Halloween will be here soon, along with pumpkin spiced lattes and pumpkin flavored… everything you can imagine. I love Fall, and October is the best time of year to visit Austin, Texas, in case you were wondering. Can I tell you about my absolute favorite way to decorate pumpkins with kids? With a hammer. Yes, I said it. I’m a big fan of letting kids use real tools. (Of course supervised, and safety is always very important.) Letting a child use real tools shows them that you trust them, that they can handle it. It builds confidence. Plus hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills… need I go on?
What you will need:
- A Pumpkin- of any size or any color
- Golf Tees / Thumb Tacks / Push Pins / Brass Paper Fasteners…anything with a point
- Safety Goggles
- A Hammer- wooden mallet or real-life hammer
What to do:
- Hammer away to your heart’s content.
Make patterns, designs, spell words, … or don’t. ( Younger children will need no direction. Only safety tips. )
This activity is ALWAYS a big crowd pleaser. It will keep the kids busy for an extended period of time. The older kids can draw faces first on their pumpkins with Sharpies and decorate accordingly, or just randomly adorn the pumpkins like the younger kids do. The negative is that you won’t be able to toast the pumpkin seeds, but the positive is that the children will have fun. There is no “right” or “wrong”, just a fun Process Art approach to decorating pumpkins!
