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CHOOSING THE RIGHT pumpkin to carve for Halloween is an important task. It will be much easier to locate a commercial grower in the area or visit one of the many roadside stands that appear in the days just before Halloween.
Be careful not to choose a pumpkin that is bruised, cracked or has a broken stem. And don't carve your pumpkin any sooner than a day or two before Halloween to make sure it lasts longer.

CARVING TIPS
Consider the size and shape of your pumpkin before carving. Round pumpkins are good for making happy faces, while tall, thin pumpkins are best for scary expressions because there's plenty of room at the bottom for a big mouth with lots of teeth. Draw your pumpkin's face on paper first. Then you can either copy the drawing onto the front of the pumpkin using a water-based marker, or simply fasten the paper onto the pumpkin and carve into the paper.
Begin by carving the lid: Cut the lid at an angle so the outside diameter is larger than the inside. By doing this, you'll be sure that the top won't fall into the pumpkin. Make sure that your hand can easily fit through the lid opening so that you can scoop out the insides of the pumpkin. Clean out the pulp and seeds. This messy job can be done with a large spoon or with your hands. Place newspaper underneath the pumpkin to avoid a messy clean-up. Save the seeds for cooking.

CARVING SAFETY
Carve away from yourself, keeping part of the knife blade in the pumpkin. Use slow, steady, sawlike strokes. It is easier to carve the features in the middle of the pumpkin first and slowly work outward. For areas with a lot of detail, cut with an X-Acto knife. To make circles and curves, use the tip of a potato peeler. You can remove carved areas by either pushing them into or out of the pumpkin. By stabbing a chunk with a toothpick, you can pull it away from the pumpkin. Be sure that the holes are large enough to provide air for the candle flame. Finally, create a flattened area in the bottom for a candle.

ROASTING OR FRYING THE SEEDS
After removing the seeds from the pumpkin, wash them thoroughly and let them dry on paper towels for a day. Put one tablespoon of cooking oil in a bowl, add two cups of dried seeds, and toss them until they are coated with the oil. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet, and bake them at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes to one hour. Stir them every 15 minutes while they're baking.
To fry the seeds, place one tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, add the seeds, and cook over medium heat until they begin to swell and pop. Add salt to taste.

FUN FACT
The largest pumpkin on record in the United States weighed 990 lbs., big enough to make over 400 pumpkin pies.

What would Halloween be without a party? Here are some theme parties, decorations and activities to include:

Barnyard Bash
Invitations: Cut out animal shapes on construction paper and write the party information on these. Hand deliver to your guests.
Decorations: bales of hay, bunches of dried cornstalks, autumn leaves, pumpkins, gourds, dried corn cobs. Serve food in western bandanas attached to sticks. Be sure to make a scarecrow. Carved out pumpkins make great serving dishes or chip bowls.

Witches, Wizards and Goblins
Invitations: Buy several cheap plastic magic wants. Print out invitations on white paper with important information. Scroll up around want. Tie with orange and black ribbon. Hand deliver to guests.
Decorations: String Christmas lights around the entrance way. Hang silver and gold stars through out the party area. Mylar gold and silver balloons can also be hung. Cut out ghost shapes in Mylar and hang. Glow-in-the-dark tape attached to walls, doors, lamps etc. is nice when lights are low. Grave markers can be made from Styrofoam sheets - use felt-tip markers to make inscription. Cats and Bats
Invitations: Cut out the shape of cats or bats in construction paper. Write important party info on these. Hand deliver to invited guests.
Decorations: Have guests enter through a cat door (place a dark blanket over half the doorway and let guests crawl through). Hang black crepe paper and cobwebs everywhere. Hang black silhouettes of cats and bats throughout the house. Black balloons are a nice touch. Monster Mash
Invitations: Buy inexpensive eye masks at party store. Write important party information on mask and hand deliver to guests.
Decorations: Bats hung everywhere! Make a coffin out of cardboard and leave at entrance way for kids jackets etc. to be placed inside. Hang black and green crepe paper or streamers. Nightmare at Haunted House
Invitations: Cut out tombstone shapes on construction paper. Write party info in the form of an epitaph. Hand deliver to guests.
Decorations: Hang spider webs, plastic insects, phony tombstones, ghosts, balloons, witches and bats. Use back and white candles (out of reach of children). Hang ghosts made from white pillow cases. Use white balloons with black eyes drawn on them with markers. Ask florist to save dead flowers and wreaths that would be thrown away. Create a headless heathen by stuffing old clothes with newspaper and prop up at front door. Dry ice makes a special affect at these parties.

1. Cut the top off of a cardboard milk carton and discard.
   
2. Cover the carton with black construction paper and tape at the back.
   
3. Cut a strip of white paper 3 inches wide and tape around the top over the black paper.
   
4. Draw a scary witch's face on the white paper. Glue on some yarn for the hair.
   
5. Make a cone-shaped witch's hat with black paper and glue to the top.
   
6. Cut out arms and hands from white paper. Cut out feet from black paper. Tape them to the witch.
   
7. Glue a popsickle stick to one of the witch's hands.
   
8. Cut out two small pieces of yellow paper and cut a fringe on the bottom. Glue one on each side of the end of the popsickle stick for the broom.
   
9. You can give these to your friends if you are having a Halloween party!