10624 : Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Round and Fat | Halloween Music Craft | Jack-o'-Lantern Rhythm

Looking for a fall music lesson that's festive without being a sugar-fueled free-for-all? This one gives little ones a song to sing, something to make with their hands, and real musical symbols to handle, all in one class period.

Created by a National Board Certified Music Teacher with 22 years of PK–6 classroom experience, this activity pairs a simple traditional chant with a hands-on craft. Students sing "Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Round and Fat," then turn a blank pumpkin into a jack-o'-lantern whose face is made of quarter notes, eighth notes, rests, treble clefs, and rhythm patterns.

What's Included:

• Cover page
• Illustrated teacher directions with supply list and step-by-step lesson flow
• Pumpkin Song lyric poster (landscape, perfect for projecting or displaying)
• Blank pumpkin cards (2 per page)
• "Musical Symbols for Faces" cut-and-glue page: whole notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, beamed eighths, sixteenth notes, quarter rests, treble clefs, triangle shapes, and rhythm-pattern "smiles"
• Two optional extensions: a Pumpkin Patch bulletin board and a movement activity using students' pumpkins as props

Perfect For:

• PK–2 general music in October
• Halloween or fall harvest music lessons
• Sub plans (low-prep, easy to follow)
• Fine motor practice alongside music literacy
• Bulletin board and hallway displays
• Elementary art/music collaborations

Why Teachers Love It:

• Note names come up naturally: "Which note did you use for the eyes?" turns into an instant vocabulary check
• Every student finishes with a unique creation, so there's no "right" answer to stress about
• Works for mixed ability levels; students who need support can choose larger symbols and simpler faces
• Ends with movement, so the lesson stays musical all the way to the end

Format: This is a 5-page digital PDF download. No physical product will be shipped. Print on standard letter-size paper; cardstock is recommended for the pumpkin cards.