By Samuetta Hill Drew
October ushers in many traditional fall social activities. Annual fall social events range from high school/university homecoming football games with all the myriad festivities associated with it to Halloween parties and trick or treating.
The new safety series for October will focus on safety tips for activities usually linked to Halloween. We will begin this series with an article about pumpkin carving safety measures.
Pumpkins are all around us in October. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Pumpkins can be purchased at local grocery stores, farmer markets, large retail stores like Sam’s, Walmart, etc. Many families choose to spend a weekend afternoon at their local farmer’s pumpkin patch to ride on rides, eat typically carnival/fair type foods and enjoy the main event – selecting a pumpkin out of the patch to purchase for home.
People use these pumpkins to decorate their homes and lawns as well as cooking up tasty pies and treats. Yes, pumpkins play a huge role in fall activities and one such activity is making Jack-O-Lanterns by carving faces into pumpkins. People carve happy faces, funny faces and scary faces. Pumpkin carving has become a fun art form and has even turned into a competition.
Regardless of your favorite type of face carving on your pumpkin, there are some basic safety measures that should be used to safeguard from possible injuries. Here are few safety pumpkin carving safety tips:
- The first safety tip is to leave pumpkin carving to adults. Carving knives or tools are very sharp. The children can trace the facial design on the pumpkin and scoop out the insides. Note, some children may not enjoy scooping out the pumpkin’s insides because it is pretty wet and slimy, where others will love it.
- The second safety tip is to avoid using flames inside of carved pumpkins. It is best to use battery operated lights or glow sticks.
- The last safety tip is for parents to avoid pumpkin carving altogether if you have very young children. You may consider decorating your pumpkin with markers or paint.
Turning your pumpkin into a Jack-O-Lantern can be a fun activity for an individual, couples, friends and/or family. The number one rule to help you Keep an Eye on Safety is put safety first.
