Guess what is just around the corner, friends? Halloween! Last year, I went a bit batty finding perfect pumpkin carving ideas for my kids.You see, I want my little ones to really participate in the pumpkin carving! I want them to decorate their very own pumpkins—whatever that may mean. With such a huge variety of ages in our home, it meant that everyone did something different. I wanted to share these easy pumpkin carving ideas with you.
In this post, you will find no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas for toddlers, easy carving ideas for slightly older kids, and EVERYTHING in between. I hope you find the perfect Halloween Memory Maker for you and yours!
Just before we get started, you’ll also want to grab this FREE Printable Balancing Bat! My kids LOVED making this bat and have had so much fun moving him around the house, seeing all of the places they can make him balance. It’s like Halloween magic! You can grab it right here:
BOO-tiful No-Carve Pumpkins for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Lite Brite Pumpkin– Little ones can use a hammer and nails to prepare this jack-o-lantern! Best of all, the pumpkin will really glow once lit with a candle.
Melted Crayon Pumpkin Decoratingby Color Made Happy –Finally! A project for all those broken pieces of crayon! This idea is spectacularly easy to do and creates an amazing effect. Choose multiple bright colors or stick to a Halloween color scheme for a different look.
Glittery Pumpkin 2.0 by Domestic Goddesque (link no longer available) – Why just add glitter when you can add glitter AND jewels to your glamorous pumpkin? A little messy, but super easy!
Pumpkin Painting by Glued to My Crafts – Painting pumpkins is such a quick and easy way to involve even your littlest toddler in the decorating process. Complete this craft outside on a crisp day to enjoy some fresh air and worry less about the mess.
Rubberband Pumpkinby The Imagination Tree – This is a great no-prep, mess-free, pumpkin decorating idea! Give your toddler a chance to decorate this Halloween while strengthening their fine motor skills.
More Creative Pumpkin Decorating Ideas
Glow-in-the-dark Pumpkins by Color Me Happy – This definitely takes pumpkin painting to a whole other level. Preschoolers can make fun designs with the paint squeeze tubes and be amazed when their drawing comes to life in the dark—well, not literally, I hope…
Paint Resist Pumpkinsby iheartartsncrafts – Use tape to spell your preschooler’s name, then invite them to joyously cover their pumpkin in paint. Once the paint is dry, tear off the tape and watch your child’s surprise at what is left behind!
Tissue Paper Decorating by Cloudy Day Gray – With just some tissue paper and Mod Podge, you can easily create a beautifully textured pumpkin. Stretch your creative muscles by varying your colors, tissue paper shapes, or the amount of pumpkin you choose to cover.
Washi Tape Pumpkins by The Educator’s Spin On It – Tape, tape, tape! In this house, we just LOVE our tape! Toddlers will have a lot of fun using beautiful tape to create their own pumpkins.
Squeeze Paint Pumpkinby Hello Wonderful –Strengthen those fine motor skills with this squeeze paint process art. If you are spray painting the pumpkins, try to do so at a safe distance away from little ones.
Sensory Pumpkinby A Little Pinch of Perfect –I love that all the items chosen for this sensory pumpkin can be found in nature. For a completely different look, use brightly colored pompoms, sequins, or stickers to decorate your rows.
Sticker Pumpkinby Beyond Mommying – This easy-peasy pumpkin decorating idea is perfect for all ages and ability levels. One child can decorate their pumpkin entirely with stickers, while another can add stickers to a carved pumpkin or one with an elaborate painting.
Crafty Character Pumpkins for Kids
3D Playdough Pumpkin Facesby The Artful Parent – These playdough pumpkin faces are such an easy way to get all kids involved, from the littlest toddler to the eldest sibling. It is creative, sensory fun at its best! Did I mention it strengthens fine motor skills, too?
Painted Spider Pumpkinby Buddy and Buggy –Making this pumpkin means your preschooler can practice painting, cutting, and folding and participate in each step of these adorable creations.
Mummy Pumpkinby Dream a Little Bigger –All you need is some gauze or fabric and googly eyes to make this adorable Mummy Pumpkin. Fabric dyes are optional for adding pops of color. You may want to dye fabrics in advance, away from the reach of little ones. Hot glue guns are also required.
Tinker Tray Pumpkin Decoratingby Meri Cherry –The open-ended nature of this activity just screams creativity! You know what materials your child will be most safe working with. Materials that could be used include pushpins, elastics, stickers, toothpicks, pom-poms, googly eyes, pipecleaners, and more.
Mini-Spider Pumpkinsby Chelsea’s Messy Apron –A spider pumpkin in less than 5 minutes flat? I’m sold! They are perfect for the front porch or as a cute party decoration.
Veggie Pumpkinby Jamie’s 365 Day Photo Challenge –What a great way to challenge kids of all ages to use familiar materials creatively! I suggest taking this pumpkin outside on Halloween night so you don’t have unwanted critters literally eating the face off of your pumpkin. Creepy…
The Most Adorable Pumpkin Carving Ideas for Kids
Woodland Creature Pumpkinsby Simple as That – These easy, mess-free pumpkins are sure to be a hit! You will have to pre-cut shapes for younger children, while older ones might prefer to design their own cut-outs.
Yarn Spider Web Pumpkinby Find It, Love It, Make It –Once an adult has safely secured carpet tacks or small nails to the pumpkin in a circle formation, kids can take their time wrapping their yarn from nail to nail to make a spider web that won’t blow away in the wind!
Hardware Pumpkin by Gift of Curiosity –Finally, I’ve got it! This is what you can do with all those “extra” pieces from assembling your IKEA furniture! Kids will love using “big person things” to get creative and strengthen fine motor skills. You are the best judge of which materials are safe for your child to use under your supervision.
Candy Pumpkinsby Mommy’s Bundle – Kitchen tools can be used to pre-make a few holes where lollipops and toothpicks with candy can be inserted. You can melt chocolate and use it as an adhesive. Maybe you don’t have to use THAT much candy corn on the pumpkin… nibble, nibble, nibble…
Witch Pumpkinby Parents.com –I love the idea of flipping your pumpkin on the side for a new “canvas” and using the nose as part of the design. You can also use this idea to make a goblin or monster pumpkin.
Frankenstein Pumpkinby My Little Slice of Bliss –I love how this traditionally scary Halloween figure has been made adorable with googly eyes, fluffy hair, and a friendly smile.
Eerily Easy Pumpkin Carving for Kids
Simple Spider Carvingby Clarks Condensed – Clarks Condensedshares some great tips on using stencils to facilitate pumpkin carving with kids. Watch them include their little one in this adorable spider carving.
Cookie-cutter Pumpkinby Modern Parents Messy Kids – Get a pro-looking jack-o-lantern without all the mess while giving your children the joy of using a rubber mallet! Hahaha… ha… ha…
Wacky Hair Pumpkin by Good Housekeeping –Add a leafy plant, corn husks, or piles of yarn to the top of any pumpkin carving idea for kids and take it from simple to hair-iffic in seconds!
Constellation Pumpkinby Merrythought for Design Sponge – This stunning and incredibly simple pumpkin design might spark an interest in learning about constellations. Parental supervision will be required for drilling constellation holes.
*** Be sure to grab my Free Constellation Cards and simplified Greek Myths to go along with this pumpkin carving idea!***
Pumpkin Decorating Ideas that Are Bound to Be a Surprise!
Lollipop Pumpkinby Edible Crafts Online –This is another practical and creative way of adding hair to any pumpkin carving idea for kids. This would make a great party centerpiece.
Pumpkin Mouse House by Martha Stewart –Pumpkin carving ideas for kids don’t get much easier than this! Grab a few different-sized drill bits and drill holes randomly around your pumpkin. Have your child place mice or their favorite creepy crawly critters peeking out of different holes.
Scaredy Pumpkinby Lowes –Take any of your favorite pumpkin carving ideas for kids and add this hilarious touch for a good laugh. You can use pipecleaners instead of electrical wire for the hair by poking them into pre-made holes. The link above also connects you to free jack-o-lantern face patterns!
Haunted Houseby Country Living – Have your child paint or draw any haunted house of their choice, and then you can work with them to cut out the windows they have created. A spook-tacular team effort!
Cookie Monster Pumpkinby Shared.com –The pumpkin carving for this design is so simple, but the overall effect after painting, adding googly eyes, and then COOKIES, gives this carving design real flare!
Pumpkin Candy Bowlby Home Grown Friends –Another super simple pumpkin carving idea for kids! Turn your pumpkin into a candy bowl by placing a lipped bowl at the top opening. If your kiddos are feeling cheeky, place a flatter dish at the bottom of your pumpkin and have trick-or-treaters get their candy from the pumpkin’s mouth! Ooooo, eerie…
Well, what do you think, friends? Did we find the perfect pumpkin carving idea for your kids?
I am pretty sure we have got everyone possible on this list! Toddlers, preschoolers, big kids, even ideas for Mom and Dad! If you are not a fan of carving, we have you covered. Looking for a mess-free option? All good! I really feel like this is the ULTIMATE resource for carving pumpkins with our kids!
If you’re ready to make this Halloween extra special, I invite you to check out Halloween School and the Printable Halloween Games Pack—no pushpins (or horses) required!Just lots of fun memory-making games, crafts, and activities to enjoy with your children this Halloween season.
Take a peek at Halloween School right here:https://shop.howweelearn.com/pages/halloweenschool
And the Printable Halloween Games Pack right here:https://shop.howweelearn.com/products/halloween-games
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you have found the perfect idea for you and your little goblins.
xo
Sarah
