Pumpkin Pie Fractions

What You Need

1. Orange construction paper
2. Small paper plates
3. Cotton balls
4. Light brown crayons
5. Glue sticks and/or white glue
6. Scissors
7. Compass or round object

The Filling

First you need the filling. Have your children trace around a round object—one that's smaller than the plate—and cut out the circles. If your children are older, they can make circles using a compass. If your children are younger, or if time is an issue, you may want to do this step yourself.

The Crust

Now for the crust! Let your children color the rim of the paper plate with a tan or light brown colored crayon. Older children may prefer to use paint; just be sure to allow additional time for drying before gluing the pieces together.

The Pie

Time to make some pies! Have your children glue the filling on top of the plate and the whipped cream (cotton) on top of the filling. (Glue sticks work better on paper; liquid glue works better on cotton.) Make a few more pumpkin pies without whipped cream for cutting into slices.

Fractions

Here's where the fractions come in! Depending on the ages and abilities of your children, you may want to cut them into fractional parts yourself or make templates out of extra paper plates for your children to use as guides. For older kids, this is a great opportunity for them to practice using a protractor.

Explore

Once the pies are cut into fractions, explore them with your children. Who has a bigger piece? Can you find two pieces that together equal one of the other pieces? How many different ways can you make a whole pie?

Have fun!