My Experience Doing Pumpkin Painting In A Group Setting
Last year, another mom at my daughter’s school, was visiting my home and saw my painted pumpkins on the porch. She asked me if I did Pumpkin Painting with groups?
I’ve taught individuals, but I had never taught Pumpkin Painting to a group. When I asked why, she told me that she would love to have me come to our then first grader’s Brownie meeting to paint pumpkins with the girls. I said “of course” thinking to myself, “how am I going to paint pumpkins with 15 six-year-olds?”
Here’s how I did it. I purchased pumpkins in bulk at a local Trader Joe’s store. The size of the pumpkins were perfect, probably 6″ – 9″ in diameter. I washed and prepared them for painting prior to the meeting.
I brought styrofoam plates and purchased two bulk packs of ten paintbrushes for $1.00 each. I covered the tables with newspaper and placed the plate containing puddles of the paint colors we would use for the day.
I had one fully painted pumpkin to use as an example. The others had the design outlined on each pumpkin. At that point, the Brownies simply “painted by numbers”. Most of them added their own painted embellishments, but even with the same exact design, every pumpkin looked different.
I took each finished pumpkin outside to seal it and when the Brownie meeting was over, each girl took her completed pumpkin home proudly.
The whole process took less than an hour and it was a great, memorable Pumpkin Painting experience for everyone, especially me!
Pumpkin Painting: An Activity For All Ages
With each annual visit to the pumpkin patch, teachers, party organizers, scout troop leaders and parents alike often wonder how to make the most of the prize pumpkin that was chosen by a child. I have the perfect idea. Pumpkin Painting!
Some pumpkins are simply too small to carve. Plus, carving a jack-o-lantern is a messy proposition at any age.
A creative and decorative solution is Pumpkin Painting. Painting silly, whimsical faces or other designs can be a fun, yet easy activity for children and adults.
Preschool age children can even participate as Pumpkin Painting, with supervision, is an age-appropriate Halloween activity for four and five year olds.
Almost any design can be painted on a pumpkin, but those designs that lend themselves to the round, three-dimensional surface of the pumpkin are the most exciting to paint.
The simplest design to paint on a pumpkin is a traditional jack-o-lantern face. But here are some other ideas for Pumpkin Painting designs:
- silly or goofy faces
- favorite cartoon characters
- fall leaves
- scarecrow
- witch
- princess
- turkey
- spider
- ghosts
- cats
- goblin
Pumpkin Painting is also very economical as most supplies are readily available (you probably already have many in your home):
- washable markers
- acrylic craft paints
- newspaper
- spray sealer
- accessories such as raffia, jewelry, hats, etc.
Before beginning, you must decide what design you are going to paint and transfer that design to the pumpkin. You can freehand the design or select one of the many designs in Easy Pumpkin Painting.
Once you or your child has painted the first pumpkin, chances are you’ll want to paint an entire pumpkin family to proudly display at your home.
Pumpkin Painting is an annual family tradition at our house. We hope it will be at yours as well.