How to Make a Jack O' Lantern With Kids

Halloween is a holiday that many families and children enjoy. Kids (and adults) get a chance to dress up in costumes, put on makeup, pick out pumpkins, decorate pumpkins, and trick-or-treat. It can be lots of fun and a little challenging to make a jack o lantern with kids. Here are a few ideas that will make the process more fun and personal.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Pumpkins
• Carving utensils
• Pattern
• Light or candle

1. Find the perfect pumpkin. You can find a pumpkin that is perfect for you at the pumpkin patch, fruit and vegetable stand, or grocery store. The pumpkin patch is an experience your child will love. You get to go out into the field, usually surrounded by corn stalks, and pick out your pumpkin. Often, a wagon ride will be provided so you can transport your pumpkin from the field to the payment counter. Your child will have the most fun decorating a jack o lantern, if she first gets to pick it right out of the patch.
2. Find a pattern. You can find pattern books and carving kits at the grocery or drug store around Halloween time. Books will often have a bunch of different designs and the kits will include tools you can use to carve your pumpkin. You can also find patterns online. Some charge money to view and print the pattern, but there are several free patterns also. Let your child pick the design he or she wants. Realize that you will likely be the one to do most of the actual cutting, so don’t agree on anything you don’t think you can do.
3. Use a tablecloth. Carving pumpkins can get messy, so to make clean-up a little easier, use a plastic tablecloth. You can also use newspaper under the pumpkin.
4. Cut the lid out. Draw a line with permanent marker (pen or pencil can also work) at the top of the pumpkin to create the lid. You can help your child cut it out or have them do it themselves. Be sure to supervise.
5. Scoop out the insides. Scooping out the insides can be lots of fun for your child. They can pull the slime off the seeds and set them to the side so you can bake pumpkin seeds later on. Your child can use his or her hands, a spoon, or the scoop provided with the pumpkin decorating kit to scoop the insides out.
6. Copy the pattern. Have your child tape the pattern to the face of the pumpkin. Poke around the pattern lines with your cutting tool. You will need to help poke the pattern on to the pumpkin if a little child is creating the jack o lantern. An older child can probably do it on his or her own with supervision.
7. Using your cutting tool or a knife, cut out your pumpkin design. Remove the pieces necessary to display your pumpkin face.
8. Light up the candle or turn on the light. You can either put a little candle or a battery operated light inside the pumpkin to create the pumpkin glow. Light up the insides of your pumpkin and turn out the rest of the lights. Your child will be so excited to see the end results. They will also have had fun and helped in the process. Have fun creating your family jack o lanterns!

Tips & Warnings

• Let your child do as much as possible when creating the jack o lantern. Don’t feel bad if you need to jump in and help.
• Use some sort of protective covering on the surface you are using to create your jack o lantern. You don’t want sticky or slimy stuff left behind. It’s hard to remove once it hardens.