A Cozy Autumn Picture Book: “The Story of Little Pumpkin Pumky” – A Story That Teaches Children About Emotions and Acceptance

 Autumn is the perfect season for heartwarming stories. 

“The Story of Little Pumpkin Pumky” is a gentle and simple picture book for children ages 4 to 6.
Through the story of a small pumpkin who felt invisible and sad, but learned that she was special just the way she is, children learn to recognize and name emotions, build self-confidence, and develop empathy.

On a big, sunny field grew many pumpkins.

They were round, orange, and cheerful.
Among them lived the smallest pumpkin — her name was Pumpky.

Every day, Pumpky watched her sisters grow bigger and bigger.
She stayed small and quiet.
She whispered to the wind:
– “I’m the smallest… no one will ever notice me.”

The wind gently stroked her little leaves and softly said:
– “Every pumpkin has its time and its reason. Be patient.”

But Pumpky was still sad.
When children came to the field, they pointed to the big pumpkins:
– “Look at this huge one!”
– “This one’s perfect for a lantern!”
No one looked at Pumpky.
A little sadness began to grow inside her small heart.

One morning, a little girl came to the field.
She didn’t look at the big pumpkins.
She stopped next to Pumpky, crouched down, and smiled:
– “You’re perfect for me. Small things fit perfectly in small hands.”

The little girl gently picked up Pumpky, took her home, and placed her on the window.
Pumpky glowed!

She realized it didn’t matter if she was the biggest —
What mattered was being loved just the way she was.

And from that day on, Pumpky never felt small again.
She felt special.

Emotional reflection after reading:

• How did Pumpky feel at the beginning of the story?
• Why was she sad?
• How did she feel when Emma chose her?
• Have you ever felt like Pumpky?
• What made you feel better?

Buy your digital illustrations for the story “The Story of Pumpkin Pumpky”!
Make your autumn days special with a warm and gentle story about a little pumpkin who learns that she is valuable just the way she is.

Illustrations are simple and full of opportunities to engage children in conversations about emotions, kindness, and self-confidence.

You will also receive:

• flashcards
• worksheets
• memory game template
• extra story text designed for early English learners (Level 1)

Buy now – 3,00 €

Click here for more children’s stories.

You might also like this: 

Getting ready for Halloween: Halloween Activities to Boost ESL Learning

Check out  the lesson plan you might like: 

ESL ACTIVITY PLAN – "The Story of Pumpkin Pumpky"

ESL ACTIVITY PLAN – Emotions

Age: 4–6 years Duration: 30–40 minutes
Level: Beginner (A1)
Goal: introduce and understand basic vocabulary for expressing emotions
Useful tip: You can adjust the emotions as needed — for example, instead of 'loved' and 'special,' use 'angry' and 'scared,' or add them in the following lesson.

1. Warm-up – Movement and facial expressions (5–10 min)

Objective: Recognize and name emotions through mimicry and movement.
Materials: flashcards (happy, sad, loved, special), mirrors or pictures.

Activities:

• The teacher shows a flashcard and expresses the emotion with their face and body.
• “Happy!” — big smile, arms up.
• “Sad!” — sad face, shoulders down.
• “Loved!” — hugging gesture.
• “Special!” — pointing to oneself with a smile.
• Children imitate the expression and say the word out loud.
• “Show me…” game — the teacher says the word, pointing to the flashcard, and children express the emotion.

📌 Language: “Show me happy.” “Are you sad?” “Good job!”

2. Flashcard game "What's missing?"

Objective: Reinforce vocabulary recognition and support sentence building through play.
Materials: Flashcards with emotions (sad, happy, loved, special) a

Activities:
The teacher places the flashcards on the board or floor, says each word clearly, and models the sentence structure (“Pumpky is happy.”). Asks students to repeat. Then removes one flashcard while students close their eyes and asks: “What’s missing?” Encourages full-sentence answers.

📌Language (target words): happy, sad, loved, special.

3. Art activity – My face (10–15 min)

Objective: Express emotions through drawing and speaking.
Materials: paper with blank face outlines, crayons, and markers.

Activities:
Each child chooses an emotion and draws a face showing it.
Each child says:
“I am happy.”
“I feel loved.”

📌 Language: “I am happy/sad/loved/special.”

4. Movement game – Emotion corners (5–10 min)

Objective: Understand and react quickly to vocabulary.
Materials: four corners labeled happy, sad, loved, special.

Activities:
The teacher says an emotion. Children quickly move to the correct corner and act out the feeling.
Variation: The teacher shows a flashcard instead of saying the word.

📌 Language: “Run to happy!” “Show sad!” “Good!” 

5. Closing Circle: My feelings

Objective: Personal connection with the vocabulary.
Materials: flashcards, soft ball or plush toy.

Activities:
Children sit in a circle. Pass the ball around. When a child gets the ball, they say:
 “I feel happy,” or picks the correct card.

📌 Language: “I feel happy/sad/loved/special.”

 Learning objectives:

• Recognize and name 4 basic emotions in English.
• Develop non-verbal expression and speaking skills.
• Connect emotions to personal experiences.
• Learn through movement, play, and art. 

Recommended materials:

• Flashcards with emotions
• Crayons, paper, mirrors
• Small ball / plush toy
• Corner labels or stickers for the classroom setup.

Here you can download FREE EMOTION FLASHCARS.

Additional ideas for introducing and practicing new vocabulary can be found here: Simple ideas for introducing and reviewing language using flashcards, ESL

Pumpkin Lava Experiment

Goal:

• Observe what happens when baking soda is mixed with vinegar.
• Notice the chemical reaction that creates bubbles and foam (lava effect).
• Connect a science experiment with an autumn theme (pumpkin).

 
Materials:

• Small hollowed-out pumpkin
• Baking soda
• Vinegar (preferably clear, white vinegar)
• Food coloring (optional – orange, red, or yellow)
• Small cup or container
• Spoon

Procedure:

Hollow out the pumpkin and place it on a tray.
Put a small cup or container inside the pumpkin.
Add 2–3 tablespoons of baking soda to the cup.
Add a few drops of food coloring.
Slowly pour vinegar into the cup.
Observe what happens when the vinegar and baking soda mix.

Observations:

When the two substances combine, foam and bubbles begin to form.

The foam flows out of the pumpkin, looking like lava flowing from a volcano, just like in the video below. 

Children can observe, describe, and comment on the changes.

Explanation:

• Baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid) react to create carbon dioxide (CO₂).
• The gas forms bubbles and causes the foam to overflow — just like a lava eruption.

Expected Learning Outcomes:

• Children observe and recognize changes in matter (such as the formation of bubbles and foam).
• Children develop curiosity and interest in science experiments.
• Children can describe what they saw in simple sentences.
• Children connect the experiment with natural phenomena (e.g., volcanic eruption).

Discover more inspiring experiments and activities — click HERE.

Eksperimment: Lava u bundevi

Cilj:

• Promatrati što se događa kada se soda bikarbona pomiješa s octom.
• Uočiti kemijsku reakciju koja stvara mjehuriće i pjenu (imitacija lave).
• Povezati znanstveni pokus s jesenskom temom (bundeva).
•  

Materijal:

• Mala izdubljena bundeva
• Soda bikarbona
• Ocat (najbolje alkoholni, prozirni)
• Boja za hranu (po želji – narančasta, crvena ili žuta)
• Mala čašica ili posudica
• Žlica

Postupak:
Izdubiti bundevi unutrašnjost i postaviti je na pladanj.
Unutar bundeve staviti čašicu ili posudicu.
U čašicu usuti 2–3 žlice sode bikarbone.
Dodati nekoliko kapi boje za hranu.
Polako uliti ocat u čašicu.
Promatrati što se događa kada se ocat i soda bikarbona spoje.

 
Opažanja:

• Kada se dvije tvari spoje, počinje se stvarati pjena i mjehurići.
• Pjena izlazi van iz bundeve i izgleda kao lava koja teče.
• Djeca mogu promatrati, opisivati i komentirati promjene.

 
Objašnjenje:
Soda bikarbona (baza) i ocat (kiselina) reagiraju i stvaraju ugljični dioksid (CO₂).
Plin stvara mjehuriće i uzrokuje izlijevanje pjene – baš kao erupcija lave iz vulkana.

 
Očekivani ishodi učenja:

• Djeca promatraju i prepoznaju promjenu tvari (nastajanje mjehurića i pjene).
• Djeca razvijaju znatiželju i interes za znanstvene pokuse.
• Djeca mogu opisati što su vidjela jednostavnim rečenicama.
• Djeca povezuju eksperiment s prirodnim pojavama (npr. vulkanska erupcija).

Otkrijte još inspirativnih eksperimenata i aktivnosti — kliknite OVDJE.

Možda će Vas zanimati i Priča "Mala bundeva Bundolina"

Topla jesenska slikovnica: „Mala bundeva Bundolina” – priča koja uči djecu o emocijama i prihvaćanju

Na jednom velikom polju rasle su mnoge bundeve.

Bile su okrugle, narančaste i vesele.
Među njima je živjela najmanja bundeva — zvala se Bundolina.

Bundolina je svaki dan gledala kako njezine sestre rastu sve veće i veće.
Ona je ostala mala i tiha.
Šapnula je vjetru:
– “Ja sam najmanja… nitko me neće primijetiti.”

Vjetar ju je nježno pomilovao po listićima i tiho rekao:
– “Svaka bundeva ima svoje vrijeme i svoj razlog. Budi strpljiva.”

Ali Bundolina je i dalje bila tužna.
Kad su djeca dolazila na polje, svi su pokazivali na velike bundeve:
– “Pogledaj ovu ogromnu!”
– “Ova je savršena za lampion!”
Nitko nije pogledao Bundolinu.
U njezinom malom srdašcu rasla je tuga.

Jednog jutra, na polje je došla djevojčica Ema.
Nije gledala velike bundeve.
Zastala je kod Bundoline, čučnula i nasmiješila se:
– “Ti si savršena za mene. Male stvari stanu točno u male ruke.”

Ema ju je nježno ubrala i odnijela kući.
Stavila ju je na prozor, uz šarene listiće i svjećicu.
Bundolina je blistala! 

Shvatila je da nije važno biti najveća —
važno je biti voljena baš takva kakva jesi.

I od tog dana Bundolina se više nikada nije osjećala mala.
Osjećala se posebna. 

Emocionalni poticaji nakon čitanja:

• Kako se Bundolina osjećala na početku priče?
• Zašto je bila tužna?
• Kako se osjećala kad ju je Ema odabrala?
• Jesi li se ti nekad osjećao/la kao Bundolina?
• Što te tada razveselilo?

Savršeno za jesenje dane u vrtiću, školi ili kod kuće. 

Kliknite “Kupi sada” i preuzmite svoj primjerak digitalne slikovnice odmah!

🛍️ Kupi sada – 2,00 €

Uz slikovnicu dolaze i prijedlozi aktivnosti za vrtić ili kućno okruženje: igre emocija, likovne aktivnosti, istraživanje pravih bundeva i razgovori koji potiču emocionalnu pismenost.

Besplatni radni listić i bojanka za printanje dostupni su OVDJE.

Možda će Vas zanimati i ova STEM aktivnost Eksperiment: Lava iz bundeve

Više ideja za aktivnosti na temu bundeva možete proći OVDJE.

🍎Story "The Apple That Didn’t Want to Fall"

High in a tree, a little red apple was growing.
The apple was happy and liked her branch. Every morning, the sun touched her face.
The wind said, “It’s time to fall. Autumn is coming.”But the apple said, “No! I don’t want to fall. I like my tree. I see the orchard. I hear the birds.”
The leaves turned yellow.
Other apples fell down on the soft grass.
The little red apple stayed alone. A girl came to pick apples.
She sang to the apple, “Little apple, come down!”
But the apple said, “No!”
Rain fell. Wind blew.
Still, the apple held the branch.
“I won’t fall!” she said.
Then the sun came out.
“Little apple,” said the sun, “don’t be afraid. Falling is a new adventure.”
“But what if I break?” asked the apple.
“The ground is soft,” said the sun. “You will give a seed. A new tree will grow.”
The apple smiled.
She let go of the branch.
She fell down softly.
“It’s not scary at all!” she said.
Winter came. The apple rested on the earth.
In spring, a small tree grew from the seed.
New red apples grew on it.

✨ Moral of the story:
Sometimes change is scary.
But change can bring something new and beautiful.

You can also get an ESL set that includes a collection of beautifully designed digital illustrations that follow a warm and meaningful ESL story about a little apple that doesn’t want to fall from the tree + plus flashcards and a template for a memory game. The illustrations are simple, colorful, and perfectly suited for children ages 3 to 7 and beginners. Buying this set, you also receive a link for free downloading of the ESL activity plan and worksheet materials.

🛍️ Buy now – 3,00 €

Pokretne igre za djecu 3. dio

Skači kao zeko

Cilj: Razvijanje koordinacije i ravnoteže.

Kako se igra: 

Djeca skaču kao zeko s jednog „gnijezda“ (krug od užeta ili obruča) do drugog. Možeš dodati prepreke (jastučiće, crte na podu) koje moraju preskočiti.

Varijacija: Odgojiteljica može reći različite životinje — pa se kreću kao one (npr. skakuću kao žaba, pužu kao gusjenica…)

Spora i brza životinja

Cilj: Razumijevanje brzine i pokreta.

Kako se igra: 

Odgojiteljica  govori:
„Kornjača!“ ➝ svi hodaju sporo.
„Zec!“ ➝ skaču brzo.
„Medvjed!“ ➝ teški koraci.

Varijacija: Djeca mogu sama smišljati životinje i pokrete.

Padobranska igra (s plahtom)

Cilj: Suradnja i timski rad.

Kako se igra: 

Djeca stoje u krugu i drže veliku plahtu. Na znak je podižu i spuštaju, ubace laganu lopticu i pokušavaju je zadržati na plahti.

Varijacija: Ubaciti više loptica ili zadavati zadatke (npr. „Podignite visoko!“).

Tragovi po podu

Cilj: Razvijanje koordinacije i praćenje uputa.

Kako se igra: Na pod zalijepi oblike stopala i dlanova. Djeca ih prate i skaču, hodaju ili pužu po njima.

Varijacija: Dodaj boje ili brojeve pa poveži s učenjem.

Savjeti za izvođenje pokretnih igara:

• Koristi kratke, jasne upute.
• Uvijek osiguraj siguran prostor za kretanje.
• Uključi glazbu, boje ili jednostavne rekvizite kako bi djeci bilo još zanimljivije.
• Igre mogu trajati 5–15 minuta — idealno za kraće aktivnosti u vrtiću.

Više ideja za pokretne igre možeš pronaći OVDJE.

🍎 Priča za djecu: Jabuka koja nije htjela pasti

Visoko, visoko na jednoj grani, rasla je mala crvena jabuka.
Bila je sjajna, sretna i ponosna na svoje mjesto na stablu.

Svako jutro sunce bi je pomilovalo po obrazima, a vjetar bi joj tiho šaptao: „Vrijeme je, jabuko, da uskoro padneš. Dolazi jesen.“

Ali jabuka bi se namrštila i odgovorila:
„Ne, ne! Ja ne želim pasti! Na grani mi je lijepo. Vidim cijeli voćnjak, čujem ptice i pričam s lišćem.“

Dani su prolazili. Lišće je počelo žutjeti, a ostale su se jabuke već otkotrljale na meku travu ispod stabla. Mala crvena jabuka ostala je sama i tužno promatrala sestrice u travi.

Došao je i dan berbe i djevojčica je u košaru pokupila sve jabučice koje su se spustile na meku travu. Samo je mala tvrdoglava jabuka ostala visjeti sama.

Djevojčica zapjeva jabučici: „Oj jabuko, jabučice….“, ali tvrdoglava jabučica i dalje odbija pasti na zemlju.

Kiša ju je močila, vjetar nosio, a ona se i dalje držala grančice.

„Neću pasti!“, ljutito je govorila.

Tada je sunce provirilo kroz oblake i reklo:
“Draga jabuko, svatko jednom mora pasti. Tako počinje tvoja nova pustolovina.“

„Ali što ako se razbijem?“, upitala je uplašeno jabuka.

„Ne boj se. Zemlja će te dočekati meko. Ka padneš dat ćeš sjeme – iz njega će narasti novo stablo.“, odgovorilo je Sunce. Jabuka je malo razmislila… i osjetila toplotu u srcu.

Jabuka se nasmiješila i – otpustila grančicu.
Pala je tiho, na meku travu. Nije se razbila.

“Oh, pa uopće nije bilo strašno!” – rekla je veselo.

Zima je došla i jabuka je odmarala u zemlji.

Kad je došlo proljeće, iz njezinog sjemena niknula je mala grančica.
Nova jabuka je rođena!

I na njemu su se uskoro pojavile nove, sjajne, crvene jabuke.

I tako je jabuka shvatila da pad nije kraj, nego početak nečeg novog.


🌟 Pouka priče: Ponekad se bojimo promjena, ali svaka promjena donosi nešto novo i lijepo.

Predivna slikovnica za djecu o jednoj neobičnoj jabuci koja uči važnu životnu lekciju 
🌟 Dob: 3+ godine
📄 Format: PDF slikovnica za preuzimanje
💰 Cijena: 2,00 €
🛍️ Kupi sada – 2,00 €

Plaćanje i preuzimanje odvija se sigurno preko Gumroad platforme.
Prijedlog aktivnosti nakon pročitane priče možete pogledati OVDJE.