A family pumpkin party for grown-ups & kids
Pick a pumpkin, choose your style, and make something fun together.
Carve with a grown-up
Kids design & scoop. Grown-ups do every cut.
Paint a pumpkin
No cutting, no scooping. Just paint.
LED lights only. No flames!
Kids pick designs, draw, scoop with a spoon and paint.
Real candles stay off the tables. Grown-ups handle batteries.
Push-in teeth too, even on finished pumpkins.
Cover the tables, set out supplies and test the lights. Checklist
Carve with a grown-up, or paint. Carving and painting get separate tables.
Follow the steps, one card at a time.
Painted pumpkins rest on the drying table. Grown-ups add LED lights.
Pumpkins go on display with name cards. Kids wipe tables and rinse brushes. Grown-ups wash, dry and pack away the cutting tools.
Tick off what you have before everyone arrives. An empty box means "check it's here", not "buy it".
0 of 15 ready
All set! Time to pick your pumpkins.
These counts come from order screenshots, so check them in person before you set things out.
Match these to the tools in your opened kits. If a package says something different, follow the package.
Kid job
The easiest scooper for kids. Take out loose seeds first, then scrape in short passes. Pulp goes in a bowl.
Together
From the carving kits. Scrape the inside wall in short passes until the face side is about 1 inch thick.
Grown-up only
Check the fit and the package directions. Put on the gloves as directed, then rub the scraper against the inside wall to loosen pulp.
Heads up: the liner is latex, so use a spoon if latex is a problem. It is not a cut-proof glove. See the maker's page
Grown-up only
Tape the pattern flat, then poke dots close together along every line. Take off the paper and join the dots with a marker.
Grown-up only
Hold the handle and use short, gentle strokes. Keep your other hand out of the blade's path. Don't twist or force it. For corners, stop and turn the pumpkin.
Together
After a grown-up cuts the mouth, press the pegs into the cut edge as the pack shows. A grown-up puts in any pointed pieces.
Keep away from dogs, even on finished pumpkins.
Grown-up only · optional
Before using it, check the exact model, battery, blade fitting and what it's meant for in its manual. Switch off and remove the power before adjusting. No manual? Use the hand saws.
Grown-up sets up
Put the batteries in the way the marks show, close the battery door tight, test the on/off switch, then try the remote. Pick a steady glow or a color. Timer and pairing buttons are different on each model.
Kids choose
Pick a face with big shapes. Thin lines and tiny bits break easily. Or make your own in the Face Lab.
Kid job
A grown-up checks the paint type, age guidance and label directions first. Then paint away.
Real candles. Use the LED lights instead. No flames needed.
Electric kitchen knives. The turkey slicer and electric carving knife are for food, not pumpkins. They stay in the kitchen.
Kids choose and draw. Grown-ups do every pumpkin cut and poke. Dry your hands, the pumpkin and the tools first.
Step 1 of 6
Together
Wash and dry the pumpkin. Put it on a steady, non-slip surface. Choose a simple face with big shapes.
Dry hands, pumpkin and tools before you start. Use a covered, well-lit table with a non-slip mat or tray. Keep the carving table apart from the painting table.
Need a face? Make one in the Face Lab and print it.
Big shapes are easier to cut and less likely to break. Dry hands and a dry pumpkin help stop tools slipping.
Step 2 of 6
Grown-up job
Use a pumpkin saw to cut a hand-sized lid. Angle the cut inward so the lid has a ledge to sit on.
Short, gentle strokes. Keep your other hand out of the blade's path. Don't twist or force the saw.
Some guides open the pumpkin from the bottom instead. Either way works. Just pick one and stick with it.
Cutting at an angle gives the lid a ledge, so it sits on top instead of dropping inside.
Step 3 of 6
Kid job, with a big spoon
Take out the seeds and strings. Scrape the face side until it's about 1 inch thick. Put tools down before helpers reach in.
Grab the loose seeds first, then scrape in short passes and drop the pulp in a bowl. A big sturdy spoon is the easiest kid tool.
The glove scraper is a grown-up tool. Check the fit and the package directions. Its liner is latex, and it is not cut-proof.
A thinner wall is easier to cut and lets more light shine through.
Step 4 of 6
Kids draw · grown-ups poke
Draw a face, or tape on a pattern. A grown-up pokes dots along the lines. Take the paper off and check the outline.
A grown-up tapes the pattern flat, folding or trimming the paper edges so it fits the round pumpkin. Then they poke dots close together along every line and join them with a marker.
If your pattern comes with its own instructions, follow those.
The dots show exactly where to cut, so nobody has to guess.
Step 5 of 6
Grown-up job
Follow the pattern's order, or cut the small details first. Use gentle strokes. No hands inside while cutting.
Hold the handle and keep strokes short and gentle. Keep fingers away from both sides of every cut. For corners, stop and turn the pumpkin.
Hard to cut? Stop instead of pushing harder. Check the blade isn't bent, and scrape the wall thinner.
Small details are easier while the pumpkin is still strong. Forcing a saw is how blades bend and slip.
Step 6 of 6
Together · grown-ups do pointed teeth & lights
Put the saw down. Gently push out the loose pieces. A grown-up recuts any that stick. Add teeth if you like, then an LED light.
Never pry with the saw. For push-in teeth, follow the pack directions. A grown-up puts in any pointed pieces.
For the light, a grown-up fits the batteries, closes the battery door, switches it on, then sets it inside.
LED lights don't need a flame, so there's no fire at the table. Teeth stay away from dogs, even on finished pumpkins.
Ta-da! Jack-o'-lantern done.
Set it on the display table with a name card. Kids can wipe the table while a grown-up washes, dries and packs away the cutting tools.
An easy no-cut option. Keep the pumpkin whole. There's no need to scoop it out.
Step 1 of 6
Together
Wipe off any dirt and let the pumpkin dry completely. Cover the table and put on an apron.
Keep the painting table away from the carving table. Old shirts work as aprons.
Paint sticks better to a clean, dry pumpkin.
Step 2 of 6
Kid job
Try dots, stripes, a silly face or a friendly monster. Sketch it lightly in pencil if that helps.
A light sketch is easy to paint over and helps you fit the face on the pumpkin.
Step 3 of 6
Kid job · grown-up checks the label
Use paint that suits the child's age and the pumpkin. Try a small spot first. Thin coats help stop drips.
A grown-up reads the paint label first. Dab a small test spot to see how it covers, then paint a thin coat. Two thin coats beat one thick one.
Thick paint is more likely to drip and takes longer to dry.
Step 4 of 6
Together
Wait as long as the paint label says. Let one color dry before you paint details on top.
Drying time depends on your paint, so the label is the boss. Move the pumpkin to the drying spot with a name beside it. Good time to rinse the brushes.
Painting over wet paint smudges the color underneath.
Step 5 of 6
Kid job
Paint the eyes and a smile. A brush tip makes great dots. Keep paint away from mouths, and wash hands afterward.
Add cheeks, spots or stripes too. Let each color dry before painting next to it.
Paint is for pumpkins, not for eating, even the washable kind.
Step 6 of 6
Together
Let it dry all the way. Keep it indoors unless the paint says it's fine outside. Don't eat a painted pumpkin.
Keep the finished pumpkin dry. Put a name card in front so everyone knows who made it.
Rain and damp can make some paints run or rub off.
Painted and proud!
Find it a spot on the display table, then rinse the brushes and wipe the table.
Make up your own face, or borrow an idea below.
Mix and match a face, then print it. Carvers get a cutting pattern, painters get a guide to copy.
Add everyone's pumpkin from the Face Lab, see them side by side, then print all the name cards at once.
No pumpkins in the parade yet. Make a face in the Face Lab, then tap Add to the parade.
The parade is saved on this device only.
These are ideas, not tested step-by-step projects. Times are our guesses. For any carving, grown-ups do the cutting.
Tap a question. Each answer comes with a picture or video to show you what we mean.
Choose a face with big eyes and a wide smile. Thin lines and tiny shapes break more easily.
A grown-up tapes it down, folding or trimming the paper edges so it fits, then pokes dots along the design lines. Take the paper off and trace the dots.
Stop instead of pushing harder. A grown-up checks the tool is made for pumpkins, and scrapes the wall thinner where the face goes. Check for a bent or damaged blade.
Put the tool down and look for spots that aren't cut all the way through. A grown-up carefully recuts those. Never pry hard with the saw.
At this party, grown-ups do all the cutting and poking. Kids pick patterns, draw, scoop with a spoon, and paint. Painting is a full project of its own!
No. Use the LED tea lights or pumpkin lights. Keep loose batteries out of reach and close the battery doors tight.
Yes! Keep the pumpkin whole and follow the painting steps. Let the paint dry between layers.
Let the pumpkin dry and try a small patch first. Follow the paint label. Washable paint can rub off or run when it gets wet, so keep the finished pumpkin dry.
Two short videos from the people who make the tools and paint, and four picture guides. Grown-ups, take a quick look before the kids watch.
Carve Pumpkin Masters
Tips, tricks and a beginner carving demonstration. Remember: at our party, grown-ups do every cut.
Paint Crayola
A short clip from a paint-kit maker, not a full lesson. Your paint may behave differently from theirs.
Tool photos and illustrated steps. It opens the pumpkin from the bottom and uses a stiffened-paper pattern. Fine either way, just pick one method.
Open the guide
Photo steps for a friendly monster pumpkin. Great for ideas. Swap in materials that suit your group.
Open the project
The maker's page, with demo videos. Use it to recognize the scraper, then follow the instructions in your kit.
Open the maker's page
Tips from the American Society of Hand Therapists on dry work areas, grown-up cutting and steady strokes.
Open the tips (PDF)