Is a pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable? How big can they grow? Let’s find out!
DOWNLOAD THIS PAGE AS A PRINTABLE PDF
1. Veggie or fruit? The History Channel says pumpkins are vegetables, proud members of the gourd family. Their cousins include cucumbers, melons, cantaloupes and watermelons. They are native to Central America and Mexico, but now grow on six continents.
2. What country first turned pumpkins into scary jack-o-lanterns?
A. Mexico B. Ireland C. USA
The University of Illinois says that the Irish and Scottish carved the first jack-o-lanterns out of turnips; but then they started using pumpkins imported from America.
3. Can a pumpkin weigh more than a giraffe?
Yes. At http://bitly.com/18WXKOi you’ll learn about a guy in New Hampshire who grew one that weighed one ton, or 2000 pounds. If you want to grow one yourself, you might want to visit a site like http://www.howarddill.com/ but, the seeds can cost $50 each.
4. How far can you throw a pumpkin? At http://www.punkinchunkin.com/ you can learn about this crazy new sport where people build special machines, called trebuchets, to launch their pumpkins several thousand feet.
5. Which types of pumpkins are best for carving?
At Pumpkin Masters http://bitly.com/160lCCt you’ll learn how to pick out the perfect pumpkin for carving. They say you should find one that sits up easily, doesn’t have any dark mold spots and is lighter-colored and softer.
STUFF TO DO
1. Roast some pumpkin seeds. Here’s how! A site called “All Recipes” tells you how:
2. Carve a strange looking pumpkin! At Better Home & Gardens you can learn how to make a pumpkin stencil
———————————————————————————————————————————————— LittleClickers.com (this page and the associated web site) is sponsored by Computer Explorers. Neither Children’s Technology Review (publisher of LittleClickers) or Computer Explorers has any vested interest in any of the sites listed on this page. Librarians and teachers are permitted to copy this page for non-profit use. To report a bad link, use this form, or contact us. Copyright 2018, Children's Technology Review.
