“Five Perfect Pumpkins” is my take on the popular fall fingerplay, 5 Little Pumpkins.
It is a fun, catchy, and easy-to-learn song that your students and clients will love. The five pumpkins in a pumpkin patch go rolling one by one and then go... SPLAT! 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃The SPLAT part is truly what sets this version apart from others and kids LOVE it!! I have heard from teachers that this song is requested by students all throughout the year, long after the fall season is over!
Download the leadsheet (chords and lyrics) for Five Perfect Pumpkins HERE.
Here are some ways you can use this song in your classes or music therapy sessions:
Math:
This song is great for working on counting with students, as it goes from five all the way down to zero.
Try a drum!
If you have a large gathering drum or small personal drums, this song is really fun to tap the steady beat to and then slam the drum on “SPLAT!”
You can have students pat the beat on their lap and then when it says “oh noooo” put their hands on their cheeks.
Try using visuals!
This song works great with manipulatives! Have five laminated pumpkins and have students take one away as they roll away in the song. This is a great way to assess if they are following along with the song and if they understand the concept of subtraction or one being taken away.
Download the visuals to make your own here!
Five Perfect Pumpkins is on YouTube!
Discuss:
There are so many discussions you could facilitate with students or clients:
“Have you been to a pumpkin patch before?”
“What does it mean when the song says there are no perfect pumpkins in the patch?”
“What is YOUR idea of a perfect pumpkin?”
This is also a great opportunity to discuss facts about pumpkins like where and how they grow, what colors they come in, and how big they can get!
