Pumpkin carving for big kids

Carving pumpkins is a superb tradition that stays with us for life, while kids

love designing their own spooky or silly pumpkin faces at Halloween. With a

little creativity, your pumpkin carving can go from average to enviable. Once

you’ve sorted out their costumes (it’s worth noting that 

Woolworths has great kids Halloween costumes for you to check out), it’s time to get busy with the

overgrown squash. The following three pumpkin design ideas are all made

from household items and cheap Halloween-themed props that are readily

available throughout October.

Pond-Dwelling Pumpkin

You’ll need either a fairly small pumpkin or a particularly large sandwich

bag to create a Pond-Dwelling Pumpkin. First off, carve your pumpkin face

and pop it into a see-through plastic bag. Now, this is the tricky part: whilst

you hold the bag in place, get one of the kids to fill it with cold water. Add a

couple of drops of diluted green food colouring to create a more pond-like

appearance, before tying the bag in a tight knot at the top of the pumpkin’s

stalk. How do you illuminate an underwater pumpkin? Well, you use a glow

stick, of course. They provide a cheap and flame-free way to light up jack o’

lanterns, and a green stick will cast an eerie underwater glow that will last for

hours.

Carrie Pumpkin

One for older kids to enjoy: Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright‘s

favourite horror movie is ’70s classic Carrie, based on the novel by king of

horror, Stephen King. A Carrie Pumpkin is easy (as pumpkin pie…) to make.

Carve a sad-faced pumpkin, top with a tiara and drizzle fake blood from the

crown of the pumpkin’s head. Due to the messy fake blood, Carrie Pumpkins

should be kept on a plate or tray and out of the way of any hungry pets!

Poorly Pumpkin

What do you do with your pumpkin’s innards? Washing, drying and roasting

the seeds makes a great party snack, but it’s a slow and messy process to

extract them from the pulpy fibres. Instead, make the kids giggle by creating a

Poorly Pumpkin. Your pumpkin needs to sit a little higher than usual, so prop

it up on a stack of coasters. Carve a wide mouth and squinting eyes, and trail

the discarded innards from the mouth to make a poorly, puking pumpkin!