Ways for Children to Decorate a Pumpkin

Pumpkins are a seasonal favorite at Halloween and Thanksgiving. If you're tired of carving the same old Jack-O-lantern patterns each season, try getting crafty. Put away the carving knife and decorate a pumpkin! These family friendly ideas encourage children to express their creativity with parental assistance.

Paint a Pumpkin
Break out the craft paints for children decorating pumpkins. Paint a toothy grin, big eyes and hair to give the pumpkin personality. Or paint a Halloween poem or a scary riddle on the pumpkin for trick-or-treaters to admire.

Use Glue and Markers
Transforming a pumpkin into a puppy or kitten is simple by gluing felt ears and a tail to the pumpkin. Use a thick permanent marker to add whiskers, eyes and a mouth!

Get Crafty
Head to the craft store for googly eyes, puff balls and yarn to decorate the pumpkin. For a quick craft that encourages small fingers to practice dexterity, have children add a Mr. Potato Head kit to the pumpkin.

Make a Display
Stack varying sizes of miniature pumpkins in a snowman-style structure. Use a hot glue gun to keep the pumpkins from losing their balance. Accent the natural decoration with small pinecones or fall leaves scattered around the base. For more color, add fall ribbon tied into a bow on the stem of the top pumpkin.

Make a Pumpkin Vase
For a family activity, have an adult use a power drill to make a ring of small holes in the top of the pumpkin. Use a small funnel to add some water to the pumpkin. Ask younger family members to pick fall flowers, including miniature sunflowers, asters, daisies or long-stemmed fallen leaves. Place the flowers in the holes and use the pumpkin as a temporary vase.

Supplies Needed:
craft paints
felt fabric
scissors
permanent markers
googly eyes
puff balls
yarn
Mr. Potato Head kit
glue gun
pinecones
fall leaves
fall ribbon
power drill
flowers
water

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