I’m always looking for ideas to do with pumpkins. Fall preschool activities are so fun so I figure that the more pumpkin activities, the better! Am I right!?!

I especially love doing no-carve pumpkin ideas beforehand. If I can get two uses out of a pumpkin instead of one, it’s a win-win!

This led to the making of a pumpkin writing center!

We put this one in our home, but I also set this up as the activity for the outdoor co-op preschool that I run in our community.

Writing centers are my favorite. Especially when it comes to open-ended writing. Anytime I can make an inviting writing center without paper, it’s always a sure success.

Don’t get me wrong because I like paper too. But too much paper and the writing center is always an overflowing mess. And we’re spending more time cleaning it up than actually using it. It’s that delicate balance.

Pumpkin Writing Center and Fall Literacy Activity

So it turns out that pumpkins are a great dry-erase surface! I had no idea until I saw these amazing process art pumpkins using chalk markers. Since we had a bunch of dry-erase markers around, I figured we would give it a shot!

And it worked just like magic pumpkin magic!

How to make a Pumpkin Writing Center

This, my friends, is super easy. Crazy easy!

Here is what we used:

• Pumpkins
• Dry Erase Markers
• Soft Cloths
• Dry Erase Circle

As I was in the grocery store looking for pumpkins, I spotted these white pumpkins and knew they would be absolutely perfect for this! Plus some small orange pumpkins. I have to admit — I can’t help but buy them each year because they are too cute!

I grabbed the dry erase markers on Amazon. If it’s back to school time, I stock up at the store when they are on sale. Otherwise, I can usually find the best deal on Amazon.

The soft cloths are these microfiber cloths that I use for cleaning too!

And the dry erase circle is something new to us. I have a rainbow pack that I grabbed the orange one from, and it was perfect to turn into a Jack-O-Lantern. These dry erase dots are super addicting to use, and there are lots of other colors too! I have about 5 writing center ideas for them running through my head…

I set up this fall activity as a preschool writing activity, and I didn’t give any instructions. But this is what I naturally saw happen over the week:

• Tracing the Jack-O-Lantern
• Drawing lines down the pumpkin and around the pumpkin
• Letter writing
• Name writing
• Pictures
• Lovely notes (from my school age kids)

Let’s not forget the skill of putting the lid back on. I love teaching self-help skills!

All in all, this literacy center for preschool is my new favorite fall activity! It’s so super simple but has been hours of fun.

Here are some of our other favorite pumpkin activities:

Storybook Pumpkins

Paper Plate Pumpkins

Puffy Paint Pumpkins

If you are planning a fall-themed lesson plan to go along with this fall activity, you’ll love our already made fall-themed lesson plans to pair with them.

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Katie T. Christiansen

Creator at Preschool Inspirations

Katie has spent 17 combined years in the Early Childhood field as a teacher, preschool owner, and educational writer. She has worked in profit and non-profit programs, high-risk schools, and started an in-home preschool and outdoor collaborative preschool program. She adores being a mom to three children, and her youngest is currently in preschool.

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