Pumpkin Patch Zen Garden – Fun Sensory Play Activity

Several years ago we did a rock sen garden and loved it! And now we are doing a twist and doing a pumpkin patch zen garden.

A simple sensory activity that works great for a calm down activity that can keep kids active for a long time.

Plus kids can be as creative as they want with the sensory activity.

Pumpkin Patch Zen Garden - an easy calm down sensory activity for kids to do during the fall. - 3Dinosaurs.com

We have included links to some of the products and resources we have used with this activity. If you purchase via the links we may earn a small commission.

This is a great addition to the pumpkin activities on the site.

A zen garden is an area of raked sand or rocks that is a controlled area. It is often called a Japanese rock garden.

So this a twist on a rock garden but with a pumpkin patch and letting kids be as creative as they can be.

All while calming down with a fun fine motor and sensory activity at the same time. That is a great seasonal change.

Things used in the Pumpkin Patch Zen Garden

A super simple activity to set up and do. Plus the pumpkins are so much fun for kids.

acrylic pumpkin table scatters
plastic tray
green kinetic sand – We used two bags of this for the tray.
pencil

Ways to Use the Pumpkin Patch Zen Garden

Spread Kentic Sand

You can let them spread the sand out in the bin. It is fun to watch them push and press the sand around to fill the tray. We have four pounds of the green kinetic sand.

Draw in the Sand with Pencil

You can draw anything you want in the sand. It is a great start to the bin. Each time you make a line or design you are working on fine motor skills and calming down as well.

Add Pumpkin to the Sand

After you make a drawing add the pumpkins. The green sand and pumpkins make it look like a pumpkin patch.

Draw a Zen Garden with Pumpkins

You can have loads of fun making and remaking a pumpkin themed zen garden. You can also use your finger to draw the lines in the sand.

You can let kids decide how they want to use the sensory play. It is fun relaxing and a great way to unwind.

Other Ideas to Try with the Pumpkin Patch Zen Garden

These are just a few ideas that we have done. The zen bin is left out for my girls to play and use at any time and it is a great calm down for after school.

But here are a few other ideas to try but you can also let kids just try what they want:

You can draw letters and numbers in the sand.

You can draw numbers and match the pumpkins to the number.

You can make groups of pumpkins for multiplication or division problems

You can work on spelling words.

You can make tally marks in the sand

Check out these other pumpkin sensory activities

The Fall Rice Sensory Bin has some leaves, acorn, and pumpkins in it. Lots of sensory fun, sorting, and fine motor work.

Pumpkin Sensory Bin is lots of a fun exploring colors and pumpkins in the bin.

You can have fun exploring pumpkins in the Pumpkin Water Beads Sensory Bin. It is a great sensory play with easy setup time.

Pumpkin & Kinetic Sand Sensory Bin is super fun to play in it is great for exploring fun with pumpkins. Plus it is a super easy sensory bin to set up.

Check out all the fun Pumpkin Activities & Printables on 3 Dinosaurs.