Every October, people flock to the pumpkin patch to find the perfect gourd to slice into to become a Halloween jack-o’-lantern. What kind of sick tradition is this? I mean, what did a pumpkin ever do to deserve this? Turns out this Halloween tradition was brought to us by European immigrants, dating back to a centuries-old Irish tale of a man named Stingy Jack.

According to folklore, Stingy Jack is a lost soul resigned to wandering earth because he tricked the devil into letting him have one last drink. Because of his deception, he wasn’t allowed into heaven and was banned from entering hell. What’s a lonely spirit to do? To prevent him from causing harm, people would place carved vegetables (like turnips) on their doorstep to scare Stingy Jack away. When the tradition came over to the states, Stingy Jack eventually came to be known as Jack O’Lantern as it was common to call unfamiliar men traveling at night “Jack-of-the-Lantern”.  As the carving tradition grew, turnips were replaced with pumpkins because they were easy to grow, versatile, and more visually appealing.

Benefit Breakdown

Even though jack-o’-lanterns are no longer made for the purpose of scaring away unwanted intruders (living or not), they still have a place in fun, seasonal activities to do with our kids. For the record, ANY activity can be helpful in establishing and refining developmental skills and pumpkin carving is no different. Here’s a breakdown of what it can do for your kiddo:

Picking out a pumpkin

• Observing the variety of pumpkins displayed, your kid can take note of the similar/different characteristics of each gourd (color, shape, size, texture, etc).
• As they pick one up, they gain an awareness of where their body is in relation to their surroundings by activating their proprioceptive system (heavy work).
• The heavier and bigger it is, the more strength and coordination they’ll need to lug it around.
• By choosing a pumpkin, your child demonstrates independence, confidence, and decision-making skills.

Gathering materials and setup

• Retrieving materials prior to carving helps them develop a plan and understand the sequence of the activity (ex: we need to get newspaper to lay on the floor before we cut the pumpkin)
• Gathering materials also requires them to use their auditory skills and short-term memory, taking direction from you the parent.

Scooping and cleaning out the inside

• The pumpkin’s insides are a natural sensory bin. Your child can squish its “brains” while harvesting its seeds.
• Scooping out the guts requires upper body strength and coordination of both hands, like holding the pumpkin steady while scraping the insides with a large spoon with the other.

Carving the pumpkin

• Coming up with an idea of what design to put on the pumpkin requires planning and critical thinking, considering spacing and sizing of lines and shapes as well as what tools to use (if they’re old enough).
• If your child is going to cut out a face, they must have a good awareness of where facial features are in relation to one another (ex: nose in the middle with a set of eyes above it and a mouth below it, ears are at the side of the head).
• Creating designs allows your kid to explore their creativity, experimenting with how the light will shine through the pumpkin once carved. They may even be so inclined to use household objects or craft materials to make it a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, like using Potato Head pieces.
• Cutting and slicing details into the pumpkin requires fine motor skills precision and accuracy.

Showing it off to the neighbors

• Displaying their newly carved pumpkin for all to see instills confidence and a sense of pride in your kid. Even if they didn’t do it all themselves, they can still be proud of the fact that they helped make something for the season. That positive feeling creates happy memories and a want to do it again.

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For the Sensory Sensitive

Believe it or not, pumpkin carving can be a challenging sensory experience, especially for yours truly and her tactile defensiveness. The idea of sticking a hand into a pumpkin to take out the slimy, stringy seeds can make a child with tactile sensitivities cringe. The smell of a freshly cut pumpkin can also be overwhelming to a kid with a hypersensitive nose. To make the activity a more pleasant experience, try these strategies:

Tactile (touch)

• Have your child wear an apron reduce messy clothes
• Gloves are so necessary, it’s not even funny. Have them handy for the entire pumpkin carving process.
• Have your kid use a hand mixer to scrape all the fibrous strands inside of the pumpkin, limiting skin contact (thanks TikTok!). They feel like they contributed and didn’t need to get their hands dirty.
• Invest in a pumpkin carving scooper.

Olfactory (smell)

• Have your kid wear a face mask when the pumpkin is first getting cut. We surely still have these around the house.
• Light a scented candle or put some essential oil on their wrist to distract from the smell
• Open a window to let in fresh air or carve the pumpkin outside

We know it’s tempting to just say “let me do it” when it comes to carving Halloween pumpkins. It’s an activity that is guaranteed to be messy and there’s always the potential risk of getting cut. Carving a pumpkin with your kids also takes a lot of patience, but it’s a fun tradition that helps them in more ways than one.

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