by Marcy Buzzelli

Created on: November 28, 2009

Everyone enjoys making craft projects with preschoolers, but there are several things to keep in mind before you start. These little people love to help make something decorative for the home, but their attention span is quite limited. Keep this in mind before you start the craft and do some careful planning so that the project can be accomplished fairly quickly, and the end result will be pleasing to the children.

Since pumpkins are colorful, they are eye-catching for a preschooler and can be used as decoration for several of the fall months. Making a pumpkin out of fabric, a lunch bag, and a roll of toilet paper is something that even a small child can accomplish and be excited about the finished craft.

Remembering that preplanning is the secret to success for any project with frequently impatient little people, here are the basic supplies you should have on hand before you gather the children around the kitchen table. For each pumpkin you are planning to make, you will need a 24 inch square of orange material. Since the pattern is not really important, check the remnant tables at your favorite fabric store for inexpensive pieces that you can turn into cute autumn pumpkins. You will also need a small brown lunch bag or brown grocery bag that you will cut into a 3 inch by 6-inch rectangle. Brown construction paper would work also. Have one full roll of toilet paper for each pumpkin the children are going to make.

This is a very safe project for preschoolers since no scissors are required and little fingers can easily complete the tasks. In front of each child lay face down a precut 24 inch square of fabric. Place the roll of toilet paper in the center of the fabric. Now the kids begin their work! Have the crafters take one corner of the fabric and stuff it into the center of the roll. Do the same with each of the three remaining corners. Let each child then start to tuck in any of the remaining edges into the center of the tube. You can inconspicuously puff out each pumpkin so that the shape is round. Now let the children take the precut brown paper rectangle and roll it lengthwise. Then they can scrunch it and twist it a bit. Finally, push the paper bag stem into the center of the pumpkin, and it will help hold together the pumpkin.

At his point, the preschoolers will probably be "oohing" and "aahing" over their pumpkins, and you will have successfully encouraged creativity in preschoolers!

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