Positive Pumpkin Activities for Children, Teens & Families: Kindness, Breathing, Feelings and Autumn Yoga

Pumpkins are everywhere at this time of year, which makes them a friendly way into a few calm minutes for children, teens and the whole family. The Positive Pumpkin pack turns the season's favourite vegetable (which is really a fruit, more on that in the quiz) into six simple activities: one for kindness, one game, one breathing practice, one for feelings, five yoga poses and a quiz.

New this week, every activity has its own short animation. Scroll down to find all six, one under each activity, and press play to watch together before you try it.

Why pumpkins work well for mindfulness with children, teens and families

A pumpkin is something you can hold, trace, pass and draw on. That makes it a good anchor for attention at any age: the ridges give a breath something to follow, a pumpkin passed round a circle gives a group or a family a shared focus, and a blank pumpkin face is an easy invitation to say how you feel. Seasonal themes also help connect a calm practice to the world outside.

Six positive pumpkin activities for children, teens and families, with animations

Each activity starts with its animation: press play on the picture to watch, then try it together.

Positive Pumpkins: a kindness activity to write, cut out and share

Watch the Positive Pumpkins animation: a kind note is written, decorated, cut out and given to a friend.

Spread positivity by writing a kind note of thanks or kindness on each pumpkin, cutting it out and giving it to a classmate or family member.

1. Print the Positive Pumpkins sheet (there are four pumpkins on each page).
2. Write a kind note on each one, for example "Thank you for being so kind" or "You make me smile".
3. Colour and decorate your pumpkins if you like.
4. Cut along the dotted circle.
5. Give each pumpkin to someone in your class or at home.

You can always print more sheets if you have more positive pumpkins to share.

Pass The Pumpkin: a calm circle game with music

Watch the Pass The Pumpkin animation: the pumpkin goes round the circle until the music stops.

A fun, active group game. You will need a mini pumpkin or a soft toy version, and some calming music playing in the background.

1. Sit the children in a circle and explain that the pumpkin will be passed around while the music plays.
2. When the music stops, whoever has the pumpkin chooses their favourite yoga pose, affirmation or breath practice.
3. Everyone does it together.
4. Start the music again and keep passing until everyone has had a turn.

You can use a set of yoga cards to help children choose, and the Pumpkin Season Poses below work well here too.

Pumpkin Breathing: a breath practice with a visual aid

Watch the Pumpkin Breathing animation and breathe along: in as the dot goes up a ridge, out as it comes down.

You can use a real pumpkin, a toy one, or even a picture of one to help with this breath practice.

1. As you take a slow, calm breath in, run your finger up one of the ridges of the pumpkin.
2. As you breathe out slowly, run your finger down the other side.
3. Continue up and down each side until you have completed the whole pumpkin.

Following a line with a finger gives the breath a steady pace to match, which many children find easier than counting.

My Feelings Pumpkin: a drawing activity for sharing how you feel

Watch the My Feelings Pumpkin animation: happy, sad, worried and calm, each in its own colour.

Share how you are feeling today by drawing a face on your pumpkin. However you are feeling is ok, and it is good to share whether you feel sad, worried, happy or any other emotion.

1. Give each child the blank feelings pumpkin.
2. Ask how they are feeling today, and invite them to draw that face.
3. If they would like to, let them share their pumpkin and say a little about it.

Provider note: let children choose whether to share. Drawing the feeling is the activity; talking about it is an invitation, never a requirement.

Pumpkin Season Poses: five autumn yoga poses for kids

Watch the Pumpkin Season Poses animation and move along with five autumn yoga poses.

Five gentle poses, each with an autumn picture to imagine:

• Tree pose: stand tall like a tree with leaves falling.
• Cat pose: round your back like a cat crawling along.
• Child's pose: curl up small like a pumpkin in a field.
• Warrior one pose: stand strong like a scarecrow in a field.
• Easy pose: sit quietly like a squirrel in a tree.

Pumpkin Quiz: ten fun facts about pumpkins, with answers

Watch the Pumpkin Quiz animation: have a think before each answer appears.

How well do you know a pumpkin? A mindful activity to learn some fun facts together. Circle the answer you think is correct.

1. What colour are most pumpkins? Blue, orange or purple.
2. What holiday is often associated with pumpkins? Easter, Christmas or Halloween.
3. True or false: pumpkins are a type of fruit.
4. How do pumpkins grow? On trees, underground or on vines.
5. Which of these animals might like to eat a pumpkin? A squirrel, a shark or a bird.
6. What is the inside of a pumpkin called? Shell, pulp or seedlings.
7. What can you make out of pumpkin? Pizza, pie or soup.
8. How many seeds are typically inside a pumpkin? 1 to 10, 20 to 50 or 500 to 800.
9. What part of the pumpkin plant do we eat? Roots, leaves or fruit.
10. How long does it take for a pumpkin to grow? 1 week, 1 month or 3 to 4 months.

Pumpkin quiz answers

1. Orange.
2. Halloween.
3. True. Pumpkins are technically a fruit because they contain seeds.
4. On vines.
5. Squirrel. Many animals, including squirrels, enjoy eating pumpkins.
6. Pulp. The stringy part with seeds inside is called the pulp.
7. Pie or soup. Both are correct!
8. 500 to 800. Larger pumpkins can contain hundreds of seeds.
9. Fruit.
10. 3 to 4 months.

Who the Positive Pumpkin activities are for: home, school and group settings

Children, teens and families, and the adults who support them: parents and carers, teachers and teaching assistants, family hub teams, youth workers and wellbeing professionals. Pass The Pumpkin and the quiz suit a class, a group or a family gathered at home; Positive Pumpkins and My Feelings Pumpkin work just as well for teens, who can write a longer note or talk through a feeling; Pumpkin Breathing is a quick reset for any age; the poses suit any space with room to stretch.

Open the Positive Pumpkin pack and watch the animations

All six activities are together in one pack, ready to read on screen, print for a classroom or share with a family. The six animations are on this page, and on the pack's page in the library.

See the Positive Pumpkin pack and its animations in the library

More autumn mindfulness activities for children, teens and families

Every activity here sits within HERE's reviewed activity library. If you are looking for something for a particular moment, describe it to Noa and Noa will suggest activities from the library.

Explore the Activity Library

Wise Owl mindfulness activities: look, listen and pause

See all the Wellbeing Worlds