Every October, my young children look forward to going to the pumpkin patch to select their individual pumpkins and several “crazy looking” gourds.  While the whole family enjoys this annual outing, this year we reflected on how little the kids seemed to really care about the actual pumpkin carving once we returned home.  So, this year I offered the kids the opportunity to completely decorate their pumpkin patch loot themselves.  We skipped the hassle and mess of carving pumpkins for the ease of acrylic paints and permanent markers.  The kids enjoyed having full creative control of their creations and I love seeing these silly faces on all the pumpkins and gourds around our house!

This is a simple seasonal creative project that can take as little or as much time as you allow.   We referenced the clever book, How Are You Peeling, for some creative inspiration as we studied new ways to orient the gourds and pumpkins and find their “hidden faces.”

Supplies:

• Pumpkins and/or gourds of any size
• Acrylic Paint
• Permanent Markers
• Plastic table cloth or large sheets of paper (to protect your table or work surface!)
• Pattern Inspiration, such as these monster-scales and monster-skins
• Clear Coat Spray (optional finish coat)

Directions:

Just spread out the supplies, perhaps provide a few examples, and let them create!

Happy Halloween!

Looking for more Halloween activities?  Check out Monster Crafts for more fun art projects, including free printables!

For more nature and art activities, experiment with observational line drawing and color mixing as you create Watercolor Leaves or study and reveal the texture of fall foliage while making a Metallic Leaf Relief.