7 Pumpkin Projects for Little Ones

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt

There’s a pretty good chance you’ve taken your kids to a pumpkin patch, farmer’s market or even a grocery store this weekend, and are now living with a menagerie of pumpkins, little and big. Do you realize you’re sitting on a goldmine of kid craft potential?!

Bring your pumpkins to the table, gather your craft supplies, call a friend or two to make a fun play date out of it, and get down to business! Not the crafty type or invited more than a few friends? Call in a sitter to help!

Here are 7 of our favorite pumpkin projects:

Gourd Family: Stack miniature pumpkins to build a replica of your own family.  The gourd people on MarthaStewart.com are made by gluing natural materials, such as acorns, nuts, leaves, and flowers… which means you can start your project by taking a nature walk to gather supplies.

Giggly Ghoul: They’ll be giggling so hard, they’ll have a hard time finishing this one. Talk about bang for your buck – insert two thumbtacks for eyes,  carve out a mouth and insert removable teeth. How can these not have you in stitches?!

Fall Leaves + Pumpkin = Perfect decoration for the table, foyer or front porch: Gather gorgeous fall leaves and dry them under a book for several days. Brush decoupage glue on a pumpkin (white is especially nice). Arrange the leaves on the pumpkin’s surface, cutting small slits along the edges of the leaves as you go, so they’ll fit the pumpkin’s contours. Coat the decorated surface in decoupage glue.

Message on a Pumpkin: Put on your thinking caps and come up with a fun message to write/paint/glue on your pumpkins. How about your family name (with a pumpkin for each letter), or a spooky Halloween shout-out like “Boo,” “Beware,” or “Who Goes There?!” You can cater to your kids’ ages and abilities, keeping it simple with glitter glue or stepping it up by glue-gunning buttons, acorns or candy to spell out your message.

Give Thanks: How about making a festive vessel for a bouquet of fall flowers? Clean out the insides of your pumpkin (save the seeds for snack time), and insert a handful of fall flowers or branches. You can make it a spooky treat (and a bigger project) by first painting the pumpkin, then giving it a face. Don’t carve out too much, as you’ll want to fill it with a bit of water if you hope to make it last.

Talking Pumpkin: This one will get the neighborhood trick-or-treaters talking! Carve a face for your pumpkin, scary or silly will work. Instead of making a removable top, cut a hole in the bottom. Once cleaned and carved, sit your masterpiece atop a baby monitor. Voila, you have a talking pumpkin!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: Wait, don’t throw out that muck! Make a toasty snack of pumpkin seeds. It’s as simple as digging through the strings and pulp – what better job for a crew of little hands – and cleaning off the seeds. Spread the pumpkin seeds on baking sheet, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake 45 minutes at 325 degrees, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted. Yum!

Need a sitter for the pre- or post-Halloween weekend? Log on to UrbanSitter and search for a babysitter by date & time.

New Babysitter? Make It Fun!


Most parents are familiar with the crying at the door, big puppy-dog eyes, vice grip on your leg routine when attempting to leave their children with a new sitter.

Why not solve the babysitter anxiety issue with a pre-planned special activity reserved for that evening? Talk it up (but not too much) and be sure it’s not something you’ve done before. It can be a fun craft project, recipe, or a new toy kept hidden away until that night. Here are a few ideas…

1) Make Play Dough
This is easy enough and your kids will love the process as well as the result. Try the cook or no-cook kind.

Cooked Play Dough Recipe

2 cups flour
3 tbsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup salt
4 tbsp oil
1/2 cup boiling water
food coloring

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix oil, food coloring and boiling water in a separate container. Stir liquid mixture until cool enough to knead. Knead until smooth. If play-dough is too dry, add more water, a little at a time. If play-dough is too crumbly, knead in a small amount of oil. Store in an airtight container.

No-Cook Play Dough

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 tbsp oil
1 and 1/2 cup water
Mix oil and food color together before adding to dry mixture. Mix until pliable. Keep in container or plastic bag.

2) Make Lemonade

Whether you want to actually put up a stand is debatable, but making and tasting the lemonade is always fun. Depending on the number of children, you’ll need anywhere from four to 16 lemons. You can figure four per child. You’ll also need cold water, sugar, and a pitcher.

If you have a citrus squeezer, it’s much easier. Kids can do the squeezing on their own, though toddlers might need a little help. Once you’ve got an ample amount of juice in the pitcher, add some cold water and then start with spoonfuls of sugar. Have the kids taste the lemonade after each sugar addition. Note how much sugar it takes to make it palatable. (This could serve as a good lesson on the perils of juice in general.) Once it’s satisfactory, give everyone a cup full of ice, and enjoy the fruits of your labor! Lovely on a hot summer day.

3) New Toy/Game/Art Supplies

As the weather warms up, croquet is fun and easy for little ones. Get an inexpensive set at your local toy store and have the sitter set it up on the grass or even at the park. Toddlers and school-age kids will get a kick out of trying to get the ball through the small wickets. Just don’t let them use the mallets on each other!

A new coloring book and crayons or markers can go a long way. Don’t you remember the smell and lovely pointy-ness of a new box of crayons? Pick out a coloring book featuring his or her favorite character (Dora, Mickey Mouse) and you won’t go wrong.

Kids love anything with water. In the summer, fill the baby pool up and let kids splash. Or try a Slip ‘N Slide. In winter, fill the tub with bubbles and new sand toys (they work just as well in water) and let them go to town. Just be sure to instruct your sitter to be extra-vigilant when playing with water.

A new sitter can be fun and a nice break from the norm. Embrace it!

And, remember to use UrbanSitter to find your next sitter — it’s easy and you can book sitters online in minutes!

Rainy Day Activities

Rainy days with children can definitely instill a feeling of panic. Gone are thoughts of going to the park or playing in the backyard. So, what’s a mom or dad to do? Here’s a list of places and activities that can ease your mind on cold and wet days — and hopefully keep your little ones from crawling the walls.

And remember, UrbanSitter is always available to rescue you when you just can’t take another game of CandyLand. Book a sitter and let her take the reigns!

MUSEUMS

SF MOMA

Yes, the art is sophisticated, but the colors are also brilliant and the sculptural installations (not all art is on walls?) are amazing for little eyes to behold. It’s a chance to teach your children to respect art (no touching) and other people (no yelling or running), but for those who can handle it, a museum such as this can spark a lifetime love of all things beautiful. Don’t miss the cafe and gift shop on the first floor.

Exploratorium

It’s been around for decades, but  this SF institution still offers amazing exhibits specifically for kids. Try the shadow box, echo chamber, or one of the many hands-on activities meant to be touched and tinkered with.

Lawrence Hall of Science

High up in the Berkeley hills, this museum offers much to touch and see, including an insect zoo, a 3-D projection of the planet where actual real-time weather patterns can be observed, and a room full of building blocks, ramps, and vehicles.

RETAIL STORES

toy store

Pair this one with a trip to the food court for lunch and your day is looking up. Of course, after your child man-handles the train table or doll stroller, you may want to buy something. Perhaps a new book, lunch box, or birthday gift? As long as your children are respectful, the staff is pleasant (and sympathetic).

book store

Same as above. There’s usually a train table as well as kid-sized tables and chairs where you can sit and enjoy the latest Olivia or David book with your little one. You can even grab a coffee or treat before (or bribe your child with it in order to leave) at the cafe inside.

pet store

Who doesn’t love gazing at rats, tropical fish, and lizards? If you get lucky, perhaps an employee will let your children “help” feed such a beast. Sometimes, too, there is a “Beauty Salon” on the premises where you can watch the animals get a good scrubbing and blow-out.

PLAY SPACES

Playland

Lots of jumpy houses, ride-on cars, arts and crafts, and a little counter that sells snacks: What could be better? Located in Sausalito, Playland is really easy to find and offers just what every kid (and parent) wants, for a fee that’s reasonable.

Studio Grow

With soft ramps, blocks, and tunnels, as well as arts and crafts and open spaces to run and jump, Studio Grow (several locations in the e.bay) is an oasis of cushy fun on a stormy day. Snacks and coffee are available.

U-ME

In Menlo Park, this is truly a kid wonderland with the usual soft spaces and climbing structures, but also a kid-size stage, art and reading room, and trampoline. Get a $5 printable coupon when you visit the website.

IN THE KITCHEN

play dough

If you just can’t bring yourself to lug out the umbrellas and rain boots and brave the elements, stay home and entertain your children with a new recipe or project. How about home-made play dough?  Yes, you can buy it, but the process is half the fun…right?

muffins

Your little one will love helping with these Apple Stuffin’ Muffins, and when they sneak a little apple sauce along the way, you won’t mind. It’s a great healthy snack for a rainy day.