Pumpkin Decorating for Toddlers

Halloween is a fun time for adults and children alike. But decorating a pumpkin is a little different when you are too young to be trusted with your mom’s best steak knife. No child should be denied the gooey pleasure of gutting a pumpkin, but how do you do it with toddlers without destroying your house?

This is a fun but messy craft project ,you could do it outside, but if like me you live in New England, it is too cold out that time of year to have a goo covered child running amuck in the yard. Enter the tubby, you can do much more than bathe in it. You will want to make sure you have good non-slip mats in the bottom, and that the drain plug is pulled up so you don’t ruin you’re plumbing. Then cut off the lid of the pumpkin, insert naked child and voila, let the pumpkin gutting begin! My twins had so much fun doing this last year, and when they were finished, I removed the pumpkin, scooped out the leftover goo and gave them a bath all without getting pumpkin guts coating the inside of my home. It also made for some priceless family photos.

Now that the pumpkin and children are clean you have a few options. You could cut out a simple design in the pumpkin and then let the children paint it (use water based, non-flammable, non-toxic paint), or cover it in glitter. PLEASE NOTE: Stay away from feathers or any flammable items if you plan on lighting a candle in it as it poses a fire hazard. If you are using a led light instead, have at it, go nuts with feathers and ribbons, whatever your child wants to make their special pumpkin. You can also use markers or stickers, or both!

The important thing is to let your child have fun and decorate it the way he or she would like. You could even let them paint it in the tub to make clean up easier, or spread out a lot of newspaper to contain the mess. You can use cut-up new kitchen sponges, Q-tips, paintbrushes, your bare hands or feet to paint the pumpkin. Another idea is to use painters tape to mask off a face and let them paint the pumpkin, when dry slowly peel off the tape to reveal a jack-o-lantern smile. You can even glue googly eyes all over it just be a kid, let your and their imagination run wild. Put out some supplies and let them choose what they would like. Just be sure the items are age appropriate to reduce a choking hazard. As a bonus project, afterwards you can have them help spread out the seeds to roast pumpkin seeds if they like to help cook. So not only do they get to create the own one of a kind pumpkin, they can also help make a healthy snack.