Pumpkin Decorating Kits Don't Require Carving
Easy Halloween Decorations Preschoolers and Toddlers Can Make
Sep 16, 2009
For those with small children, the idea of sitting down with a large knife and a slippery, round object to carve can be rather intimidating. Yes, it’s great fun to carve pumpkins for Halloween. It’s also thrilling to bake and eat the seeds. However, when there are babies and toddlers around, it’s also a good idea to have something for them to do – a Halloween pumpkin activity that does not involve pointy knives!
For preschools, daycares, or simply for a home with a toddler, here are some ideas for Halloween pumpkin decorations that don’t require carving:
Pumpkin Decorating Kits
There are a number of wood and plastic decorating kits available for Halloween fun. Hearthsong Toys carries a selection of these easy Halloween decorations. These kits are similar to the old Mr. Potato Head concept: eyes, ears, noses, and mouths are on pegs. Stick the pegs into the pumpkin in various patterns, and get a Halloween face! These pumpkin decorating kits can be used year after year.
Use Found Objects as a Pumpkin Decorating Kit
Whether they’re an addition to an existing kit or a creative whirlwind of home pumpkin decorating ideas, found objects are a wacky way to decorate Halloween pumpkins. Add old spoons for ears, popsicle sticks for a tongue, or chopsticks for antennae. Decorate a pumpkin with costume jewelry. There are many objects around the home that can serve as impromptu pumpkin faces.
Create Preschool Pumpkin Art With Terracotta Markers
A pumpkin decorated with a spider web or a spooky face is a great decoration for a front porch. For older children, there are permanent markers in Halloween tones of black, yellow, bronze, and silver. Younger children might want to try the less permanent and less stinky alternative, the terracotta pot marker. These pot markers can be found at craft stores and nurseries. They create vibrant colors on all sorts of surfaces, including pumpkins. They are also odorless and nontoxic.
Halloween Craft Materials Create Three Dimensional Pumpkin Art
Just about any supplies from the craft cupboard can double as Halloween pumpkin decorations. Puffy paints, glitter glue, and pompoms are sure winners. Large and colored googly eyes are a must, too! Have a lot of tacky glue on hand to help the decorations stick to the round surface of the pumpkin.
Pumpkin Snowmen and Other Preschool Sculptures
If there are pumpkins aplenty, create sculptures with them! Miniature pumpkins can sit on top of each other and become haunted Halloween snowmen. Simply connect them together with tacky glue, or better yet, have preschoolers squish clay between the levels! Connect a large pumpkin to small ones with chopsticks, clay, or glue to create one of a kind pumpkin art.
This Halloween, get creative with pumpkin decorations! Use a pumpkin decorating kit or create a pumpkin sculpture. Use found objects or Halloween craft materials to decorate a pumpkin with a preschooler or toddler. Pumpkin carving doesn’t need to involve knives and carving – it can be a fun time to craft with a toddler or preschooler.
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