Pumpkin Process Art: Easy Painting Step-by-Step Guide
Teach the pumpkin life cycle through process art painting!
We’ll combine the creativity of process art with the structure of product art.
You'll love how easy it is to follow this step-by-step guide, and your kids will love creating this pumpkin art!
Grab your free pumpkin worksheets and let’s get started 🎃🎨
More of an auditory learner? Watch/listen to the art tutorial here!
Pumpkin Process Art
Celebrate the cooler season with this pumpkin process art.
You’ll love how much your kids learn through this, too!
Before we jump in, why are we doing process art in the first place?
“...art that focuses on the experience and process involved in creating. It is free, open-ended art, meaning children are able to freely choose what materials to use, how to use them and what to create.”
Process art is messy, time consuming, and noneducational, right?
Nope!
Okay, well, process art can for sure be messy.
But there are ways to make clean up easy and NOT overwhelming.
Always have a place mat or newspaper underneath your child’s work.
Washable EVERYTHING! Paint, markers, stamps—no one wants the stress of removing stains from clothing all day.
Have a designated art outfit or smock. We have a t-shirt my 3 year-old always wears when we’re creating, but a lot of families enjoy smocks, too.
More mess-free painting tips coming soon!
Process art can be quick, as well. If you can mitigate the mess with the tips above, process art can be a fun, 20-minute activity for your kids.
Need process art ideas? Keep reading!
Process art can be a means to develop essential skills.
It can develop fine motor skills.
It can help them explore and create on their own art.
It can encourage risk-taking.
It can introduce kids to a love for art.
…and so much more!
If you’re still not sure if process art is worth trying, let me show you how to use process art to teach AND create pumpkin product art.
Pumpkin Process Art Guide
🎨 AGES: 3-10.
Look for age appropriate instructions throughout this art guide.
🎨 SUPPLIES:
-washable paint
-scissors
-glue
-newspaper or something to protect the table from paint
🎨 ART GUIDE:
Here’s how you can use this with your kids!
Download this free pumpkin worksheet pack.
Print the first worksheet.
Cut out the pumpkin box.
DO NOT cut out the pumpkin yet.
AGES 3-6: You may need to assist them in cutting this out. You will be cutting the pumpkin out of the box at the end, so it’s not a big deal of their cuts are messy.
Save the pumpkin life cycle pieces for later.
3. Prep the paint.
Part of process art is allowing the child to choose the art supplies.
Here are some questions you can ask to encourage agency in the art project:
What colors do you see on a pumpkin?
What colors do you want on your pumpkin?
How do you want to put the paint onto the pumpkin?
Guide you child in preparing the paint and whatever supplies they would like to use to paint.
I used orange, yellow, light green, dark green, and brown.
I also just used my fingers to paint, but your child could use a paintbrush, leaves, recycled cardboard, or anything else you don’t mind washing!
4. Paint the pumpkin.
Ask your child what colors they would like to make the pumpkin.
I used orange and yellow. This is a great place to talk about colors that are next to each other in the rainbow (analogous colors) and what colors make orange (primary and secondary colors).
Remember to have fun with this!
Your child just needs to get color on the pumpkin.
They don’t have to stay in the lines.
They don’t have to completely cover it.
They don’t have to have clean strokes or precise painting.
This is the process art part!
5. Add a brown shadow (Ages 7-10)
If you’re doing this project with younger kids, feel free to skip this part if it’s too technical.
Direct your child to mix in a darker color on the bottom part of the pumpkin.
You can ask them where they think a shadow would be.
If the sunlight is coming from above, where do you think the darkest part of the pumpkin would be?
6. Paint the stem.
Ask your child what colors they would like to use for the stem.
Encourage them to try mixing colors!
Light and dark green together look interesting and semi-realistic.
Set aside to dry.
7. Cut out the pumpkin life cycle pieces.
AGES 3-6: You will likely need to assist.
AGES 7-10: They will likely be able to do this on their own.
Remind your child that they don’t have to cut each one out in detail.
They can leave a white bubble around each piece, kinda like a sticker!
8. Teach the pumpkin life cycle.
Show your child how the pumpkin life cycle goes by arranging the pieces in order.
The seed should start at the top, then move clockwise through the steps of the cycle.
Here’s the order:
seed
sprout
vine
flower
green pumpkin (growing and unripe)
orange pumpkin (mature and ripe)
Get a complete guided explanation in the free pumpkin worksheet pack!
9. Cut out painted pumpkin.
AGES 3-6: Guide child through cutting each line. Flip over so that the black lines from the printed pumpkin are all they can see.
AGES 7-10: Tell your child that they need to cut out the pumpkin. Assist when they ask for help.
10. Glue pumpkin pieces onto the front of the painted pumpkin.
Tell your child to glue the pumpkin life cycle to the front of the pumpkin.
If they are still in a circle on the table, they will intuitively glue them in that same order.
AGES 3-6: If they need help getting started, place glue in the spots for them. This eliminates some of the decision fatigue and lets them focus on the pumpkin life cycle.
11. Display and learn throughout the pumpkin season!
Sit back and appreciate the product AND process you just created together!
Hang this up somewhere you can see often. Reference it whenever learning about the pumpkin life cycle.
I hope you enjoyed this art guide! If you haven’t grabbed your free pumpkin worksheet pack, get it here.
Click the image above.
Want more art inspiration?
Check out my Art Ideas Blog Series!
If you loved this easy art project, you’ll love my Pumpkin Life Cycle Craft Pack!
Get 4 hands-on crafts that explore the pumpkin life cycle through STEM skills.
If you make this project, please upload a photo in the comments below :)
Happy fall!
