Make carving pumpkins a fun family activity this fall! Learn how to safely carve pumpkins with your kids using child-friendly tools.
When you think of fall, you probably have images of colorful leaves and pumpkins dancing before your eyes. If you do, you’re not alone! Fall is all about having fun and enjoying all of the activities popular during the season, especially carving pumpkins. If you’re planning on enjoying this particular activity this fall, here are some tips you’ll need for carving pumpkins with your kids; after all, fall is pumpkin everything!
USE CHILD-FRIENDLY TOOLS
Carving pumpkins is a fun activity everyone in the family wants to try out; however, oftentimes, the adults end up doing most of the work with the carving knife. To make it safe for everyone in the family to carve their own pumpkins, invest in some child-friendly carving tools. This will help minimize any injuries your child might have while using sharp tools. If you have very young children, you can keep them involved by letting them paint their pumpkins instead of carving them.
STORE YOUR PUMPKIN INSIDE
If you’ve ever carved a pumpkin, you know how cold your hands can get trying to scoop out all of the insides. To help keep your hands toasty warm, store your pumpkin inside the day before you carve. This will help bring your pumpkin up to room temperature so your hands can get a break.
CUT OUT THE BOTTOM
When carving pumpkins, most people cut out the top and go from there. Although there’s nothing wrong with this, it can get frustrating reaching in and lighting the candle in your pumpkin every night. A great way to get around this is to cut out the bottom of the pumpkin instead. When you cut out the bottom, you can simply place the candle or LED light on the ground and set the pumpkin on top of it. This makes it easier to light the candle each night since you simply tip the pumpkin to gain access to the light.
USE PUMPKIN STENCILS
It can be hard to carve the perfect pumpkin, especially if you’re not very creative. There is hope, however! Simply use stencils to help plan how you will carve your pumpkin. This will also give your kids a map to follow as they work on creating their masterpieces. You can find stencils at your local craft store or even in stores such as Walmart and Target.
Carving pumpkins is a fall tradition that every family should have. Not only is it a great time to bond with your family, but it’s also a ton of fun! So grab a few pumpkins from a pumpkin patch or grocery store, and start a tradition of pumpkin carving with the kids if you haven’t already.
