Decorating Mini Pumpkins with Paint Sticks: An Easy Fall Activity

One thing that I have fully embraced about parenting is that different seasons of life allow for different levels of intricate activities… and right now, I am all about EASY activities!  That’s why I had to share my favorite new way that we’ve been decorating mini pumpkins this month, and I know you’ll want to try it with your little ones: using paint sticks!

Not only is this a fun and easy way to decorate mini pumpkins, it’s also an excellent process art activity.  You can read more about why I love process art here!

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• Mini pumpkins
• Paint sticks in a variety of colors (we love Kwik Stix)
• Optional embellishments: glitter, googly eyes, stickers, etc. (Note: we didn’t use any extras besides some colorful tape.  I told you, we’re keeping it simple!)
• Paper towels or a protective surface (I cut open a pizza box and used that underneath our pumpkins!)

• No need for water or brushes, making them ideal for younger children.
• Quick drying time allows for less mess and faster decorating.
• Easy clean-up compared to traditional paints.
• Provide vibrant colors that work well on pumpkin surfaces.
• Bonus: They wash off the pumpkins so that you can do the whole activity over again, if you want to!

This activity was so simple but such a hit with my 5-year-old as well as my 20-month-old.  I set the girls up at the table with a large piece of cardboard (cut from a pizza box) under each of their pumpkins, to minimize any mess.

Both girls got right to work decorating their pumpkins! Ruthie (my 20-month-old) didn’t actually get a whole lot of paint on her pumpkin, but she also didn’t care.  She was thrilled to be part of the fun!

And Ella (my 5-year-old) tried out a few ideas on her pumpkin, and was able to wipe away mistakes before they dried using a wet paper towel.

After the girls finished decorating their pumpkins, we extended the fun in two different ways: they used the paint sticks to decorate their cardboard boxes, and they also used some colorful tape to add to their artwork.

Paint sticks are washable, which is amazing for lots of reasons – and one of those reasons is that you can wash your pumpkins off and paint them all over again, if you so choose!

I kept this activity very open-ended with my girls, but if you need some ideas for how to decorate your pumpkins, give these a try!

• Halloween Faces: Create spooky, silly, or cute pumpkin faces.
• Fall Patterns: Paint autumn leaves, swirls, or harvest-themed designs.
• Character Pumpkins: Turn your pumpkin into a favorite character with some creative details.

• The paint sticks that we used are safe and non-toxic.  Make sure that you are using safe materials with your little ones, and of course, always supervise carefully!
• Use mini pumpkins with smooth surfaces for the best painting results.
• Paint sticks do tend to make thick lines. If the paint sticks seem too thick for detail work, you could try using a small brush to apply the paint from the stick.

There is SO much more fun to be had learning about pumpkins!  You can start by checking out some of these wonderful books:

• You’re My Little Pumpkin Pie by Nicola Edwards
• Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie by Jill Esbaum 
• The Perfect Pumpkin Pie by Denys Cazet
• The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin by Stan & Jan Berenstain
• Pumpkins! by Hope Aicher 

You’ll also want to check out this fun preschool Halloween activity pack.

And finally, don’t miss out on this easy fall sensory bin (hint: it’s all about pumpkin pie), and these pumpkin life cycle activities!

Will you try this fun and easy method for decorating pumpkins?  If you do, I’d LOVE to hear about it!  Comment below or message me on Instagram to tell me about it!