The Pumpkin
(a fingerplay that can be done while sitting at desk or table)
~ Maude M. Grant

Here is a long and trailing vine,
(Hands trailing over desks.)

Watch it and see the green stems twine,
(Hands twine in and out over desks.)

This is a pretty yellow flower.
(Hands curved to form flower.)

That blossomed one day in a sunny hour.
When one by one the petals fall,
(Hands drop to desks.)
 
And now we see a small green ball.
(Hands curved to form ball.)

The big sun shone so warm and bright,
(Arms curved to form sun.)
That the ball grew bigger and yellow, quite,

And yellow, and yellower still it grew,
Until under Autumn skies so blue,
It lay so still on the sun-warmed ground,
And lo! it was a pumpkin round!
(Hands and arms curved to form a large pumpkin.)
 
And then one frosty Autumn day,
The pumpkin was taken quite away,
'Twas cut by a knife from the shelf so high,
And mother made a pumpkin pie!
(Forefingers and thumbs curved to form pie.)

Cornhusk Dolls
**This activity can be difficult for small children - be sure to work with them closely and allow them to be 'helpers' during the more difficult parts. 
 
In some Native American traditions, making cornhusk dolls and doing corn dances were a way to give thanks and celebrate harvest time.
 
Supplies Needed:
Cornhusks -  You can buy these in bags at craft stores or ask the produce department of your local grocery store if you can take some.
String or Yarn
Scissors
Pail of Water
Hot Glue
 
Have the children place the cornhusks in the pail of water until they are very soft and easy to bend.  Separate the husks.  (Each doll requires 10-15 husks to complete.) 
 
Begin with four husks approximately the same size and lay them on top of one another.  With your yarn, help the children tie the pointy ends of the husks together to close the top and bottom.  This is the body of your doll.
Take two husks in each hand and fold them over the yarn so the string is inside.  The fold is the top of the doll's head.  Pull a string around the husks and tie to make the head.

Children's Yoga Fun :: The Three Sisters
 
This is a nice sequence to explore at harvest time. The Three Sisters are three plants - corns, beans, and squash - that grow very well together. Each Sister brings a special gift to the garden: Corn provides a structure for the beans to climb, eliminating the need for a pole; beans add nitrogen to the soil and keep the corn from blowing over in strong winds; and the squash spreads along the ground, shading the roots of the other plants and keeping weeds from growing.
 
*** *** *** ***
Begin by guiding children into poses to represent each of the Three Sisters using this rhyme:
Sister Corn grows tall and strong.
 
{Mountain Pose - strong legs, belly buttons pulled in, arms reaching way up to the sky.}
 
Sister Squash grows across.
 
{Lie down on the ground and stretch your body out as long and wide as you can.}
 
Sister Bean grows in-between.
 
{Wiggle your fingers. Stretch your body out in all directions, as if looking for something to climb on.}
 

 Repeat this sequence several times allowing the children to feel the unique nature of each plant - the strength of the corn stalk, the low creeping energy of the squash plant, and the weaving and winding of bean plant - in their bodies.

Connecting Your Child to Nature