When we start to see pumpkins, we know the Fall season is coming. Pumpkin season is fun; the leaves on the trees start to change color and fall. We think about visiting the farm to go pumpkin picking, seeing carved jack-o-lanterns for Halloween, and tasting the many foods made with pumpkins. Pumpkins equal Fall fun! Do you want to learn about pumpkins? Check out cool pumpkin facts for kids!
What is a pumpkin?
Pumpkins are a type of squash. Pumpkin comes from the Greek word pepon which means large melon. People associate pumpkins with the fall season and holidays, including Halloween and Thanksgiving.
What does a pumpkin look like?
When we think about what a pumpkin looks like, we often picture a large orange circle with deep vertical grooves and a stem. Pumpkins can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. They aren’t only orange and can also be white, yellow, green, white, or blue.
Pumpkins come in many different sizes, from small to very large. They are typically circular in shape but sometimes are longer, like a stretched-out circle or even a lopsided circle.
Are pumpkins a fruit or a vegetable?
Pumpkins have seeds, so they are fruit. However, we often refer to them as a vegetable.
Did you know that pumpkins are mostly water? They are 90% water. Pumpkins are high in fiber and contain Vitamin A, B, potassium, protein, and iron. Pumpkins are good for you!
Where do pumpkins grow?
Pumpkins grow on farms. Some people buy pumpkin plants or seeds to grow them in their own backyard. Pumpkins are very easy to grow. If you decide to plant seeds in your backyard, make sure there is a lot of space for them to spread. Did you know that pumpkins grow on vines? If you are growing pumpkins in your yard, try growing them on a trellis. The pumpkins will grow hanging from the trellis. The vine will always grow strong enough to support the fruit/vegetable it is growing.
Pumpkins are a very common crop and can be found all over the world. Did you know that pumpkins were native to Mexico? Now, they are grown on every continent except Antarctica.
Over 1 billion pounds of pumpkins are grown in the US every year.
Every Fall, millions of people all over the country visit pumpkin patches or pumpkin farms to pick their own pumpkins.
Can you eat pumpkin?
The answer is yes! We can eat pumpkins in many different ways. Pumpkins can be baked, roasted, steamed, or boiled. Pumpkins are used to make pies, bread, soups, pasta, and more…You can even eat pumpkin seeds and flowers! Many people like to eat roasted pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin pie is a traditional dish that many families eat on Thanksgiving.
More Pumpkin Facts for Kids
Some people carve pumpkins and turn them into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. Pumpkin pie is a popular Fall and Thanksgiving dessert.
Pumpkins were a large part of Native Americans’ diet. When they harvested the pumpkin crops, they could eat pumpkins regularly. Native Americans used dried strips of pumpkin to make mats.
Pumpkins were once used to cure snake bites and remove freckles.
The largest pumpkin ever recorded weighed in at 2,624.6 pounds on October 9, 2016, in Germany. The largest pumpkin on record in the United States weighed in at 2,363 in Moon Bay, California, on October 10th, 2017.
We hope you enjoyed reading these pumpkin facts for kids. Do you like to design jack-o-lanterns? We enjoy seeing the many funny faces, scary faces, and cute faces. Send pictures of your carved pumpkins to kidsplayandcreate@gmail.com, and we will upload them to our site!
