Safe Pumpkin Carving With Children

Safe Ways to Get Kids Involved When Making Jack-o’-Lanterns

Sep 19, 2009 Genna Cockerham

Learn safe ways kids can be involved when carving pumpkins to make jack-o'-lanterns for Halloween decorations.

Every year parents and children end up in emergency rooms with cuts that occurred while carving pumpkins to make Halloween decorations. Pumpkin carving can be safe if parents handle the carving and leave other jobs to the children. Parents who want to share the joy of making jack-o’-lanterns with their children can use the following tips to find safe ways to involve kids when making carved pumpkins.

Pick Pumpkins for Jack-o’-Lanterns

Getting children involved with pumpkin carving begins before the actual carving ever starts. To share the joy of making autumn and Halloween decorations, parents can begin by letting children pick the size and shape of pumpkin that will be made into a jack-o’-lantern.

Take a family trip to a pumpkin patch or farmer’s market and let kids have free range to explore the different shapes of pumpkins that are available. Kids tend to pick the biggest and most expensive pumpkins so set a dollar limit in advance or set a rule that the child must be able to lift (but not carry) the pumpkin he or she wants. Decide how many pumpkins the family will carve together.

Choose Carving Stencils or Carving Designs

Once the perfect pumpkin has been found, parents can help children decide what the carving will look like. For a more old-fashioned pumpkin-carving experience, kids can draw a face or design on the pumpkin. Use washable markers so the children can have more than once chance to get the design just right.

For children who prefer a specific look for their pumpkin, a carving stencil can be used. Many websites offer free carving stencils of different skill levels. Select a theme for the pumpkins or let kids pick the carving stencils that appeal to them.

Get Kids Involved with Carving Stencils

Families who are using stencils to create carving designs have additional opportunities to involve kids in pumpkin carving. Kids can hold the stencil while mom or dad tapes it down on the pumpkin. Kids can also help parents mark the carving designs onto the pumpkin.

When using pumpkin stencils, the carving design is taped to the pumpkin and then holes are punched along the lines of the carving design to create cut lines in the pumpkin. Kids can use the hole puncher that comes with pumpkin carving kits while parents mark holes using a nail or an awl. Working together, mark all the lines of the carving design. After all the lines are marked, kids can help by rubbing flour or baby powder over the surface of the pumpkin to make the holes stand out better. Rub the pumpkin with a towel or washcloth to remove the extra flour. After parents cut the top or bottom off the pumpkin, kids can use a large spoon to scoop out the pumpkin seeds. This messy job is perfect for young children.

Carving Pumpkins Safely

Kids should never carve their own pumpkins and most experts agree that parents should not use knives to carve pumpkins. According to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand press release, “Hand Surgeons Urge Parents to Review Hand Safety Tips Before Carving Pumpkins this Halloween,” using a larger and sharper knife can cause the knife to become wedged in the thicker part of the pumpkin. Injuries occur when pulling the knife from the pumpkin or when the knife goes through the pumpkin and into the hand holding the pumpkin stable.

Pumpkin carving kits include safer alternatives to kitchen knives. Pumpkin carving saws require less force to pierce the pumpkins than a serrated or a plain kitchen knife, the ASSH reports. Even though pumpkin carving saws are safer, they should not be used by children

Preserve the Carved Jack-o’-Lanterns

Once the parent has completely cutting out the carving design, kids have an opportunity to be involved once more. Kids can rub all the cuts with petroleum jelly to help preserve the carved pumpkin. Kids who don’t like to touch petroleum jelly can use a basting brush to cover all the cuts with vegetable oil instead.

Parents don’t have to abandon making jack-o’-lanterns with children as long as they find creative ways to involve the children. Kids can pick pumpkins, choose the carving stencil or draw a carving design, mark the carving design on the pumpkin and help with preserving the carved pumpkin. Never let children use knives or pumpkin carving tools.

For more articles about Halloween and children, read Paint Terra Cotta Pots to Look Like Candy Corn and Collect Money for UNICEF this Halloween.

The copyright of the article Safe Pumpkin Carving With Children in Kids Activities is owned by Genna Cockerham. Permission to republish Safe Pumpkin Carving With Children in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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