It’s time to celebrate all things All-Hallow’s Eve and Curatedcare.com is bringing spooky magic to your door! This year book an at-home carving session and invite some Halloween fun into your afternoon or weekend. Our O.G. Kid Expert carver Katheryne P is back with her jack-o-lantern creation sessions! See our original profile on Katheryne P below! Also offering at-home carving sessions this year is artist in residence and kid guru Kelsey A!

Book Kelsey A for a carving session!

– includes one big pumpkin to carve, newspaper/table covering and trash bag for easy clean up, and trick and treat bag decorating! ($125) one hour

Book Katheryne P for a carving session!

– includes one big pumpkin to carve, newspaper/table covering and trash bag for easy clean up.  ($100) one hour

Meet Kid Expert and Pumpkin Carver Katheryne P!

By: Nicola mar

The only thing Katheryne loves more than theater (and Halloween!) is watching kids develop a love for it themselves! She has spent 11 years creating avenues for young children to expand their imaginations in a theatrical way through bedtime stories (complete with accents, props, and costumes), and filmmaking – having kiddos write, star in, and be able to view their very own movie. She believes art is love, which is why she has spent years perfecting her pumpkin carving skills! Katheryne loves all things Halloween and through October she is currently teaching kiddos how to carve and create their own jack-o’-lanterns! Find out more about Katheryne and what makes her a dynamic Kid Expert.

You’ve been booked for several pumpkin carvings with families. Can you tell us what your childhood experience is with all things Halloween?

My birthday is August 2nd and, as a kid, post birthday meant Halloween-time. My dad especially made the season very special with everything from Halloween books to Halloween cookie recipes to a Halloween gag where it looked like his finger was severed in a box (gross!). One of my favorite traditions was hanging white trash bag ghosts in our big tree in the front yard. My brothers and I would dress up every single year, and I don’t think any of us has missed an opportunity to dress up for Halloween yet. Each of us got very good at carving pumpkins over the years. My pumpkin faces were always on the cuter, happier side, while my brothers made theirs very scary (Jack Skellington was a popular face choice). My mom would make all kinds of delicious pumpkin seeds while my dad and I watched the Halloween episodes of Martha Stewart (she is VERY into Halloween and has many great tips and tricks). On the 31st our school would hold a Halloween carnival and I would work the face painting station. Later in the night we would head to my Aunt’s Halloween party and trick-or-treat on her street where the streets were swarmed with kids in amazing creative costumes. Halloween is the best!!

When you’re booked for a Curated Care pumpkin carving session, what is your process in terms of preparation/items you bring?

When I go to a pumpkin carving session, I’ll usually be wearing my witch hat to keep things spirited! I’ll bring my carving tools, newspaper to cover the workstation, and of course, a pumpkin! I’ll ask what kind of face or image is desired and then guide the kids through the process! The kids usually help draw the face, take out the seeds, and pop out the carved pieces while I do all the knife work. At the end, you get a spooky personalized Jack-O-Lantern!

How long have you been working with kids?

I’ve been working with kids for 11 years! I currently teach hip-hop, ballet, jazz, tap, and Broadway-style dance to kids ages 3-14. I also assistant direct for the Young Actor’s Workshop in which 50 kids learn and perform a musical in two weeks. Before I moved to New York I was in Frozen! Live at the Hyperion at Disneyland where I got to interact with sweet girls and boys singing and dancing in the aisles of the theater. So much fun!

Where are you from and what brought you to NYC?

I am originally from San Diego but moved to Los Angeles to study Musical Theater at UCLA. After six wonderful years in LA I moved to NYC to pursue bigger stages!

What has been the most rewarding part of being a Kid Expert at Curated Care?

When I do sessions with spirited kids, they remind me of why I fell in love with art in the first place. It is so wonderful to offer a child a creative avenue, and to watch them gain so much satisfaction from it!

Book Katheryne for a pumpkin carving experience HERE

Book Kelsey for a pumpkin carving experience HERE