10 Tips for a successful pumpkin decorating party

Aaah, fall. I love the change of seasons and the cool, crisp air associated with autumn. I enjoy the change of colors in our natural landscape and get excited about wearing jeans,sweaters, and boots after a summer of flip flops and tank tops.

Every fall, my kids and I look forward to visiting a local pumpkin patch, collecting a few pumpkins for the season, and decorating those pumpkins with family and friends. Here are my family’s tips for a memorable and successful pumpkin patch outing and decorating party:

1.   Invite a small group of close friends and family.

You’ll need a few adults to supervise when you visit a local pumpkin patch and assist younger children to decorate pumpkins. If you make the group too large, it may be difficult to manage, so have your kids choose their besties and their parents to involve in the festivities. You can choose fun Halloween cards or use an online invitation service to invite your guests.

2.   Visit a local pumpkin patch.

Your local pumpkin patch offers a wide range of fun and colorful outdoor activities for both kids and adults. These activities may include hayrides, corn or hay bale mazes, pumpkin picking, apple-picking, haunted houses, petting zoos, and even fresh foods like pies, cookies, jams, butters, ciders, and a variety of locally, and organically grown fruits and vegetables.

3.   Dress accordingly.

A pumpkin patch is not the place to wear sandals or high heeled pumps. Keep in mind you’ll be visiting a farm and depending on the weather, it may be muddy. During the fall and winter, one of my favorite items are decorative rubber boots. With the fluctuations in fall temperatures, dress in layers, to accommodate for chilly or warmer temperatures.

4.   Choose a location for decorating pumpkins.

Some pumpkin patches may have picnic tables and supplies that allow your group to decorate your pumpkins. However, we usually choose to head back to our house for an informal pumpkin decorating party in the backyard.

5.   Set a festive mood.

Decorate your home for Halloween using either pre-made Halloween decorations or eco-friendly options. Play fun Halloween music or haunted house noises (be careful to choose age appropriate CDs for your group). For smaller siblings who may lose interest in decorating their pumpkins, have a selection of not-so-scary Halloween movies on hand.

6.   Gear up with decorating supplies and tools.

If you have older kids, they might be able to carve pumpkins, but since pumpkin carving tools might be difficult for most kids without adult help, lay out stencils, templates, paints and paint brushes, paint markers, buttons, ribbons, and plastic spiders, so kids can get creative. Protect your tables with butcher paper. For those in your group who decide to carve their pumpkins, leave out buckets to collect pumpkin seeds (which you can roast later) and pumpkin guts (throw these in a compost pile). Set out extra towels, baby wipes, or fun Halloween napkins for guests to clean their hands.

7.   Feed your hungry crew.

Keep your guests (especially the kids) focused and cheerful with festive Halloween treats. Find a good pumpkin recipe for cakes/cupcakes or cookies. Offer hot chocolate or apple cider in festive Halloween mugs. Provide healthy snack options like little tangerines decorated to look like mini pumpkins or pumpkin soup.

8.   Offer a goody bag.

Send the kiddos off with some Halloween loot. Rather than providing candy – which they’ll get plenty of on Halloween night – give the kids Halloween party favors such as pencils, erasers, and battery operated candles if they decide to carve their pumpkins. You can even find cute containers or mason jars to send your guests home with their pumpkin seeds for roasting.

9.   Show off your creations.

Place your pumpkins on the porch for a fun photo opportunity and to complete your décor for the Halloween season.

10.   Get the most out of your pumpkins.

Make this Halloween a green one by putting into place a few eco-friendly practices. Purchase locally grown, organic pumpkins. In the spirit of the season, look for tasty pumpkin recipes. Instead of throwing out the guts of the pumpkin, make a tasty treat of pumpkin seeds and pumpkin puree to use in pumpkin butter, muffins/ cakes/ breads, and pies. When Halloween is over and it’s time to get rid of your pumpkin shell, add the pumpkin to your (or a neighbor’s) compost pile.

Photo sources:

_MG_4788.JPG (Halloween lanterns) by Mike Spasoff, licensed under CC 2.0

Colorful Palette by Eric May, licensed under CC 2.0

Boo! (Painted pumpkins) by Quinn Dombrowski, licensed under CC 3.0

For more Halloween ideas, view the following guides:

9 Eco-friendly tips for a green Halloween

10 Halloween movies for elementary kids {picked by kids}

Little superheroes: Halloween costumes for kids

Charmin Calamaris

Charmin is a wife, mom of two boys and creator of the Momiverse. The Momiverse is an online magazine for busy moms (is there any other kind?) dedicated to helping moms make time – and take time – for themselves. She traded in her career in land use planning and environmental policy to become Chief Executive Navigator of the Momiverse. You can connect with Charmin in her "online office" on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

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