It really didn't take very long for us to learn that our kids didn't really enjoy the whole process of gutting a whole pumpkin, or getting their hands dirty! So years ago we started painting pumpkins. The kids really enjoy it and unlike a carved pumpkin where at some point they have to hand it over to Brandon or I to finish, painted pumpkins they get full ownership of. Below is an example of one of Kira's abstract pumpkins from a previous year.