Pumpkin Patch

The Pumpkin Patch has become one of the premiere activities for our upperclassmen at St. James Day School. Starting in May of the previous school year, students begin preparing the ground for planting pumpkins. They start their seeds in late June or early July, and they tend to their crop throughout the summer. The 7th and 8th graders are growing pumpkins to give to the preschool students when they visit our pumpkin patch in the fall. It takes a great deal of time and patience to produce a healthy crop!

When the preschool students visit the Pumpkin Patch, a pumpkin is not the only gift they receive. Each 7th and 8th grade student writes and illustrates an original piece of children’s literature to share with their preschool buddy. Students enjoy a picnic treat together while the big buddy—dressed in character—reads to their little buddy. The older students teach a science lesson on the life cycle of a pumpkin, and they lead the younger students in a festive fall song and dance. The upperclassmen also decorate a pumpkin to accompany their story, making this a true cross-curricular project.