Halloween for kids Pumpkin carving ideas Surprised face
Surprised pumpkin face carving idea
Ages 6+ · about 1 hour
A surprised pumpkin face is two round eyes and a round open mouth. Circles are easy to draw by tracing around a cup, and a grown-up cuts them by turning the pumpkin slowly while sawing.
What you need
- A pumpkin
- The blank pumpkin stencil, or paper
- Two cups or bottle caps of different sizes, and a marker
- A big spoon
- Tape and a pushpin
- A small pumpkin saw (for the grown-up)
- A battery tea light
How to make it
- Trace the circlesOn the blank stencil, your kid traces around a small cup twice for the eyes and a bigger cup for the mouth. Two short, thick curves above the eyes make eyebrows.
- Open it (grown-up)A grown-up cuts a lid around the stem with the knife angled toward the middle, so the lid sits on a ledge and doesn't fall in.
- Scoop it outYour kid scoops out the seeds and strings with a big spoon, then scrapes the inside of the front until the wall is about 2 cm (1 inch) thick.
- Trace the designTape the paper to the front and poke along each circle with the pushpin. Peel it off.
- Carve (grown-up)A grown-up saws each circle in small strokes, turning the pumpkin instead of the saw. Eyes first, mouth last.
- Light itPut a battery tea light inside and put the lid back on. It is safer than a candle, and the pumpkin lasts longer.
Tips by age
For younger kids
Kids love tracing around cups. Let them try different sizes until the face looks surprised enough.
For older kids
Make the eyes look in one direction by adding a round pupil that stays uncut inside each eye. Pin it in place with a toothpick.
More ideas like this
Your kid's monster
Three eyes, uneven teeth: the face your kid draws is the design, wobbly lines and all.
Ghost
One rounded shape with a face: pin the cut-out eyes back in with toothpicks.
Black cat
A sitting cat cut out of the side. The stencil keeps the ears and tail thick.
On Kubrio, your kid can build a monster in Monster Maker and use its face as the design for the pumpkin.