Nothing says Autumn like a good pumpkin!  They’re not expensive to buy and you can pick one up at the supermarket, or go choose your own from a pumpkin patch event. But if you fancy doing something different – as well as the traditional – here are some great pumpkin-related activities!

Thanks to SJ from Ryedale and Scarborough & The Coast Mumbler for this fab blog! 

If you try any of them, we’d love to see your photos on the Calderdale Mumbler Chat Group.

1. Pumpkin Slime
   1. Ingredients
      1. 1/2 cup white PVA glue
      2. Unscented shaving cream
      3. Orange food colouring
      4. Mason jar or jam jar
      5. Black  paper
      6. Scissors
      7. Saline solution
      8. Baking soda
   2. .Add 1/2 cup of white school PVA glue and 4 cups of shaving cream to a bowl. Mix well and then add in a some drops of your orange food colouring. Stir to mix in the colour.
   3. Next, stir in 1/4 tsp of Baking Soda, then add saline solution about 1 Tablespoon at a time and mix.
   4. Keep adding a little more saline solution and mixing until your slime begins forming into a ball-like form as you mix. You’ll notice this is when it starts to turn into slime and becomes less sticky. It will begin coming off the sides of your container and sticking together.
   5. If your slime is still sticky, add some more saline solution by starting small and adding a little as you go and continue to knead it. The slime will take on a fluffy marshmallowy consistency that is super addictive to play with!
   6. When you’re finished, you’ll want to store your slime in an air tight container. Or have the kids create their own jack-o-lantern jars by cutting out the faces from black paper and using some PVA glue to glue their faces to the mason jars. This can be a really fun family activity, and perfect for a Halloween Party! (Photo from Pinterest)
2. Traditional Pumpkin Carving. I find the best thing to do is draw on your design with pencil (then you have the chance to alter if required!). Personally, I hate scooping out the seeds so see this as a great thing to keep the kids occupied. It is slightly down to you though to cut away the stringy bits! Another job for the adults is to wipe the pumpkin out with bleach as it stops the pumpkin going mouldy quite so quickly! We had some glow sticks in the house which are safer than candles and means kids can take the pumpkin into their bedrooms with no fire risk.
3. Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. Moving on from the above, toasted pumpkin seeds are a great and great healthy snack for all the family
   1. Preheat the oven to 140 C / Gas mark 1. Line a baking tray with baking parchment or aluminium foil.
   2. After removing the seeds from the pumpkin, rinse with water, and remove any strings and bits of pumpkin. Pat dry, and place in a small bowl. Stir the olive oil and salt into the seeds until evenly coated. Spread out in an even layer on the prepared baking tray.
   3. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the seeds start to pop. Remove from oven and cool on the baking tray before serving.
4. 

   

   

   Paper Lantern. Fold the A4 orange paper in half. Cut approx. 1.5cm slices the whole way leaving approx. 2cm at each end. Glue the two short sides together. Staple on green hand on. Draw on the face!

5. Paper Plate. Shape the top by cutting approx. 4cm. Paint orange. Using the cut off from the plate, cut out the stalk and paint green. Glue into place. Stick on pipe cleaners or wool to practice fine motor skills. Cut out shapes for eyes, nose and mouth and stick into place.
6. Plastic Plate. Stick on orange tissue paper. Use green feathers for the stalk. Stick eyes, nose and mouth into place.
7. Pumpkin Troll. If you hate digging out the seeds, this is the type of pumpkin activity for you!
   1. Fan out several different colours of paper to make the hair.
   2. Tie together near the bottom with a pipe cleaner or rubber band. Glue into position using PVA glue
   3. I had some giant pipe cleaners which I used as a “hairband” to hide the “hairline”
   4. Cut out ears and cover with glitter.
   5. Glue ears into place. To make them stick out, I placed cocktail sticks behind them wedged into the actual pumpkin.
   6. Glue eyes and nose into position.
   7. Glitter and glue tear drop detail into place.
   8. Draw on extra facial expression detailing!
8. Pumpkin Stamps. Cut an apple in half, lengthways. Cover in orange paint and use as stamps. Paint on green stalks and black face detailing. (Photo from Pinterest)
9. Mini pumpkin faces. Use satsumas and draw on scary faces! Looks great in the fruit bowl!
10. Pumpkin Drip Art. Paint your pumpkin! Start by dripping poster paint in different colours over the pumpkin to make a lovely coloured background. Using either a black pen, black paint or paint paper, make the face and put into position. Quick and easy. Allows all ages to partake in the pumpkin fun!