Pumpkin Patch Coloring Page

It is a bright fall day on this pumpkin patch coloring page. Rows of pumpkins run across a green field while a friendly scarecrow stands guard with a crow on his arm. In front, a little red wagon holds three more pumpkins. Behind the white fence you can see a red barn and four round trees in full fall color.

There is plenty to do here, so it suits kids from about 5 to 10. A first grader can handle the big pumpkins and the wagon. An older child will enjoy the fence, the barn and the plaid on the scarecrow's sleeves. Give it 30 minutes or more.

A closer look at the farm

Count the rows first. The back row has small pumpkins, the middle row is bigger, and the front ones are the largest of all. That is a simple trick artists use to show distance. Things far away look small, and things close to you look big. It is a good moment to point this out to a young artist.

One pumpkin in the middle row is meant to be pale. A wooden sign points the way, and five birds fly past the clouds. Look for the patch on the scarecrow's overalls too.

Pumpkin patch coloring page color ideas

Do not make every pumpkin the same orange. Real farm fields are full of variety, and so is this one. Try deep orange on the front pumpkins, a lighter orange in the back, and yellow on a few. The pale pumpkin can stay white or take a little cream.

The trees are the place to go bold. Red, orange and gold side by side look like a real October hillside. Keep the sky a soft blue so all that warm color pops. For the scarecrow, a red shirt with blue overalls is the classic choice, though purple overalls would make him look quite stylish.

Tips for a neat result

Color the ribs of each pumpkin one at a time. Press harder near the dark lines and lighter in the middle of each rib. That small change makes a flat shape look round.

The white fence has tight spaces between the boards. Leave the boards white and color only the gaps behind them, or skip the gaps and move on. Sharp colored pencils are easier than crayons in this spot.

Save the grass for last. It covers a lot of paper, and a green crayon on its side will finish it fast. Add a few short up strokes around the pumpkins so they seem to sit in the field.

Pumpkins are not all for carving

Here is something to share while you color. According to University of Illinois Extension, Illinois grows about 90 percent of the nation's canned pumpkin. Those baking pumpkins are tan on the outside with bright orange flesh. The classic orange ones in grocery store bins are mostly grown for decorating and carving. So your pie and your jack-o'-lantern probably started out as different kinds of pumpkin.

After the crayons go down

Give every pumpkin a price and turn the picture into a pretend farm stand. Kids can add up what they would spend, which is sneaky math practice. You can also have them name the scarecrow and write two sentences about what he sees all day.

Teachers can use the page for a sequence lesson on how a pumpkin grows, then hang the finished pictures in a row along a hallway.

Try this. Take the finished page along on your next farm visit. Kids can hold it up and hunt for matches, such as a wagon, a fence, a white pumpkin or a crow on a post, and every find earns a small check mark in the corner. It keeps them busy on the walk from the car, and it gives you a nice keepsake from the day.

Keep the fall theme going

The scarecrow has a page of his own, so try the scarecrow coloring page next. Kids who liked the big smiling pumpkins will also enjoy the pumpkin coloring page.

Questions