Are you looking for a fun and engaging way to review place value this fall? This place value pumpkin math activity with base ten blocks is perfect for second grade and third grade students! It encourages them to count, build, and represent numbers in multiple ways. It combines creativity with math practice, making it a great fit for a fall math center, small group lesson, or whole-class project.

Why Use Base Ten Blocks in Fall Math Activities?

Base ten blocks give students a hands-on way to practice place value. Instead of just writing numbers on paper, students can see and touch the ones, tens, and hundreds that make up a number. When you add in a seasonal theme like pumpkin math, it instantly becomes more engaging and memorable.

Step 1: Create Templates For Your Place Value Pumpkins

Start with orange construction paper pumpkins, on (12 X 18) size paper. You can pre-cut them for younger students or let older ones cut out their own shapes.

Then provide printable base ten block cutouts: ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands (for students who are ready to build larger numbers). These will be the “decorations” for the pumpkins. Students will color and cut out the base ten blocks they want to use for their pumpkin’s face, body, etc. (Be sure to stress the importance of NOT cutting up any of their base ten blocks into pieces. A hundreds flat needs to stay a hundreds flat, a tens rods needs to stay a tens rod, etc.)

Step 2: Students Arrange Base Ten Blocks On Their Pumpkin

Have students lay out their base ten blocks on their place value pumpkin before they glue ANYTHING… Then have them make sure this is their final choice BEFORE they begin counting all of their blocks.

Step 3: Count the Base Ten Blocks

Before students glue their base ten blocks down, have them count all of their blocks and write the number in standard form on their chart. Have them count how many thousands (if used), hundreds, tens, and ones.

4. Glue Base Ten Blocks to Pumpkin & Write the Value in Different Forms

After counting, students glue blocks down and then transfer their pumpkins’ number onto a chart that shows the amount in multiple ways:

• Standard Form – 257
• Expanded Form – 200 + 50 + 7
• Word Form – two hundred fifty-seven
• Open Number Line – Start at 0 and hop by 200, then 50, then 7 to reach 257

This step gives students a well-rounded understanding of numbers while practicing different forms they’ll see in math lessons and tests.

Built-In Differentiation

One of the best parts of this activity is how easily it can be differentiated for different learners:

• For students who need extra support, give them ones and tens only, so they’re working with smaller, 2-digit numbers.
• For students ready for a challenge, provide hundreds, tens, and ones, so they can build and represent 3-digit numbers.
• You can even mix in thousands blocks for advanced learners who are ready to stretch their thinking.

Because the teacher decides which blocks students will use, every child works at their own level while still participating in the same engaging activity.

5. Display and Compare

When everyone is finished, hang the pumpkins up as a fall math bulletin board. Students will love seeing their decorated place value pumpkins alongside their numbers.

To extend the activity:

• Graph the class pumpkin numbers to compare which are the largest and smallest.
• Have students trade pumpkins and solve for their partner’s number.
• Create word problems using the pumpkin numbers.

Your Students Will Love This Place Value Pumpkin Activity

• It’s hands-on and creative
• It reinforces place value with base ten blocks
• It connects math to a seasonal theme
• It works for differentiation–students can build 2-digit, 3-digit, or 4-digit numbers depending on their level

This place value pumpkin is a must-try of you want to combine base ten block practice, place value skills, and fall fun in your classroom.

If you would like information on other fun seasonal math activities for you classroom, check out this Seasonal Math Bundle!

Happy Learning!!