Counting with pumpkins

They’re a fruit. Native Americans used to flatten strips of them to make mats. The smaller ones are usually the best for making pies. And most are available — happily — in October.

I didn’t know any of this when I went searching for a pumpkin to use as a serving bowl. I had never considered (and didn’t even know I cared) how many seeds were inside. I just wanted an attractive vessel in which to put roasted veggies!

Then I read an engaging and informative book called How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (opens in a new window) (Schwartz/Wade) and found a new way to think about math and science (and even folktales, self-perception, and more) — all related to a fall fruit introduced in the pages of a book!

In the book, Charlie and his classmates learn about pumpkins (opens in a new window) and that size isn’t always as important as you’d think. Charlie discovers that the smallest pumpkin holds the most seeds after they group them by 10’s and add them up, and that “for each line on the outside [of a pumpkin], there’s a row of seeds on the inside.”

So, make your pumpkin a family (or classroom) affair! Once you get your pumpkin, clean it out, count the seeds, roast them, eat them (they’re full of vitamin A), and save one to plant in the spring.

Pumpkins. Who would have thought?