Pumpkin Carving with Kids, Plus No-Carve Ideas for Little Hands
Pumpkin night is one of my favourite evenings of the year. Newspaper all over the kitchen floor, someone squealing about the slimy bits, and that smell of warm pumpkin when the candles go in. It can also go wrong very quickly with small children and sharp knives, so here's how we do it.
Choosing your pumpkin
Let the kids pick, but steer them towards one with a flat bottom so it sits steady, a sturdy stalk and no soft patches. Smaller pumpkins are perfect for little hands to decorate, while bigger ones are easier to carve because the walls are thinner. If you can, use pumpkins grown for eating as well. More on that below.
Who does what, by age
- Under 3s: no carving. Go straight to the no-carve ideas below. They can help scoop with a spoon if you've opened the top.
- Ages 3–5: scooping is their job (they love it), plus drawing the face on with a washable pen. A grown-up does all the cutting.
- Ages 6–8: they can use a child's pumpkin saw with small serrated blades, with you right beside them. Keep the knife for the lid.
- Ages 9+: more independence with the carving tools, but a grown-up still opens the top.
Our carving set-up
- Cover the table and floor. Pumpkin goes everywhere.
- Cut the lid at an angle, so it sits on a ledge and doesn't fall in.
- Scoop it really clean. Thinner walls are much easier to carve.
- Draw the design first, then carve with short sawing movements, pushing the pieces out from the inside.
- Use LED tealights, not real candles. They're safer around children, costumes and curtains, and they last all week.
No-carve pumpkin ideas for little hands
These are brilliant for toddlers and preschoolers, and the pumpkins last much longer uncut, so you can cook them afterwards.
- Paint them. Poster paint, glitter, stripes, polka dots. Anything goes.
- Stickers. Eyes, stars, faces. Peeling and sticking is great practice for small fingers.
- Washi tape. Wrap it round in stripes or make a mummy pumpkin with white tape.
- Felt features. Cut out eyes and mouths that can be stuck on and moved around for different faces.
- A pumpkin family. One pumpkin for each family member, decorated to look like them. Expect to be made extremely unflattering.
Make an evening of it
Put some spooky (but not too spooky) books out, string up bunting and bake something together while the pumpkins dry. Here are a few things we love for setting the scene.
Don't waste the insides
- Roast the seeds. Rinse, dry, toss in a little oil and salt, and bake at about 180°C for 15–20 minutes until golden. Watch them, as they turn quickly.
- Make soup. Roast the flesh with onion and garlic, then blend with stock. Easy, and kids love saying they ate their pumpkin.
- Compost it. Once Halloween is over, chop up the old pumpkins and put them in the compost or food waste bin rather than general rubbish.
Your questions
What age can kids carve pumpkins?
Under-threes are best sticking to no-carve ideas. Three-to-five-year-olds can scoop and draw the face. From around six, children can use a child's pumpkin saw with close supervision, with a grown-up handling the knife.
Should I use a candle or an LED light in a pumpkin?
LED tealights are the safer choice with children around, especially near costumes, curtains and doorsteps. They also last longer.
Can you eat carving pumpkins?
You can, though carving varieties are more watery and less flavourful than eating pumpkins. They're fine for soup. Roast the seeds either way, they're delicious.
Find bunting, books and party bits in our Spooky Style edit, and if you're after more ideas for the week, here are my Halloween crafts for toddlers and last-minute costume ideas.
Happy carving,
Lucy x