October is a fun month for kids, and most of that is due to Halloween. It’s hard to find a kid who doesn’t like dressing up in a costume and getting free candy. But trick-or-treating isn’t the only fun Halloween activity. Pumpkin carving is another activity that you are your kids can enjoy together to get in the spooky spirit and enjoy some quality time together when they’re not in child care. To make sure your pumpkin is ready for Halloween, “carve out” some time for pumpkin carving on October 26th, National Pumpkin Day!
Here are some fun ideas to try when carving pumpkins with kids.
Stick with the Classics
Nothing says “Halloween” quite like a jack-o-lantern with that classic face. You know the one: triangle eyes, a couple of square teeth, and maybe a triangle nose, too. It’s not too scary, and it’s easy for kids to draw on the surface of the pumpkin before the grown-ups do the actual carving. And if your kids want to make it their own, it’s easy to adapt and play with to come up with a unique design.
Carve More Than Just Faces
Faces aren’t the only thing you can carve into a pumpkin! Get creative with other classic Halloween images like bats, cats, spiderwebs, and more. Or you can show off your love for your favorite superheroes by carving their symbols into your pumpkins. If you need more inspiration, there are plenty of easy pumpkin carving stencils available online. Let the kids pick their favorites and get carving!
Don’t Carve, Paint!
The tricky thing about carving pumpkins with kids is that they are too young to use most of the tools. They might have fun scooping out the pumpkin guts (unless they think it’s icky, which we get), but the carving tools are too sharp for them to use safely. But they still want to decorate their own pumpkins. So what do you? Paint them instead! Get some extra pumpkins that are too small for carving and let them paint while you carve the jack-o-lantern.
Halloween Fun and Great Child Care at Watch Me Shine
If you’re looking for quality child care for your kids, check out Watch Me Shine! We have programs that will meet your child’s needs and help them reach their full potential. Our staff is dedicated to caring for your kids and ensuring they are where they need to be socially, developmentally, and academically.
