One of the joys of fall is heading to the pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin.
Or three.
This conversation today is inspired by BAND-AID® brand bandages as I have partnered up with them to bring you some of my favorite pumpkin carving tips. Tested over the past 14 Octobers with three boys!
At the Pumpkin Patch {or local grocery store}
When you pick your pumpkin, you want to look for the ones with the smoothest surface. Those will be the easiest to carve because you won’t have the extra challenge of going around bumps and imperfections.
If you are out at the patch for the day, there can be a lot of walking and pulling kids in wagons. Taking a little First Aid Kit along packed with someBAND-AID® brand bandages and Neosporin can help prevent a small pumpkin patch incident into turning into something larger!
Getting pumpkins home never seems to be an issue since my boys would never let them loose once they picked them out. So instead of rolling around in the trunk, each pumpkin is clutched tightly on their laps.
Pumpkin Carving with Kids
You will want some good pumpkin cutting tools!
Pssst…not a bad idea to have BAND-AID® brand bandages and Neosporin close by in case they are needed.
The initial cut always seems to be the trickiest. One way to make that easier (and safer) is to use something to push a hole into the pumpkin.
Some pumpkin carving kits come with what my kids call a plastic hole punch. A metal ice pick works better over time since the plastic versions tend to break easily. Anything with a sharp knife or dangerous instrument should definitely be done by an adult!! But there is plenty of non-sharp fun for kids like planning, scooping and decorating.
Once there is a hole, a serrated blade can be inserted.
Serrated blades (knife, saw or pumpkin carving tool) are the safest because they can be used in a gentle sawing motion. Start with removing the top by sawing in a circle around the stem. You can get fancy and notch out a square on one side to allow easier lid placement or just let the kids run with their imagination.
Rhett is wearing a BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandage. He cut his finger yesterday while opening a package with scissors. Since pumpkin carving is messy business, it is good to have his cut protected so it can heal faster.
Did you know that wounds that are covered heal faster than those left uncovered?
When You Have More Help than You Need
Whether it be smaller kids or pets, sometimes you end up with more “help” carving than you really need. In that case, one of the easiest ways to make sure inquisitive noses and fingers don’t get hurt, is to always leave the blade inserted fully in the pumpkin when you are pausing.
Scoop Out the Pumpkin Guts
Removing pumpkin guts is an awesome mess. Use a large kitchen spoon for the fastest removal. I like a metal one so the inside edges of the pumpkin can get scraped. This is especially important if you ended up with a stringy pumpkin.
If you are not a fan of sticky, messy hands, gloves are always an option!
Easy Pumpkin Carving for Kids
My favorite way to carve a pumpkin with kids is with metal cookie cutters and a rubber mallet. They can place the cookie cutter on the pumpkin and push in. If additional “umph” is needed, a rubber mallet can do the trick.
If they want to do the cutting themselves, then using the hole punch followed by a serrated blade works great too.
The Carved Pumpkin
Letting kids get creative is so fun. This is the final result of Rhett’s design efforts. He wanted to leave the serrated blade stuck through the pumpkin’s head. I took the picture and then negotiated the serrated blade removal since I didn’t think that was the safest thing to leave on our front porch!
Keep your carved pumpkin fresh longer by spraying the cut edges of the pumpkin with non-stick cooking spray. Occasionally spraying the pumpkin with bleach and water can decrease the bacteria that begins the rotting process.
We try to be prepared for accidents because no matter how much we try to avoid them, they happen! It is one of the reasons I love working with Johnson & Johnson because they have so many things that we keep handy. BAND-AID® bandages are kept in two places in our house (as well as a first aid kit in the car).
Enjoy pumpkin carving with your kids!
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