It's been quite a long time since I've posted about activities--but 'tis the season of staying inside in the evenings rather than being out on our bikes every night. Saturday night we enjoyed a fun family activity of painting pumpkins. This is a cheap seasonal activity that is easy to set up--especially if you keep kids crafting supplies on hand. All you need is paint, brushes and pumpkins. We had about a dozen mini-pumpkins fresh from the garden, so the project was easy to prep for.
I use either water colors or tempera paint when letting the kids paint and in this case we needed tempera. My favorite container to put the paint in is an old egg carton. An old sheet was laid out on the table and each pumpkin placed on a napkin.
There are a few scattered photos of other ways I used the mini-pumpkins for fall decor.
In addition to paint, brushes and water, I put out leaf shaped cookie cutters and a pen for tracing on the pumpkins if we wanted.
The kids chose to forgo any leaf tracing and jumped right in with the paint.
Tadd got in on the action too. The kids love it when we do a craft with them--especially daddy!
Caroline's pumpkin.
Ezra's finished product.
Being the non-artist that I am, I chose to stick with a leaf stencil and writing "give thanks" on my pumpkin.
Tadd was quite creative.
After we finished up with the pumpkins I let the kids use the leaf stencils and paper and paints to spend some more time painting.
I highly recommend this activity--especially if you don't want to carve any pumpkins. This method is so much easier and does not involve any "gut removal" or knives. Any size pumpkin can be used. We used the minis since had so many from the garden. Give it a go!
I use either water colors or tempera paint when letting the kids paint and in this case we needed tempera. My favorite container to put the paint in is an old egg carton. An old sheet was laid out on the table and each pumpkin placed on a napkin.
There are a few scattered photos of other ways I used the mini-pumpkins for fall decor. 
In addition to paint, brushes and water, I put out leaf shaped cookie cutters and a pen for tracing on the pumpkins if we wanted. 
The kids chose to forgo any leaf tracing and jumped right in with the paint.
Tadd got in on the action too. The kids love it when we do a craft with them--especially daddy!
Caroline's pumpkin.
Ezra's finished product.
Being the non-artist that I am, I chose to stick with a leaf stencil and writing "give thanks" on my pumpkin.
Tadd was quite creative.
After we finished up with the pumpkins I let the kids use the leaf stencils and paper and paints to spend some more time painting.
I highly recommend this activity--especially if you don't want to carve any pumpkins. This method is so much easier and does not involve any "gut removal" or knives. Any size pumpkin can be used. We used the minis since had so many from the garden. Give it a go!
5 comments:
I love C's pumpkin!!! hmm...like her style. Yeah I feel like I'm sitting around on my rear end too much lately lol...that inbetween summer and skiing ;) ~Cathy
You know, Caroline's pumpkin was quite attractive I think! Tadd's came in second - Ezra's looked like a boys but it was okay too! Love your fall decorations with candles. I like to decorate for fall just because the colors are so pretty! Good project and way to go Tadd for joining in!
Ezra's pumpkin is my favorite. It's no longer recognizable as a pumpkin.
Hmmm, I'm not sure which is messier. Though painting sure is prettier and safer. Hopefully you'll still be able to enjoy some baked pumpkin seeds sometime this season :)
Brooke, seriously--paint, or freshly roasted pumpkin seeds...paint, or...;). I admire you for pulling out the paint, but can you just SEE that happening here?!? I admit to hating the smell of pumpkin guts, but mmmmmm, those pumpkin seeds!
Ezra's looked like something out of a gory horror movie!!
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