Its’ pumpkin carving time, folks, and while fake blood is cool—real blood isn’t.

That’s why we’d like you to save your emergency room deductible and carve a pumpkin safely.

Consumer Reports likes pumpkin carving kits that featured saw-like blades because they are less likely to stab into your soft, fleshy parts.

The pumpkin-carving kits we evaluated–which ran from about $6 to $15–eased some of those concerns. They contained tools that can saw through rind, poke holes, or scoop out the innards. One advantage of the sawlike tools is that they’re not razor-sharp, unlike many knives. Although various tools broke in our tests, the sawlike ones were judged less likely than regular knives to cause serious cuts to your hand.

The tools were generally small, which made them easier to control than a knife, and easier to use when making intricate cuts. Their small size may make it tempting to let children use them. But while safer than knives, they’re still potentially dangerous, particularly if you’re sawing or poking with lots of force. So pumpkin carving is probably best left to adults.

Instead, kids can draw a face on a pumpkin and clean out the innards.

A Sharpie pen makes a good tool for drawing on pumpkins, as the ink rubs off easily with a wet sponge. Have fun!

How to safely carve a pumpkin [Consumer Reports]
(Photo:AdamOndi)

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