Five Little Pumpkins: questions to ask and activities to try
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late!" The classic Halloween counting rhyme, brightly illustrated.
What age is Five Little Pumpkins for?
Five Little Pumpkins is best for ages 1–4.
Five Little Pumpkins (Dan Yaccarino)
- Age
- 1-4
- Best for
- Halloween counting for little ones
Only 50pFive Little Pumpkins activity sheet3 printable pages: questions to talk about, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the grown-up. Instant PDF.
Just want the questions? Get the free question card ↓
Hold up five fingers and count down as you read. Say the rhyme again without the book and see how much your child remembers.
Is this book right for your child?
- Age
- 1–4 (nursery)
- What they'll enjoy
- Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late!" The classic Halloween counting rhyme, brightly illustrated.
- Helps with
- Halloween counting for little ones
- Buy or borrow?
- Borrow it from the library first if you can. If your child asks for it again and again, it’s one worth owning, and the questions and activities on this page work best with the book open next to you.
What it helps with
- Counting to five
- Rhyme and memory
- Joining in
- Halloween
Comprehension and discussion questions for Five Little Pumpkins
Pick two or three, not all of them. “I don’t know” is a fine answer, and you can always come back to it another day.
- “How many pumpkins were sitting on the gate?”
- “What did the first pumpkin say?”
- “What happened when the wind blew?”
- “Which pumpkin was your favourite?”
- “Can you say the rhyme with me?”
- “What face would you carve on a pumpkin?”
For the full list of questions and more, download the PDF below.
Print these questions: free question card for Five Little Pumpkins
All 6 questions for Five Little Pumpkins on one printable page, each marked with the reading skill it practises. Enter your email and download it straight away.
Free. We’ll only email you if you tick the box.
5-minute activities to try together
Finger pumpkins
Draw pumpkin faces on five fingers with washable pen and act out the rhyme.
Pumpkin count
Draw five pumpkins and count them, then cover one at a time as they roll away.
Five Little Pumpkins activity sheet: printable worksheet and questions
All the questions and activities above on a ready-to-print activity sheet: questions tagged by reading skill with space to answer, a drawing and writing page with a self-check, and notes for the adult with curriculum links and a 20-minute session plan. Pay by card, PayPal or Payhip and download straight away.
- Page 1, talk about it: questions about the story, each tagged with the reading skill it practises, with space to answer or tick
- Page 2, my favourite part: a drawing box, a sentence starter and a “how did I do?” self-check
- Page 3, notes for the adult: curriculum links, a 20-minute session plan, extension activities, and support and challenge ideas
- Read it togetherEnjoy the story first.
- Ask 2 or 3 questionsFrom the list above, while everyone is calm.
- Print the activity sheetAn activity sheet with questions, a drawing page and notes for you.
Communication bundle15 activity sheets for books on the same themeThe 15 books:I Talk Like a RiverAll Join InThe Animal BoogieBilly's BucketBrown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?Counting with Tiny CatDear ZooDig Dig DiggingDinosaur Dig!Dinosaur Roar!DogsDown by the StationDown the Back of the ChairDriving My TractorEach Peach Pear Plum£4.99 3 sheets for £1.25Five Little Pumpkins + I Talk Like a River + All Join InThe 3 books:Five Little PumpkinsI Talk Like a RiverAll Join In£1.25 Pick your own books: build a bundle with this one, up to 15% off →
Priced low on purpose. Every purchase helps keep the book guides, questions and the game free for everyone.
No PayPal account needed. Your download starts straight away. By buying, you agree to this and give up the 14-day right to cancel. Faulty or missing files are always replaced or refunded. Refunds
Use it as a lesson plan
Children can listen to Five Little Pumpkins, answer questions about it and give a reason for their ideas, and talk about counting to five.
A 20-minute session for ages 1–4 (nursery), for a class, a small group or one child at home.
- Warm up (2 minutes). Show the cover and read the title. Ask: “What do you think this story will be about?”
- Read aloud (6 minutes). Read it all the way through. Tip: Hold up five fingers and count down as you read. Say the rhyme again without the book and see how much your child remembers.
- Talk about it (4 minutes). Pick two or three of the comprehension and discussion questions above. “How many pumpkins were sitting on the gate?” works well to start.
- Activity (6 minutes). Do Finger pumpkins. Draw pumpkin faces on five fingers with washable pen and act out the rhyme. Children who finish early can try Pumpkin count.
- Wrap up (2 minutes). Ask each child for one thing they will remember from the story, and why.
Want to go further? The Five Little Pumpkins activity sheet has these questions with space to answer, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the adult.
If your child liked this, try
Pumpkin Soup (Helen Cooper)
- Best for
- Sharing jobs, falling out and making up with friends
- Age
- 3-7
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)
- Best for
- Growing and changing, and waiting for something good
- Age
- 2-5
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle)
- Best for
- Colours, animals and joining in with repeated words
- Age
- 0-4
Search all our books by what's happening →
By the Growing Wise team · Last reviewed: 29 October 2026
Growing Wise offers educational ideas for parents and carers. It is not a substitute for professional medical, developmental or mental-health advice. As an Amazon Associate, Growing Wise earns from qualifying purchases.