This year we have had a PLETHORA of spare pumpkin – and squash seeds and I just hate the idea of wasting them! Squash (or gourd) is one of my favourite foods, and we were lucky that this year, Aldi chose to sell a ruckload of them for 39p each. I bought 10. But this left me with a HUGE amount of seeds, and so I turned to #TeamMactivity to see if anyone had any wise words of advice for what to do with them, and guess what, they had some CRACKING ideas. Here they are!
What to do with pumpkin seeds
- Olivia said, “Dry out the seeds and colour them in food dye. Either used for sensory play or to make instruments e.g. shakers.
- Adam said, “Keep them and plant them next year. Then the kids can carve their own pumpkins that they’ve grown themselves.”
- Debbie said, “Leave them out for the birds, squirrels and wildlife to eat.”
- Yvie said, “We stuck them onto pumpkins after painting them.”
- Megan said, “We dried them out and used them for counting with little numbered pumpkins.”
- Georgina said, “I’m trying pumpkin salt this year. Mix the seeds and innards with salt, ferment for 4 days, roast in the oven and then blitz in the blender. Sprinkle as a savoury flavour enhancer.”
- Rockin4kids said, “Roast them 😀 you need to clean off the pulp from the pumpkin then toss in either salt, pepper and smoked paprika for a savoury snack or salt, sugar, honey and cinnamon for a sweet one!”
- Wash and dry the seeds and use them as number counters (you could use them on our Bear Counting to 10 Activity).
- Show the children how to place the seeds in such a way that they spell out letters and words – challenge them to write their name.
- Add them to playdough for an extra sensory element.
- Use them with playdough as eyes, nose, buttons etc with our Playdough mats.
- Becci from To Aufinity and beyond said, “We roast ours with either salt and pepper or with cinnamon and coconut sugar. Tastes just like a popcorn treat! We don’t faff about with drying and all that just get most of the goo off and chuck them in the oven 160 for 40 mins, tossing half way through. My fussy kids love them too. I cringe at all the years I’ve just thrown them away!”
- Louise from Messy Little Monster made her own pumpkin slime.
- Jessica said, “We dried them out and have been using them as part of spell making along with raisins and dry pasta – the spells were written and the children counted the right amount of items.”
How have you used your leftover pumpkin or squash seeds?
