Carving Pumpkins Safely

Carving pumpkins for Halloween sounds like good, old-fashioned fun, but it can be hard work and sometimes a little risky. Here are some tips to help you:

Carving pumpkins is messy so it’s better to work outside. Set up a temporary workbench on the lawn because pumpkin pulp is slippery and if you let it fall on the path or patio someone will slip on it, for sure.

Of course carving pumpkins involves the use of cutting tools, such as knives, so when you’ve finished, make sure you put all your carving tools away so that children don’t come across them

As carved pumpkins begin to rot which can happen quite rapidly on hot days followed by cool damp nights, the issue of their slipperiness again becomes a cause for concern. Make sure you don’t leave them in places where they may leak and leave a slippery trail to trip up the postman!

When we’ve carved a pumpkin we want to illuminate it to make it glow eerily. Candles are usually used, but any open flame poses a fire hazard, so if you’re using candles: don't leave them unattended; remove any nearby dry leaves etc, so there'll be less material around to blow into your lantern and catch fire; steps or decking during trick or treat, as visiting children may have flapping, flammable costumes. A safer option for illuminating carved pumpkins is to use glow sticks which have the added advantage of being waterproof. They can be bought in party supply stores - to activate them, bend them to break the internal capsule.

Carving Pumpkins Safely

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