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For many families Halloween is a time of tradition. Taking the children out trick or treating after spending all day making their costumes. Many families have a party or a haunted house every Halloween. No matter what your traditions are there is one that almost every family stays with, carving a pumpkin. Here are a few ideas on how to make that tradition easy and fun filled for the whole family.

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The pumpkin patch or your local grocery stores are the best places to find just the pumpkin. Take your children and spend some time looking for the right ones. Kids enjoy looking at all the different shapes and sizes of pumpkins. Talk with them about how they want to carve their pumpkin and the look they would like their pumpkin to have. Then together you can find just the right one to fit their ideas.

Start by removing the top of your pumpkin. This can be a little tricky. Be sure to cut deep enough to be able to remove the top with out any problems. Also try to cut it slightly at an angle. This will prevent the top from falling in when placed back on the pumpkin.

In removing the seeds and pulp an ice cream dipper works very well. Most kids love to do this messy job. If you have child who wants to do it but they are a little upset over the feel of the pulp give them household gloves to wear. This will keep them clean and they can still enjoy the fun of it.

Next comes the face of the pumpkin. Let your children design their pumpkin face on a piece of paper first. Using a pencil to do this is a good idea. They can design, erase and design again this way. Once they have the design on paper then they can use the pencil to put the design on the pumpkin. This will aid in the actual carving of the pumpkin face.

Now for the carving of your child's pumpkin. Be sure to use a very sharp knife. A dull knife is dangerous and can cause a lot of frustration. Older children should be able to help with this. If you have younger children you will want to do the actual carving for them.

Once the pumpkin is carved you can place either a regular candle or a battery-operated candle in the pumpkin. Your children will enjoy seeing their pumpkin lit up every night and the ghostly shadows it will leave on the walls or outside of the house. Carving the Jack O Lantern can be a fun and exciting family tradition.