Fun Fall Family Projects

Looking for something fun to do for the whole family next weekend? How about taking the family pumpkin picking. Or you could even just pick up a few pumpkins from your local farmers market.


Once you get your pumpkins, here are some fun project ideas you can do at home with the whole family.

To complete the projects below, you will need one large pumpkin and one medium pumpkin per person.  

Pumpkin Painting

We set Ethan up with a medium pumpkin, some markers, construction paper, and left the rest to his creativity!  He loved making his pumpkin and was very proud to display it in his room!

Pumpkin Carving

Clean excess dirt off of your pumpkin. Cut out the top and scoop out the pumpkin guts with a strong, large metal spoon.  Set pumpkin seeds to the side in a large bowl (you can use them later to make toasted pumpkin seeds).


Draw the pumpkin's face using a permanent marker and cut out along your stencil using the pumpkin knife. We figured out that you can wash away any any remaining permanent marker left on the pumpkin with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. 

Put a tea light inside your jack-o-latern, turn off the lights and Enjoy!

My mom and I made this one - we think he is so cute!

**Use a pumpkin carving knife - it will make carving the pumpkin much easier on you.**

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

Pumpkin seeds from carved pumpkin

Tablespoon of olive oil

Taplespoon of melted butter
Sea salt

Directions
1. Separate pumpkin seeds from pumpkin guts and wash the pumpkin seeds.
2. Boil water and teaspoon of salt in medium saucepan.
3. Add pumkin seeds and continue to boil for approximately 15-20 mins.
4. Dry pumpkin seeds for several hours.
5. Later, preheat oven to 300 degrees.
6. Mix pumpkin seeds with melted butter and olive oil in a small bowl.
7. Spread pumpkin seeds out onto baking sheet (make seeds as flat as possible) and sprinkle with sea salt.
8. Bake seeds for approximately 45 minutes (or until browned), stirring occassionally.
9. Let seeds cool and Enjoy!