It's Spooky Season! This time of year many families honor the classic tradition of carving and decorating pumpkins. Your child's school or local organization may even host pumpkin decorating contests!
We have some fun and easy no-carve ways to turn your pumpkins into amazing masterpieces that were previously shared by former Macaroni KID publisher, Jamie Clark.
The best part? Your kids will also be able to help with these no-carve pumpkins! The whole thing about "no carve" is that there are no sharp knives for them to want to grab and no messy goop for you to clean up!
Glow-in-the-Dark Puff Paint
Decorating with puff paint is always fun! Decorating with glow-in-the-dark puff paint is a blast! Create the typical jack-o-lantern, dot patterns, spider webs, or whatever crosses your mind.
Glued-On Decor
Glue pom-poms, googly eyes, buttons, or any other small items directly onto your pumpkin. I recommend using a multi-purpose glue that works on a variety of different materials rather than regular white school glue.
Melted Crayon Pumpkin
Use old crayons, a drop cloth, and a hair dryer to create a pumpkin that will turn out differently every time. Remove the wrapper from the crayons and glue them all over the top of the pumpkin. Turn the hair dryer on high, holding it close to the crayons until the wax melts. This is best done outside, as you may get some melted wax splatters.
More Ideas
Painting pumpkins is an easy option many kids love and they can use their imagination and creativity to no-limit. If you'd rather skip the paint, however, these ideas are a little less messy and still just as fun!
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Cupcake Pumpkin
Use a coffee filter (I had a small pumpkin for this one, but opt for a medium sized pumpkin that will fit in a coffee filter). Use colored yarn to wrap around and glue onto your pumpkin. Cut up small pieces of pipe cleaners for the sprinkles!
Mr. Potato Head Pumpkin
No need to buy the special holiday-themed potato head kits. Just dig out the ones you have in the playroom and create your own Mr. Pumpkin Head! The pieces go in easily by twisting back and forth.
Alphabet Pumpkin
Have a package of foam alphabet letters lying around? If not, they are less than $1 at the craft store and can be used in various patterns to decorate a pumpkin. It's perfect for even the mini-est of macaronis and is also a fun way to play letter games with your little one.
You may also find festive adhesive foam stickers in a pumpkin decorating kit at a craft store you can opt for to create silly faces or Halloween characters.
Your kids can show off their creativity and put their personal stamp on their no-carve pumpkins. You can encourage them to show off their design skills and personalities in their handiwork -- all while creating Halloween memories as a family!
