Smashing Pumpkins

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Smashing pumpkins was our Monday night activity this week. The local farmers market was giving away thousands, literally, of gourds and pumpkins that were getting old and rotten. So we stocked up and grabbed a few dozen of them to play with at home. Now for those out there that will say it is a waste of food or resources, all the smashed food is highly enjoyed by the squirrels, deer and other animals in the woods behind our house.

As the party began we gathered the material needed, a large hammer and a small hammer for all Tanners smashing needs. While Tanner and mom were setting up I worked on building a small fire in our pit to help keep us warm since winter is quickly approaching. Once everything was set up and ready to go, the slow motion camera was turned on and Tanner went to town. The smile on his face was so large that his lips touched his ears. He has been asking us since Halloween ended to smash pumpkins. We did so with the rotten ones we carved, but he wanted to break into our small decorative ones. So once we noticed Janoskis was giving away free pumpkins and gourds we grabbed a bunch and set aside an evening to let him create chaos.

Our boy smashed roughly 10 gourds and pumpkins Monday night, each time he swung his hammer like Thor with the intent to pummel them. This boy was so happy the entire time as well, shouting with joy, smiling ear to ear and showing expressions through his body of excitement. He was in awe of the way the pumpkins erupted and split. It was truly enjoyable to see how much excitement something so simple brought this five year old. Made us happy as parents to watch.

When the chaos of smashing was complete, then the onslaught of chucking all the remaining bits into the woods was next. He cleaned up the yard and wreckage by tossing all the large chunks down into the woods for the animals. He made a game of it, it's impressive how creative a five year old can be. He was aiming for certain targets as he threw pieces, he was throwing them backwards, and even trying to smash them on the large rock by our hillside. The fun for him did not stop until we totally cleaned up and went inside. This will be an activity we revisit in the years to come and will try to find new ways to smash pumpkins as the kids get older and understand safety a bit better. If you have young ones and need an activity for them, smashing pumpkins in any manner is a fun time for kids and parents alike. I would be lying if I did not tell you all that I smashed a few myself and enjoyed every second of it.