Halloween is a fun time to decorate, make scarecrows, go costume shopping, go pumpkin picking and of course carving them! Carving pumpkins with your family or friends is a very fun activity that you can do at almost any age. They can also be a recipe for disaster if not handled properly. Here are some safety tips to make sure you avoid any injury:

• Carve in a clean, dry, well-lit area: any moisture can cause slipping that can lead to injuries
• Use the right tools: you can buy a pumpkin carving kit to help you, the tools are generally smaller which makes them easier to control. There is also ones that are specially made for kids to use
• Always have adult supervision: just in case anything happens and to help you with the carving if you need it
• Point the blade away: so that if your hand slips, you are less likely to get hurt
• Saw, don’t slice: gently saw through the pumpkin and go slowly
• Watch your hands and others’: be aware of where everyone’s free hands are when carving
• When illuminating your carved pumpkin: candles can be a fire hazard, so a safer option is to use a battery operated light

A great alternative to carving pumpkins, it painting on them. This might be a good idea if you have younger kids in the household and are nervous about them carving. Painting pumpkins is also fun because you can make the pumpkin look like anything you want! And it can be less time-consuming than carving. You can use stencils to help you if you’re not that good at painting. Or, if you’re more on the creative side you can let your creative juices flow and free hand it!

However you decide to make your pumpkin come alive this Halloween, we hope you have a safe and fun time doing it! If you think your pumpkin looks awesome you can enter it in this contest to win, or find one close to home! Also, here are some free pumpkin carving patterns.