Autumn is a wonderful time of year filled with beautiful colors, cooler temperatures, and cozy times with family and friends. Gather your kids this fall and join University of Illinois Extension for this family fun make-at-home project. The October, I MADE That educational cooking kit, will help everyone get pumped for National Pumpkin Month.

Why get excited about pumpkins? Well, for starters Illinois grows more ornamental and canning-type pumpkins than any other state and produced a whopping 564 million pounds of pumpkins in 2020. Additionally, these versatile fruits are packed full of key nutrients growing bodies need and add a splash of color to any fall festivities.

In this month’s I MADE That kit youth will learn how to select, store, and carve pumpkins. And of course, we will have delicious recipes such as pumpkin bread, pudding, and pumpkin sandwiches, to help them learn new skills and foster teamwork as they navigate the kitchen.

The October kits include the October: I MADE That booklet, fun activities, and select recipe ingredients to get started. This project is ideal for families to work on together or for youth with cooking experience.

Register now for this October program. Kits are $5 and will be available for pick-up beginning October 4, at our Extension offices in Jo Daviess, Stephenson & Winnebago Counties. Register early to reserve your educational kit by calling our office at (815) 235-4125 or visit us online at go.illinois.edu/jswIMadeThat. The registration deadline is Monday, September 26, 2022.