I've always loved carving pumpkins for Halloween.
It was a longstanding tradition in my family when I was growing up with my twin brother and our older sisters, and I looked forward to it every Halloween. It was something we did together to celebrate the season.
As a parent, this tradition is something I carry on now that my husband and I have twins of our own.
And while I look forward to carving jack-o'-lanterns with our children every year, I don't look forward to the dangers that come with carving pumpkins and having multiple sets of curious toddler hands grabbing for the sharp tools while we're working on our works of art.
I know, one day, we'll be able to breathe easy and carve without any stress, but until then, we've found ways to decorate pumpkins with our toddlers that keep everybody safe while we have fun getting into the spirit of the spooky season.
1. Have them transfer the design before you get carving
You can jump right into things by having your toddlers help wash the outside of the pumpkin with soap and a wipe and then dry them.
Get them to help transfer the design onto the front of the pumpkin with a poker tool like the one in this set. Once they're done that, have them separate the seeds from the guts, putting them in bowls while you do the actual cutting of the pumpkin.
They get to work on their fine motor skills AND do some sensory play, and you can carve without little hands getting in the danger zone. I'll tell you, our twin toddlers took the assignment seriously; I've never had such clean seeds to roast.
2. Use paint to decorate your pumpkins
If you use LED lights to help your finished pumpkins glow, painting them is a quick and easy way to help them look festive, and your toddlers can have fun while they practice painting on the pumpkin.
We decided to paint one of our pumpkins to match the motif of another one we were working on. It was done in a matter of minutes and our particular pattern required zero carving.
3. Use a melon baller to score your design
A melon baller is much less dangerous than a carving knife and makes it much easier to score your design onto a pumpkin instead of carving a knife through the pumpkin's rind.
Plus, they can turn the designing stage into a science experiment by finding out what it looks like underneath the outer layer of the pumpkin's skin as they scoop it off.
4. Use cookie cutters to design your pumpkin
You can use Halloween-themed cookie cutters to quickly and easily transfer a spooky design onto your pumpkin.
Get your toddlers to decide which shapes they want and pick where they'll go on the pumpkin. Then, have them watch and cheer you on while you use a rubber mallet to push the cutter deeper into the flesh of the pumpkin.
Tip: Use a scooper to shave down the inside of the pumpkin rind so it's thin enough that you can push the cookie cutter all the way through the skin. If you leave it thicker on the inside, you can still use the cookie cutters and mallet to make your pattern, but if the cutters can't make it through the rind, you'll need to use a knife to remove the shapes you want cut out.
5. Use LED tealights to light up your design instead of candles
Instead of using candles to light up the inside of your pumpkins, use miniature LED tealights to make your jack-o'-lanterns glow.
This way, you avoid having open flames and your toddlers can help turn them on and put them inside of the pumpkins.
You can get a set of rainbow tealights, if you want more of a party vibe, or you can grab a set of regular plain tealights, if you want to go with more of a classic look.
What's your favorite way to make carving jack-o'-lanterns fun and memorable with your twins? Let us know in the Comments section below or connect with us on Instagram to share your thoughts!
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