🎃 Billy the Pumpkin Who Learned to Share

A non-religious fall preschool lesson from The Seasonal Schoolhouse

Join Billy the Pumpkin on a fun fall adventure where he learns the importance of sharing! This preschool lesson plan includes a silly story, hands-on craft, tasty snack, movement game, song, learning activity, and teacher discussion prompts — perfect for preschool, homeschool, and circle time.

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📖 Story: “Billy the Pumpkin Who Learned to Share”

Billy was a big, round pumpkin who sat proudly in the pumpkin patch. He loved his bright orange color and his shiny, smooth sides. But most of all, Billy loved collecting things inside his pumpkin head — acorns, leaves, and even shiny buttons he found rolling across the patch.

One day, his friends — a squirrel, a crow, and a little mouse — came over. They asked if they could play with some of Billy’s treasures. Billy puffed up and said, “No! These are all mine!”

The squirrel frowned. The crow cawed sadly. The mouse squeaked, “That’s not very fun.”

When the wind started to blow, Billy saw his treasures flying everywhere! Leaves scattered, acorns rolled, and even the shiny buttons bounced away. His friends laughed and ran to catch them. Something surprising happened — they gave the treasures back to Billy and even added some of their own.

Billy felt a warm glow. “You mean… you’ll share with me too?” he asked.
“Of course!” squeaked the mouse.
“Sharing makes everything more fun,” cawed the crow.
“And we can play together!” chirped the squirrel.

Billy realized his pumpkin heart felt bigger when he shared. From then on, he always said, “Sharing makes the patch brighter!”

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🎲 Activity: Pumpkin Pass Sharing Game

• Sit in a circle with the children.

• Use a small pumpkin (real or plastic).

• Play music while children pass the pumpkin around.

• When the music stops, the child holding the pumpkin shares something silly (like a dance move, a sound, or a favorite toy at home).
  This teaches turn-taking, sharing, and listening skills.

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🎨 Craft: Billy the Sharing Pumpkin

Supplies:

• Orange construction paper or card stock (pumpkin shape)

• Green paper (leaf and stem) (arms and legs are optional)

• Crayons or markers. Eyeball Stickers or Googly Eyes (optional) 

• Glue sticks

• Scissors (pre-cut for little ones if needed)

Directions:

1. Give each child a pumpkin cutout.

2. Have them color and decorate Billy the Pumpkin with a big happy face.

3. Glue on a green stem and leaf. Glue on arms and legs (Optional) 

4. On the leaf, write the words: “Sharing makes the patch brighter!”

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🍎 Snack Idea: Pumpkin Patch Mix

• Small cups filled with goldfish crackers, little candy corn pumpkins, pretzels, raisins, and cereal.

• Add a pumpkin sticker to the front of the cup (optional)

• Encourage kids to take turns “sharing” and trading pieces with each other.

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🎵 Song: “Sharing Makes Us Smile” (to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

“Sharing, sharing, it’s so fun,
We can share with everyone.
Pumpkins, friends, and treasures too,
Sharing makes me glad with you!
Sharing, sharing, it’s so fun,
We can share with everyone.”

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📝 Poem: “Billy the Pumpkin”

“Billy the Pumpkin learned one day,
Sharing is the best way to play.
He smiled so wide, he laughed with glee,
Now sharing makes him happy as can be!”

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🎭 Pretend Play Game: Pumpkin Patch Friends

• Children pretend to be pumpkins, squirrels, or crows in a pumpkin patch.

• Teacher calls out: “The wind is blowing!” — children scatter like leaves.

• Then the teacher calls: “Pumpkins together!” — children gather back in a group.
  This encourages listening skills and group cooperation.

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✏️ Learning Activity: Sorting & Counting Seeds

• Give children a small bowl of dried pumpkin seeds (or pretend paper seeds).

• Have them count the seeds, sort them into groups of 2’s, or by size.
  This introduces early math skills.

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🎭 Puppet Show & Finger Play: Billy the Sharing Pumpkin

Characters (finger puppets or simple paper cutouts):

• Billy the Pumpkin 🎃

• Squirrel 🐿️

• Crow 🐦

• Mouse 🐭

• Finger Puppet Template comes in colored and black white (Download Here)

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🎭Puppet Show Script

Narrator:
“Once upon a time, Billy the Pumpkin had a patch full of treasures: shiny acorns, crunchy leaves, and even little buttons. But Billy didn’t want to share.”

Billy (with a grumpy voice):
“These are mine, mine, mine! No sharing today!”

Squirrel (holding paws to mouth):
“Oh no, Billy. Sharing makes it more fun!”

Crow (flapping wings):
“Caw, caw! We can all play if you share!”

Mouse (squeaking):
“Please, Billy, may I have just one acorn?”

Narrator:
Then, the wind came and WHOOSH! It blew Billy’s treasures all over the pumpkin patch.

(Everyone wiggles their fingers up high and blows, making a “whoooosh” sound to act out the wind.)

Friends (excited):
“Look, let’s gather them up together!”

(Each puppet pretends to pick up treasures and give them back to Billy.)

Billy (smiling):
“You mean you’ll share with me too? That makes me happy inside!”

Narrator:
From that day on, Billy always remembered: Sharing makes the patch brighter!

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✋Finger Play Add-On 

Teachers and kids can act this out using their fingers:

• Thumb = Billy the Pumpkin

• Pointer Finger = Squirrel

• Middle Finger = Crow

• Ring Finger = Mouse

• Pinky = “The Wind” (wiggle pinky and blow!)

Rhyme with Finger Motions:
“Billy the Pumpkin said, ‘No, no, no!’ (shake thumb)
Squirrel and Crow said, ‘Please don’t go!’ (wiggle pointer & middle)
Mouse said, ‘Sharing is better, you see!’ (wiggle ring finger)
The Wind blew gently through the patch with glee! (wiggle pinky and blow)
Now Billy the Pumpkin says, ‘Yes, let’s share!’ (wiggle all fingers together)
And joy and laughter fill the air!”

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✋This puppet show + finger play not only reinforces the story but also builds fine motor movement, memory, and social-emotional learning around sharing.

🪣 Pumpkins & Acorns Sensory Tub

This simple fall sensory tub is a hands-on way for preschoolers to explore textures, practice fine motor skills, and enjoy imaginative play. Filled with sand, mini pumpkins, and acorns, it’s an inviting activity that ties in beautifully with the Billy the Sharing Pumpkin Lesson Plan.

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✨ Supplies Needed:

• Clear plastic tub

• Clean play sand

• Small plastic or rubber pumpkins (toy pumpkins work perfectly)

• Fake acorns (plastic or craft store acorns)

• Small cups, scoops, or spoons (optional)

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🖐️ Directions:

1. Fill the plastic tub with a layer of play sand.

2. Scatter the mini pumpkins and acorns throughout the sand.

3. Give children scoops, spoons, or their hands to dig and discover the hidden items.

4. Encourage them to sort the pumpkins and acorns into piles, count them, or make up little stories about their finds.

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💡 Learning Benefits:

• Fine motor skills – digging, scooping, and sorting.

• Math skills – counting pumpkins and acorns, comparing sizes.

• Language development – describing textures, colors, and imaginative play.

• Sensory exploration – exploring sand’s texture along with smooth pumpkins and bumpy acorns.

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This activity can be used as part of the Billy the Sharing Pumpkin Lesson Plan or on its own as a stand-alone fall center idea for preschool or homeschool. Kids will love digging through the sand for pumpkins and acorns while learning through play!

💬 Let’s Talk About It (Teacher/Parent Prompts)

• How do you think Billy felt when he didn’t share?

• How did Billy feel when his friends shared with him?

• What is something you like to share with a friend?

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📘 What We’re Learning

• Social-emotional skills: learning the value of sharing.

• Math skills: counting and sorting seeds.

• Language skills: storytelling, rhyming, and vocabulary.

• Fine motor skills: cutting, gluing, and coloring the pumpkin craft.

• Movement skills: acting out the pretend play game.

 

💛 How Everyone Can Join In

At The Seasonal Schoolhouse, every child is invited to take part in the fun! Here are some simple adaptations for the Billy the Sharing Pumpkin Lesson activities so no child feels left out:

🎨 Craft (Billy the Sharing Pumpkin)

• If a child cannot cut or glue, provide pre-cut pumpkin shapes and let them point to where the stem or leaf should go so an adult can help place it.

• Children can also choose colors for Billy’s happy face and direct an adult or peer to draw it.

🍎 Snack (Pumpkin Patch Mix)

• A child who cannot scoop or pour can point to the ingredients they want in their cup.

• If dietary restrictions are present, offer safe alternatives so the child can still share in the “mix and trade” part of the snack.

🖐️ Sensory Tub (Sand, Pumpkins, and Acorns)

• For children who cannot dig with hands, offer larger items placed near the surface to make finding them easier.

• Provide tools with larger handles (like a scoop or spoon) or allow a peer buddy to dig while the child sorts or counts the items that are found.

• If touching sand is uncomfortable, place items in a small bin of fabric leaves instead — same concept, different texture.

🧮 Sorting & Counting Seeds

• Instead of picking up small seeds, provide larger laminated “paper seeds” for sorting, or let the child point while a partner moves them.

• Use a counting chart or visual number line so children who cannot manipulate seeds can still participate by helping to count aloud.

🎭 Finger Puppets / Puppet Show

• For children who cannot wear finger puppets, tape the puppets onto popsicle sticks or even Velcro strips so they can be handled in different ways.

• A child who cannot hold a puppet can still be the “voice” of a character, giving them an important role in the show.

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🌟 Overall Focus

The heart of this lesson is learning about sharing and kindness. Every adaptation should reinforce that children can share ideas, laughter, and choices — even if their participation looks a little different. What matters most is that everyone feels included in Billy’s pumpkin patch.

 

💛 How Everyone Can Join In

Every child learns and plays in their own unique way. To help everyone take part in our lessons:

• Offer pre-cut pieces or larger materials for crafts so children can point, place, or choose colors even if they can’t cut or glue.

• Swap small manipulatives (like seeds) for larger ones (like paper shapes or blocks) or let children point while a helper moves the items.

• Use tools with bigger handles for sensory play, or adapt the texture (like fabric leaves instead of sand) if a child is uncomfortable.

• Provide puppets on sticks or let children be the “voice” of a character if holding puppets is tricky.

• Encourage children to share ideas, choices, and smiles — showing that their presence is valuable in the group.

✨ The goal is always inclusion, kindness, and making sure no child feels left out of the fun.

 

💛 How Everyone Can Join In (Adaptive Ideas for Children Without Arms or Legs)

Even if a child does not have arms or legs, they can still fully enjoy the lesson through their voice, choices, and creativity. Here are some ways:

🎨 Craft

• The child can choose colors by pointing with their eyes, nodding, or saying the color aloud.

• A helper can draw or glue pieces where the child says.

• The child can direct the design by telling the adult what expression Billy should have (“Make him smile bigger!”).

🍎 Snack

• The child can select ingredients by pointing with their eyes, nodding, or saying the names of the items.

• A peer or adult can put the snack together on their behalf so they are still part of the sharing activity.

🪣 Sensory Tub

• Place pumpkins and acorns on a tray or shallow bin and allow the child to look and find while a buddy scoops them out.

• The child can signal when to stop (“Yes, that one!”) or point with their eyes to the object they spot.

🧮 Sorting & Counting Seeds

• Instead of handling seeds, the child can be the “counter” or “director”, telling a helper to move the seeds into piles.

• You can also use large picture cards of seeds on a board so the child can indicate groups with eye gaze, nodding, or speaking.

🎭 Finger Puppets / Puppet Show

• Puppets can be taped to a board or Velcro strip. The child can “be the voice” of Billy, the squirrel, the crow, or the mouse, which gives them a starring role.

• A peer can move the puppet while the child supplies the lines.

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🌟 The Heart of the Lesson

The main message is sharing and kindness — and sharing doesn’t always mean passing objects. For children without arms or legs, it can mean:

• Sharing their voice (leading the song, rhyme, or puppet line).

• Sharing choices (picking colors, snacks, or game actions).

• Sharing presence (being celebrated for their ideas and imagination).

✨ The key is that they are always included as active participants — not just observers.