The other day the kids and I had the PERFECT fall day.  It was so awesome, so easy, and so much fun, I just had to share with you guys.  I hope some of you will give it a go!  It was a blustery fall day, a bit cold and sometimes raining, so our thoughts immediately turned to baking.  The kids and I are huge fans of Pumpkin Muffins every fall, so that's what we chose to do first.  Once our muffins were happily baking in the oven, we set about to play with our leftover pumpkin (the recipe does not call for a full can of pumpkin).  I had recently read my friend Allison's post on her Cranberry Dough Recipe and I looooved how she extended the play (why didn't I think of that?!  Good thing I have genius friends!) by turning her dough into oobleck.  In between sensory plays, we were able to enjoy warm muffins - and our whole house smelled just like fall.  Perfection!!!  So here is my "recipe" for the perfect fall day using just one can of pumpkin!

Step one:  Gather your sous chef(s) and head to the kitchen to make a batch of our Whole Wheat Low Sugar Pumpkin Muffins.  You can find the recipe and directions here.

Step two:  While your muffins are cooking, take your leftover pumpkin and make some Edible Pumpkin Play Clay (safe for babies and toddlers!).  You can find the recipe and directions for that here.

Step three:  When your child has (or children have) tired of playing, sculpting, and exploring with the Pumpkin Play Clay, add it to a bowl, slowly add water, and stir until you get "oobleck".  If you are unfamiliar with oobleck, you can check out how to make it here.  Basically you are going to add just enough water to get a very thick liquid.  If you squeeze it, it will behave like a solid - and when you release the pressure, it is a liquid.  You can try smacking your hand on the top of it and if it feels solid (and doesn't splash), you've got it!  You should be able to grab it easily as well.  If you happen to add too much water, you can always add a little more cornstarch.  We were too busy playing for me to take pictures of our Pumpkin Spice Oobleck, but here is an old photo of us playing with plain "oobleck" or cornstarch and water.  It's one of our absolute favorites.  Oh, and again - totally edible - safe for babies and toddlers!

Step four:  When you all are done playing with the Pumpkin Spice Oobleck, add enough water that you can easily stir it with a spoon (no resistance) and pour it into a container to freeze.  Several hours later (or the next day), you will have Pretend Frozen Ice Cream Dough that melts just like real ice cream!  For more details on how to make our Pretend Frozen Ice Cream Dough and how to play with it, go here.  Here is a photo of Chocolate Ice Cream Dough because I didn't photograph the Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream Dough!  Whoops!  :)  And in case you're wondering - still edible!  Safe for babies and toddlers!

So there you have it!  Our recipe for some fabulous fun before fall is all gone and we move on to winter days.  If you're looking for a few more ways to give fall one last hurrah, here are some of our favorite fall activities:

Scented Tea Pretend Play
Pumpkin Spice Salt Dough Ornaments
Fall Scented Microwave Puffy Paint Recipe
Scented Baked Cotton Balls

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All activities here are activities I feel are safe for my own children.  As your child's parents/guardians, you will need to decide what you feel is safe for your family.  I always encourage contacting your child's pediatrician for guidance if you are not sure about the safety/age appropriateness of an activity. All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision.  Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies).  Observe caution and safety at all times.  The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.