1. They could be decoupaged with decorative tissue paper and /or scooped out and flowers made out of paper by the children put in with the pumpkin as a vase. Paper flowers could be mixed with turkeys and pumpkins and haystacks and other seasonal things.
2. They could be carved or decorated to look like a little house. I don't have as clear vision for this idea.
Kathy

Thanks Kathy, decoupaging is a great idea. That is definitely something a 1st or 2nd grader could do. The carving sounds good too but because of their ages we try to stay away from the cutting and carving.
Cathy

Our school had the kids decorate pumpkins as a book character for Halloween. They just used paints.

Have you ever been to an egg drop where the kids make a container for a raw egg to try to keep it from breaking when you drop it off of the roof of a building? It's fun and kids love it. You could have a pumpkin drop instead.