Pumpkin Carving for Halloween!

Jonny got to help this year with pumpkin carving. It was a very fun and exciting experience! Here are some tips for other parents who are having their toddler's help them with pumpkin carving.

Pumpkin Carving
* Let your toddler pick out his own pumpkin, gives them the sense of ownership.
* Set up a large area for you and your toddler to begin carving, also helpful to use newspaper or trashbags under your pumpkin, to help lessen the mess.
* Cut your hole on the top of the pumpkin, pull off. The let your toddler go hands first to get all the goop and seeds out of the pumpkin, help if and when needed.
* Once the pumpkin is empty, get a magic marker to draw your face design before you cut into it.
* Ask your toddler to help you, let them say yes or no to the facial ideals.

* After drawing on the face, have your toddler watch as you cut the face out, be sure to tell them that only mommy &/or daddy is allowed to use the knifes to cut the face.

Once it is all finished, set a candle or cordless light in the pumpkin and let your child get his picture next to it! It doesn't have to be perfect, just remember your toddler will remember just the time you two were able to spend together, not the fact you can't carve a pumpkin well or not.

Jonny with his pumpkin October 2010