Ask Ollie
No-Carve Pumpkin Parade
Here's one to try together!
Ollie says no knives needed! Turn a little pumpkin into a silly, stripey, spotty pal.
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- No knives or carving; pumpkins are decorated only
- Small stickers and paper shapes can be a choking hazard for very young children
- Markers and glue stick should be washable and kept away from mouths
What you need
- Crayons or markers, a handful of washable markers
- Painter's tape, 1 roll
- Paper, a few sheets, for shapes
- Glue stick, 1
- Pumpkin, 1 per child
- Newspaper, a few sheets
- Plate or tray, 1 bowl or plate, for paper scraps
- Kid scissors, 1 pair of kid scissors (optional)
- Stickers, a few (optional)
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Cover the table, wipe the pumpkins dry and set out all the supplies within easy reach.
- Pick your pumpkin and give it a gentle pat.
- Tear off four strips of painter's tape and stick them on the pumpkin.
- Draw a face with markers. Is your pumpkin silly, sleepy or surprised? Ask: What feeling does your pumpkin have today?
- Add polka dots or squiggles all over, right across the tape too.
- Make glasses, a hat or a moustache from paper shapes. Ask for help if you need it
- Stick your paper shapes on with the glue stick or tape.
- Peel off the tape to find the hidden stripes! Ask: What did the tape hide?
- Line up all your pumpkins near the front door and name each one!
- Now show your friends, or make more! How many pumpkins will join your parade? Ask: What would your next pumpkin look like?
Play it again
- Monster mash: build the silliest monster pumpkin with mismatched eyes and extra mouths.
- Mystery pumpkin: decorate with eyes closed, then peek and laugh.
- Pumpkin family: make a big one, a medium one and a tiny one that all match.
Kids loved this? There are more where it came from.
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