October Celebration Ideas

Pumpkin Painting

As you are aware, 2020 has been a year of change, new ideas, alternative options, and well, surprise after surprise. So to keep in line, we thought we would offer an alternative to pumpkin carving. 

Less mess, no sharp objects, and no stinky, gooey stringy pumpkin insides to peel off our children’s hands. So here’s what you’ll need.

Supplies:

1. Box or tray with high sides (Amazon boxes work great!).
2. Paint or markers.
3. Some pumpkins.
4. Waxed paper, aluminum foil, or something to set your pumpkin on to dry.
5. Baby wipes or rags just in case.
6. Paper plate.
7. Optional: googly eyes, construction paper, and glue.

Directions:

Let your child choose the colors. If you’re worried about a brown pumpkin from too many colors, narrow down the colors for them and let them choose.

Put the pumpkin in the box or tray.

Squirt a few dollops of paint on the paper plate and hand your kiddo a paintbrush.

For more no-carve pumpkin decorating tips check out these ideas.

Should your children trick-or-treat?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released guidance on Halloween, saying that collecting candy door-to-door is high-risk. Here’s the list of lower-risk options they suggest.

These activities can be safe alternatives:

• Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them.

• Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends.

• Decorating your house, apartment, or living space.

• Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance.

• Having a virtual Halloween costume contest.

• Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with.

• Having a scavenger hunt trick-or-treat with your household members in or around your house, rather than going house to house.

Quarantine-O-Ween will be the Halloween to remember! 

Here’s one more idea that is great for churches, neighborhoods, or school parking lots.

Trunk-or-treating is one option that works great for large groups that are looking for socially-distant trick-or-treat substitutes. Trunk-or-treating involves decorating vehicles, and kids go trick-or-treating from car to car. You can have an adult at each vehicle with gloves to hand out the candy, rather than having your little ones digging into a bowl.

There are many websites that offer themed kits to decorate your trunk. We love the history of the trunk-or-treat decorations shown on this website over the years.

Remember, you get to choose what’s best for your family. Have fun, be safe, and make some new memories!