We’re sure you’ve already heard “Can we play ‘Pumpkin Bones?'” countless times this school year!
This year, we hope you’re ready to take the song to another level. Below you’ll find ideas from fellow educators, new QuaverShop items, and additional resources for every educator in the school building.
Helpful Printables
Pumpkin Bones Activity Printables
Try these Pumpkin Bones Activity worksheets to go along with the “Pumpkin Bones” video. These worksheets are a great way to check for student understanding. They can be completed individually, with partners, or in groups.
Questions to Spark Discussion with Students:
- How did the children feel when they noticed all the pumpkins were missing?
- Do you think it’s appropriate for Pumpkin Bones to take things that don’t belong to him? Why or why not?
- Sharing is also important. What do you think Pumpkin Bones could have done with all his pumpkins so that others could enjoy them too?
- In the end, Pumpkin Bones returns all of the pumpkins. How does he make up for his mistake? How can we correct our mistakes? What does it look like in our actions and behavior when we correct mistakes?
- What feelings might you experience at Halloween time? Is it possible to feel more than one feeling at once? If so, describe.
- I think “Pumpkin Bones” is exciting, but my friend thinks it’s scary. How can I show empathy to my friend?
Pumpkin Bones Movement Activities
Access games in QuaverHealth•PE along with the entire curriculum FREE for 30 days: Free Preview.
New QuaverShop Items
We’ve added even more fun Pumpkin Bones merchandise to the QuaverShop!
Wear a Pumpkin Bones T-shirt to get students excited for fall. Reward students with stickers during the scavenger hunt. Use Stress Toys in the gym or in a classroom for different activities such as Hot Potato, Pumpkin Bones Scooter Tag, and more.
Update on the Halloween Costume Contest
There will not be a new Halloween Costume Reveal Video, but we’d still love to hear your students’ costume ideas. We are offering a fun printable for students to suggest costumes for Quaver. If you’d like to send us a few of the best ideas from your school, you can share them on social media and tag us @QuaverEd! We may show them to Quaver himself!
Remember, you can always access past Reveal Videos in QuaverMusic. Go to Resource Manager, search “Halloween,” and look under the Video tab.
Ideas from QuaverMusic Teachers:
Mrs. Curry provided five staff members (bookkeeper, reading specialist, speech pathologist, SPED teacher, and custodian) with a laminated capture card. She shared homeroom teachers with this video (right) that included clues and rules. Students may only ask teachers/staff, “Have you ever heard of Pumpkin Bones?” If the staff member says “yes,” they are given the Capture Card and can return it to Mrs. Curry for a reward. The reward was a Halloween-themed tiny bucket with a pencil, sticker, and candy. Mrs. Curry had the buckets on display in her room, so students could count and see if there were any cards “still out there.”
Mrs. Curry also used her social media to share the videos, rules, and clues, for students’ families to follow along. One thing she might do differently this year is space out the clues rather than releasing them all at once.
Mrs. Tolley started by adding new pumpkins to her classroom each week. She then removed the pumpkins and “blamed” Pumpkin Bones. Students’ imaginations ran wild with speculation about who was taking the pumpkins each week. She then implemented a scavenger hunt with students returning capture cards in exchange for a prize. The week leading up to Halloween, she hid Halloween-themed eggs around the school with little treats inside. At the end of October, her students “caught” the principal returning all the pumpkins because Pumpkin Bones felt guilty and wanted to return them.
The Big Hit from 2022 was a visit from Pumpkin Bones during the school-wide Halloween costume parade. Mrs. Tolley created a Pumpkin Bones costume and handed out mini pumpkins to students.
Parents reached out to Mrs. Tolley to share how engaged their children were. They were singing the song nonstop and had come up with theories about Pumpkin Bones!
Mrs. Burton cut out and laminated multiple Pumpkin Bones (Flat Stanley style) and hung up Wanted posters around the school. Her principal allowed her to “interrupt” the morning announcements to share that Pumpkin Bones had stolen all of the pumpkins. Students were informed that Pumpkin Bones was hidden around the school and to turn him into Mrs. Burton for a special reward (candy). She strategically hid the Cut-Out Pumpkin Bones around the school so that different classes and grade levels could find him.
When the students came to her class, Mrs. Burton used the time to discuss important takeaways such as how it’s not okay to take things that don’t belong to you. Mrs. Burton also used this time to stress the importance of sharing. Pumpkin Bones had so many pumpkins that he could have shared with others and still have pumpkins for himself. Lastly, she had her classes watch the end of the song where Pumpkin Bones returns the pumpkins. At this time, she emphasizes that we all make mistakes, and we can correct our mistakes by being accountable for our actions and behaviors.
To keep the tradition alive, Mrs. Burton took advantage of a pre-planned assembly. A human-sized Pumpkin Bones arrived and the Principal talked with him about doing the right thing in front of the whole school. At the last second, Pumpkin Bones snatched a pumpkin from her and took off down the hallway! Now, students have to look for him again next October!
At the end of October, Ms. Theisen hid Pumpkin Bones on the playground with a pumpkin bucket of Capture Cards. She then put up these Wanted Posters that had a hint and basic instructions. Students returned the Capture Card to her for the reward of QuaverNotes and glow sticks.
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Pumpkin Bean Soup
Did you know we have a Pumpkin Bean Soup recipe? As the song goes, find one fun night and make Pumpkin Bean!
What will Pumpkin Bones look like at your school?
Show us on social media by tagging @Quaver_Ed and using #PumpkinBones!