we ll paint pumpkins and not carve them. this is something called washy kate and we got these in craft stores and it s simple tape and you can make cool patterns and plaids and great black and white stripes and it lasts outside in the weather and you can keep it all season long. don t have the mess. all right. this is one of my favorite ideas. painting pumpkins with metallic colors. yes, you want to spray paint them very rich colors. you can get silver or gold and the great thing about these is they shine in the night with candles but also, you can keep them around for thanksgiving. this is a fantastic idea. also want to mention just how safe that these types of activities are. if kids want to get involved and you don t have some big huge knife to carve them. that s right. no big knives is part of our message here. paint on templates. i know kids love to paint. my kids have painted pumpkins this year. but this actually gives you a guide to go around. this is so fun. so