Painting Pumpkins

If you’re looking for a simple, low-mess fall craft to do with your little ones, painting pumpkins is one of our favorites! It’s the perfect way to celebrate the season without the stress (and goo!) of carving.

All you need are a few pumpkins — grab some from your local grocery store or make a fun family trip to the pumpkin patch. Then, gather your paint brushes and washable paint.

For my three-year-old, I love using the Melissa & Doug washable paints along with their Spill proof paint containers and brushes — they make cleanup so much easier and keep the mess to a minimum. My five-year-old gets his own paint container and some fun brushes from Target, which work perfectly for his age.

And because no fall craft is complete without a little sparkle, we used the Mondo Llama large glitter shaker (also from Target!) for a finishing touch. ✨

*Here is an amazon large glitter shaker*

Once everything’s set up, just let your kiddos go to town painting their pumpkins! When they’re done, let the pumpkins dry completely — and voilà, you’ve got festive, kid-made fall décor.

It’s such a fun, easy alternative to carving — no sharp tools, no pumpkin guts, and no tears! Just creativity, color, and laughter.

Sometimes I even let my kids “wash” their pumpkins afterward in a big bucket with soap, water, and brushes — they love it so much they ask to do it again the next day! (More on that later this week 😉).