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Dad Field Manual · Field card 169 · Indoor & Rainy Day

Pumpkin carving by age: who draws, who scoops, who cuts

Kids want to carve. The safe way gives them the best jobs, the face and the guts, while you do the cutting.

Time
1 hour
Cost
About $10
Ages
3 to 14
Where
Kitchen table or porch

What you need

  • A pumpkin per kid, or one to share
  • Washable marker
  • Large metal spoon or ice-cream scoop
  • Small serrated knife or pumpkin-carving saw (Dad's)
  • Battery tea light, flashlight or glow stick
  • Newspaper or a trash bag, and a bowl for seeds

Before you start

  • Dad cuts. AAP says small children can draw faces with markers and help clean out the pulp and seeds, but adults should do the carving and cutting.
  • No candle. AAP says to light it with a battery candle, flashlight or glow stick. If you use a real candle, AAP says to use a votive, and keep it off porches and paths where people walk.
  • Dry grip. Dry your hands, the tool and the pumpkin before cutting. A slippery, pulp-covered grip is how people get cut.
  • Cut away from hands. Short strokes, blade pointing away from your other hand and from kids. The knife goes back to you between cuts.
  • Seeds for later. AAP lists pumpkin seeds as a choking hazard for babies and toddlers. Bag them before little hands find them.

Steps

  1. Pick and wipe the pumpkin. Kid picks the face side. 3–5 draw + scoop; 6–10 design + scoop, Dad cuts; 11–14 Dad cuts.
  2. Draw the face. Kid draws a face with washable marker. Big, simple shapes carve best.
  3. Cut the lid. Dad cuts the lid, knife angled toward the center, with a notch. Kids watch from across the table.
  4. Scoop the guts. Kids scoop strings and seeds into the bowl. Scrape the face wall thin.
  5. Carve the face. Dad saws along their lines, blade away. Kid inspects and calls changes.
  6. Light it up. Battery light in, lights off, kid does the reveal. Save the seeds.

If it stalls

  • If they won't touch the guts, give them gloves or a spoon only. Some kids love it on the second pumpkin.
  • If the design is too detailed to cut, carve the outline and let them color the rest with marker.
Pumpkin name
best face feature
Signed off: can do this.Signed by Date