Pumpkin Hammering
Children will figure out how to get the golf tees in and out of the pumpkin and how to hold the tee and use the mallet safely and accurately. Offering the opportunity for children to try something new that can be challenging.
- Audience
- Caregiver
- Subject
- Nature & Outdoor
- Age
- InfantKindergartenPre-KPreschoolToddler
- Languages
- Brazilian PortugueseEnglishHaitian CreoleSimplified ChineseSpanishVietnamese
- Materials
- Pumpkin, golf tees, child-size wooden hammer, sponge (optional), soap (optional), tongs or tweezers (optional)
Try pumpkin hammering with your child!
Activity
- Show your child how to hold the tee and the mallet. Tap the tee gently and keep fingers out of the way. It is okay to hit the tee and pumpkin, but not yourself or others.
- Practice hammering together! Help your child get started by hammering the tip of the tee into the pumpkin. Then, let your child hammer it in the rest of the way. Making a few holes in the pumpkin can also make it easier for children to hammer the golf tees in. After trying a few times, your child may be able to hammer the tee on their own!
- Try pulling the tees out. Explore how it feels. Is it easy or difficult? Do the tees feel wet or dry? Can you push the tees back in with your hands, or do you need the mallet again?
Not ready for hammering?
These ideas work well for babies, but hammering can be a challenge for all ages!
- Try washing a small pumpkin instead. Put it in a bin with a little water and a sponge. Add a drop of soap for bubbles!
- Hammer tees all the way in and pull them out to make holes. Your child can push the tees in with their fingers instead of using a hammer.
Want more challenge?
- Try pulling the tees out using tongs or tweezers.
- Make a pattern or shape with the tees. If your child is not sure how to draw, it might help to draw a simple line or shape on the pumpkin and let your child follow it.
Don't have pumpkins?
- You can use squash, zucchini, watermelon, or cantaloupe. If you don't want to waste food, scoop out the insides and use the skin. You can also try egg cartons, cardboard boxes, or playdough.
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