Easy Jack-o'-Lantern Faces for Kids

For a lot of kids, the best part of Halloween is not the candy. It is deciding what their jack-o-lantern is going to look like. The trick is picking faces that are fun for them to design and simple enough for an adult to carve without a lot of fuss.

Kids design, adults cut

Doctors are clear on this one. The American Academy of Pediatrics says to let small children decorate, not carve, pumpkins. Shriners Children's recommends that children never do the carving themselves. Kids can draw the face with a washable marker and scoop out the seeds and pulp. An adult handles the saw.

Give each child their own job and their own spot at the table. One can draw, one can scoop, and everyone can sort the seeds. Our post on pumpkin carving basics covers the tools and how to set up a safe carving spot.

Faces that are easy to carve

The best kid faces use big, simple shapes. Large shapes are easier to cut, and they hold up better as the pumpkin softens. A few ideas:

• Classic triangle eyes, a triangle nose and a wide grin with two square teeth

• Big round surprised eyes and a small round mouth

• A sleepy face with two curved lines for closed eyes and a little smile

• A winking face with one round eye and one curved line

• A silly face with crossed eyes and a tongue sticking out

• A cat face with pointed ears cut along the top edge

Tips for drawing a face that works

Have kids draw on paper first, then copy their favorite onto the pumpkin with a washable marker. Keep the eyes and mouth at least an inch apart. Thin strips of pumpkin between cuts break easily, so remind them that bigger is better. If they want lots of detail, like eyebrows or freckles, those can be drawn on with marker instead of carved.

Pick a pumpkin with a smooth, fairly flat face and a flat bottom so it sits still while you work. A lighter orange pumpkin is easier to cut because the skin is softer.

Keep the work area safe

Carve at a clean, dry table with good light. Shriners Children's notes that wet hands, handles and tables are how slips happen, so keep a towel nearby and wipe up pulp as you go. Give kids a large metal spoon or an ice cream scoop for cleaning out the inside. It is a messy job, and most kids love it. Keep the saw out of reach between cuts, and have an adult put it away as soon as the carving is finished.

When the carving is done

Let the kids pick where their pumpkin goes, but keep lit pumpkins away from walkways and steps where costumes brush past. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends flameless candles, flashlights or glow sticks rather than real candles. A battery tea light is safer and easier for kids to turn on and off themselves.

Plan your carving date too. A carved pumpkin usually lasts about a week to ten days, so our post on when to carve your pumpkin explains how to time it for Halloween night.

For the littlest helpers

Very young children can skip carving altogether. Stickers, washable markers or a little paint let them make a face on a whole pumpkin, and an uncarved pumpkin lasts much longer than a carved one.

Questions about your pumpkins?

If you have a pumpkin question we did not cover here, we would be glad to help. Call or text us at (513) 409-0005, or send a message through our contact page. We are a family-run business right here in the Springboro, Dayton and Cincinnati area, and we are always happy to talk pumpkins.