Halloween Safety Tips for Decorating Pumpkins

After the kids decide on their Halloween costumes, carving and decorating pumpkins are usually next on the holiday checklist.

• Parents should always cut the top off the pumpkin and carve it. Let the kids do the gooey work of scooping out the pumpkin seeds and pulp. Have the kids draw a design on the pumpkin for a parent to carve out.
• Make kids aware of any fire issues should you have a lit candle in the pumpkin. For example, don't pick up a pumpkin with an illuminated candle inside, and don't stick your little fingers in the face holes or top of a Jack-O-Lantern.
• Be sure to place a pumpkin with a lit candle in a safe place on a sturdy surface. Set it up high if you have pets or young children and always place it away from curtains or flammable items.
• Consider a battery-operated votive light that looks like a candle. For real candles, choose a small votive candle in a holder as opposed to a taper candle that could tip over inside the pumpkin.
• If your young child wants to create his or her Halloween pumpkin without any help, suggest techniques that do not involve knives, such as drawing on the pumpkin with markers or gluing jewels, feathers, and similar adornments to the pumpkin's surface.