A pumpkin's contribution to social-emotional development

There is perhaps nothing else that says Halloween and fall more than the iconic pumpkin.  We carve them, draw on them, use them in soups, cookies, main meals and can even eat their seeds.  But what I love most about pumpkins is how readily they lend themselves to activities that help kids deal with feelings.

And recognizing feelings in ourselves and in others is a key part of being socially and emotionally well-adjusted.  That's where the pumpkin comes in.  Pumpkins provide the perfect canvas for depicting sad, mad and glad feelings.  But don't stop there.  Even very young children should be exposed to a variety of other feelings that exist within the human experience.  Silly, surprised, confused, frustrated and every other nuance of our affective lives.

Here's a great printable, on which you can invite young children to draw a feeling face.  Print out several for each child and invite them to depict several different feelings. 

Click to go to printable!

Happy Halloween!

(For a look at award winning products that also help kids develop social-emotional skills, be sure to visit our Kidlutions Preferred Product Award blog. Hope to see you there!)

As always from Kidlutions, we wish you Happy Parenting!

More Resources for Fall

that Teach Social Skills:

Find the Fall Bundle by clicking HERE!