Make a Paper Pumpkin

What You Do:

1. Ask your child to choose a few sheets of construction paper in fall colors, or use white paper. Encourage him to color his paper with crayons, alternating different fall colors over each other for a rich, multi-layered effect. Your child can use several colors per sheet, and color both sides if desired.
2. Help him cut most of his papers into long, narrow strips,making sure he leaves some whole sheets for stems, leaves and vines.
3. Cut paper towel tubes into thirds, Give one-third of the tube to your child.
4. Help him cover his tube with the construction paper. Glue the paper in place. This will be the central core of each pumpkin.
5. Show your child how to glue five or six paper strips into one end of the central core. Let each strip dry slightly before attaching more strips. Continue this process until the entire top of the core is filled evenly with paper strips. Let dry.
6. Help your child gently curl the end of each strip around and down so it can be glued into the bottom of the central core. Each strip should bow out. This creates the round pumpkin. Help your child glue each strip in place and dry slightly. Complete this step with all of the strips. Help him add more stripes to fill any spaces. Dry thoroughly.
7. Demonstrate how to cut green construction paper, crayon-colored paper, or a paper bag into the size of a large index card. Help your child roll the paper into a cylinder. Insert this cylinder into the top of the central core for a stem. Help him glue it in place.
8. Trace paper leaves and vines on a sheet that your child colored. Help him cut out the leaves and vines and glue them on the pumpkin anywhere he desires.