Pumpkin 'Picking' For ABC's!

While scouting Pinterest for some fun fall ideas, I stumbled upon this ABC center idea shared by Little Miss Glamour Goes To Kindergarten

I loved the idea of the kids pumpkin 'picking' for letters but we have only covered 13 letters so far, so I had to make my own printable

so that I could make sure they were working with and practicing the letters and sounds we have covered so far.

I haven't decided if I am going to have them use BINGO daubers to mark the letters they 'pick' and ID

 OR print the sheet on orange cardstock/laminate and have them use candy corn to cover the letters

and then I came across these foam shapes and Halloween themed erasers I had in my October bucket

that I could use too!

I am also toying with the idea of giving them connecting cubes and having them stack the cubes as they pull the same letter to count and see which letter they pulled the most.  

(It would also make a great 'partner game' using it as a 'BUMP'-type activity!)

As I was making it I thought 'I really should have a follow-up/extension activity for my early finishers' (and those that are ready for a bit more of a challenge) so I made some letter mats

They will 'pick' from the pumpkin, ID the letter (and sound) and see if it goes with any of the pictures they have on their mat (or have all the mats out on the table and they could find the one it goes to).

After they place the magnetic letter on the mat they then use a dry erase marker (or crayon- LOVE THEM!) to practice writing the letter

This would be a great way to differentiate for different learners too- the pumpkins of letters would be on the table to share, yet different students could be working on different skills!  You could even challenge them to ID the ending sound!

AND even better...these mats could be used for anytime during the year because they are not seasonally based!  Put letters in other seasonal buckets and containers to continue practicing throughout the year!

And as I finished printing all of my mats and prepping my center for next week, I thought...'I bet there are other teachers out there that also found this pin but couldn't use the printable 'as is' because of letters they have covered/not so far' SO I made the printable editable so that you can make it to match what your students are working on!

It will open in PowerPoint.  Simply click in the text box and type the letters you need!

I used KG Red Hands font- it is free to download for personal use.

You can use whatever font you are comfortable with and/or have access to!

WORKING ON SIGHT WORDS (or CVC, CVCe, etc):

Type words on the printable and then cut up some words to throw in the pumpkin (or write words on foam pumpkin or seasonal cut-outs)!

Kids pull the word, read it, find it on the printable and mark it- just as they would do with the letters!

Like the picture/letter mats too?  No worries- I included them in the FREE DOWNLOAD too!

So all you need to do is grab some:

*plastic pumpkins (or witch cauldrons!) (I found mine at Dollar Tree)

*magnetic or foam letters

*daubers, candy corn, themed confetti, themed foam shapes, themed erasers, and/or connecting cubes

*free printables 

and you will be all set for a fun ABC Center for next week!

Want to remember this for next year?  Here is a pin:

And if you are still searching for some Halloween fun for next week, you can find some rhyming activities, emergent readers, craftivities, read/count the room, playdough mats, math printables and more in my TpT Store via the 'Halloween' custom category!

Hope you have a 'spook'-tacular week!

Be sure to swing by on Thursday to read all about what I will be putting up for this week's freakyfriday $1 deal- only 2 more weeks of deals!

Until next post,