14 days into homeschooling my four-year-old triplet nephews for our Waldorf-inspired kindergarten, and we are finally completing a project they have been asking about for weeks! Our wet-felted wool pumpkins are finished, and I could not be more pleased with how beautifully they turned out.

By Tuesday, October 6, 2026, I had been putting this project off for some time because I wanted to make sure we had the right materials, enough time, and a few modifications that I thought would improve the finished pumpkins. In the end, they turned out even better than the original ones that inspired us!

We made our pumpkins using undyed wool batting felted around racquetballs and tennis balls. The tennis ball was a little more challenging because some of the wool adhered to its surface, but the racquetballs popped right out. Once the pumpkins were felted, we dyed them with madder root for approximately 20 minutes. This gave the exterior a beautiful pumpkin-orange color while leaving the interior a lighter yellow-orange. The subtle variations in color are one of my favorite things about these pumpkins.

The finishing touch was needle-felting the little stems onto the tops. This simple addition completely transformed them! The children were absolutely charmed by their pumpkins, and my sister-in-law and I were just as delighted. After their rather underwhelming reaction to discovering the newly hatched birds in our garden, it was especially satisfying to see how much they loved this project.

I've linked the complete felted pumpkin tutorial in the description box below. You can also find the playlist of our kindergarten lessons with live audio if you'd like to hear the instructions and conversations that take place throughout our mornings.

With our pumpkins complete, we moved into the kitchen for a very simple snack preparation. Each child sliced an apple using their own little cutting board and knife. Their coordination and confidence continue to improve with every opportunity to practice. We also collected the apple seeds for a gardening project later in the season.

This was one of our shortest kindergarten mornings, lasting only an hour and a half instead of our usual two to three hours. We didn't introduce a new story or even retell our familiar one. Sometimes a simple morning with familiar activities and plenty of time for play is exactly what we need.

While the triplets enjoyed imaginative play inside our beautiful wooden play structure from Head, Hands, and Heart Boutique, their 11-year-old brother worked on a wood-burning project. He practiced using the wood-burning tool on one of the cutting boards before taking it home to personalize his skateboard.

Meanwhile, the younger children were eager to crack the hazelnuts we had collected for their pumpkins. We used a mortar and pestle, which worked surprisingly well, although I think this is one activity we'll move outdoors next time. The children enjoyed the process of cracking the shells, discovering the nuts inside, and, of course, tasting them.

Each child collected ten hazelnuts to keep inside their little wool pumpkin. Watching them count their hazelnuts reminded me how naturally early mathematical understanding develops through meaningful, everyday activities.

At four years old, we are not introducing formal academic lessons. There will be plenty of time for that when they begin first grade in a couple of years. For now, counting, sorting, handling natural materials, and participating in practical work provide opportunities to develop the foundations they will need later.

I especially love the thought of saving these pumpkins and hazelnuts for their first math main lesson block in grade one. Rather than purchasing manipulatives or using ordinary stones, they will have something beautiful and familiar that they made with their own hands during their kindergarten years.

Fourteen days into our kindergarten journey, I am finding so much joy in these simple experiences. A beautiful handmade pumpkin, a sliced apple, a handful of hazelnuts, and time for imaginative play. So much learning takes place when children are given meaningful work, beautiful materials, and the freedom to participate in everyday life.

Head Hands and Heart Boutique

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