With squeals and giggles, Spring Hill first-graders on Wednesday afternoon turned plain pumpkins into fancy Jack-o'-lanterns.
The students of Monica Verner's class got to scoop out pumpkin seeds and pulp and choose designs. Verner and adult volunteers did the actual carving, which ranged from traditional smiling faces to bats and skulls.
|
Les Hassell/News-Journal Photo | | Hunter Taylor, Erin Bryant, and Makayla Shaw prepare a pumpkin to be carved Wednesday during Monica Verner's class at Spring Hill Primary School. |
|
|
|
"This is a fun thing for the kids," Verner said. "It gives them an opportunity to get messy and participate in something they might not all get a chance to do at home."
Some of the students made faces and shook goo off their hands as they encountered slimy pumpkin flesh; their more adventurous classmates took advantage of the situation to mold the stringy mash into shapes. Three or four children and an adult worked on each pumpkin, most of which were donated.
"We're going to make ours look all smiley, like the Jack-o'-lantern on my shirt," said Kylie Mashburn, 6, who was working on a pumpkin with her mother and two classmates.
Anna Grace Hammer, 7, was using paper cups and spoons to shape the pumpkin pulp into a tower.
"I'm making a castle, like a sand castle, except with pumpkin stuff," she said.
Anna's grandmother, Jan Hammer, said she enjoyed the opportunity to be involved in her granddaughter's school day.
"This is something new for me, but she asked me to come have lunch with her and stay for the pumpkin carving," Hammer said. "It's fun seeing all the kids get so excited."
