Painted Pumpkins
/In our house, we like to celebrate Halloween all October long. With two young rascals, we keep the Halloween scare factor to a minimum and focus our decor on the joy of pumpkins, pumpkin patches, and dressing up as our favorite characters.
Our first visit to a local pumpkin patch is usually the first weekend in October. We then continue to visit pumpkin patches all month long! We bring home tons of pumpkins - tiny ones as gifts for teachers, white ones for decoration, large ones for carving, and small to medium sized ones for painting.
The beginning of October is usually still summer in Houston, so our first pumpkin purchases cannot be carved, as they would not last the entire month. Our yearly tradition of painting pumpkins started at a friend’s birthday party one year and is now one of our favorite Halloween traditions.
Reasons painting pumpkins is a great activity for your rascals:
The mess factor is minimal.
No special tools or templates are needed.
Painted pumpkins will not rot as quickly as carved ones do.
And, most importantly, the pride your children will take in their masterpiece is second to none.
Supplies Needed:
- paintbrushes
- acrylic paint (this one is my favorite)
- paint palette (AKA paper plate)
- cup of water for rinsing paintbrushes
- something to cover your workspace (newspaper, drop cloth, sheet, or butcher paper all work well)
Once you set up your supplies, it’s time to let your little artist get started. Not only is this a great time to let them get creative, but it is also a learning experience. With my older rascal, we predict what will happen when we mix colors and then I let him experiment. When their masterpiece is finished & dry, be sure to showcase their pumpkin in a prime location amongst your Halloween decorations.
TIP: I recommend clothes you don’t mind getting dirty because I find acrylic paint to be pretty unforgiving on fabric. Designating an old oversized shirt as an artist’s smock can help minimize damage to your rascals’ regular wardrobe.
Written by Brandi Stanton, mother to two rascals ages 2 and 3.
Shop The Post
