(If you don’t mind the mess, they may love getting their hands in there too!) Scrape the inner edges of the gourd to remove the stringy bits.ħ. Hollow out the pumpkin: Have the kids use a sturdy spoon or pumpkin scoop to remove the insides. Cut out the lid: Using a serrated knife or carving tool, the adult should cut along the lid outline, tilting the blade at a 45-degree angle to prevent the cover from falling inside the pumpkin later.Ħ. Mark the lid: Show the kids how to draw a circle about 6 inches (15 centimeters) wide around the stem.ĥ. You can draw the features freehand or use a stencil or printable template.Ĥ. Add the features: Have the kids draw a face or other pattern on the pumpkin with a marker, or do it for them if they find it too hard. ![]() Wipe it down: Clean the pumpkin’s skin face, drying it thoroughly to prevent your knife blade from slipping.ģ. A bowl for discarded pumpkin pulp and seeds (if you plan to roast the seeds, grab another bowl to store them in)Ģ.A kid-friendly pumpkin carving kit, a serrated knife, a sturdy spoon or ladle, and a utility knife.Something to protect your workspace from spills (newspapers, plastic bags, or butcher paper).Your young decorators can help by drawing on the pumpkin and scooping out the pulp. Let the adults handle the knives and carving instruments. Now that you’ve found the perfect pumpkin, it’s time to prepare the gourd for carving. Smooth and bright: Bright colors will stand out at night, and a smooth pumpkin will make carving easier.The right shape: Look for a flat, stable bottom so your jack-o’-lantern doesn’t fall over when it’s lit.Press down on the brown knob on the pumpkin’s underside to make sure it’s firm. Fresh and firm: Check for mold or soft spots, and look for a green stem (this means the pumpkin is freshly picked and healthy).The key to carving a stellar jack-o’-lantern is choosing the perfect pumpkin for the job. Ready to carve a jack-o’-lantern of your own? We’ve got tips for finding and prepping the perfect gourd, plus some great pumpkin carving ideas for kids to keep old Jack from playing tricks on you this Halloween. And that’s the story of the jack-o’-lantern tradition we know and love in the U.S. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, swapping turnips for easy-to-carve pumpkins. ![]() When people wised up to Jack’s tricks, they began carving turnips with ghoulish faces to scare him away. So he soon became known as Jack o’ the Lantern (Jack of the Lantern). People found the lantern spooky, and Jack loved scaring people with it, especially on Halloween. The coal was too hot to hold, so he sliced the top off a turnip, hollowed it out, and dropped the burning coal inside to make a lantern. ![]() Jack’s spirit had a problem: He needed light to see, but all he had to light his way was a burning lump of coal. Legend has it that when he died, he continued to haunt the roads of Ireland at night. Once upon a time, there lived a man named Jack who loved playing tricks in his little Irish village. Gather the whole family around the fire because the legend of the jack-o’-lantern is the perfect way to kick off the season and inspire your Halloween pumpkin carving ideas for kids. But let’s backtrack a little: How did a gourd come to be the mascot of the holiday? One of the most enduring symbols of the spooky season is the jack-o’-lantern, that glowing, grinning pumpkin that guides trick-or-treaters to the door every Halloween.
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