Halloween is over and Spooky Season has come to a close. While most Halloween décor gets packed up and stored for another year, pumpkins are not so lucky.

I’ve always wondered what alternatives there are to throwing out the jack-o-lantern. There has to be a better use for it than just taking it to the transfer station or throwing it out. Turns out there are a ton of different options! From smashing the pumpkin to pumpkin bowling, it turns out there are plenty of uses for that discarded jack-o-lantern.

• Roast The Seeds

  How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

  Save the seeds from your pumpkins this year and make roasted pumpkin seeds for a healthy, crunchy snack. If you're carving a Jack-O-Lantern, then don't waste the goodness inside, follow this easy step-by-step guide, and you'll be rewarded with a special treat!

• Make Pumpkin Bread

  The Ultimate Pumpkin Bread Recipe

  If Starbucks could make pumpkin bread this good I might actually support them. Then again, they can't. This pumpkin bread recipe made from fresh pumpkin is silly easy and the results will shock you seeing that it only uses a handful of everyday ingredients.

• Make a PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte)

  The Best Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

  How to make the best pumpkin spice latte at home with pumpkin puree, coffee, milk, and fall spices. Better than store-bought! Jump to the Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe The moment Fall hits, we rush to our local coffee shop and order a pumpkin spice latte.

• Smash Them!

  Smashing Pumpkins: A Cultural History of a Halloween Tradition - Modern Farmer

  I was born on Halloween. My grandfather moonlighted as a pumpkin farmer. Early in October every year, my two younger brothers and I would pull the fattest, roundest pumpkins we could find straight from the field, and flaunt them on our front porch - it was my Halloween birthright, after all.

  Looking to blow off a little steam? Need to burn off that sugar rush from eating all the kids candy? Pumpkin smashing is a Halloween Tradition dating back over a hundred years.

  “By the end of the 20th century, pumpkin smashers had inserted themselves as Halloween mainstays.” – Modern Farmer

• Compost It

  How to compost pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns | HappySprout

  Jack-o-lanterns and other types of decorative pumpkins are a fun part of the season, but what do you do with them when the season ends, or when they start to look less than fresh? In some areas, you can set discarded pumpkins with your yard waste for the city to collect, but if you're looking for a more eco-friendly option then why not compost them?

• Feed The Wildlife

  Reusing Pumpkins For Wildlife - What To Do With Leftover Pumpkins

  It isn't too far off, and once autumn and Halloween is over, you may find yourself wondering what to do with the leftover pumpkins. If they have begun to rot, composting is the best bet, but if they are still fairly fresh, you can put out the leftover pumpkins for wildlife.

  A smashed pumpkin is perfect for wildlife! Leave it outside and watch the birds and deer finish it off.

• Bury It

  Why You Should Bury Your Pumpkin After Halloween

  Halloween is nearly here, but when the time comes, you'll need to stash that spooky decor. That includes your carved pumpkin. But should you just toss that jack-o-lantern in the trash? No! You should bury your pumpkins!

  If you don’t have an established composter, burying your pumpkin is an excellent choice! Over time the pumpkin will decompose and enrich the surrounding soil. Besides… the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” comes to mind.

• Use It As A Planter

  Jack o Planterns

  This is a fun Halloween project for gardeners! It's silly and quirky, and it puts a smile on everyone's face. Turn your Jack-o-Lantern into a Jack-o-PLANTern this year for a fun garden therapy project using these simple DIY instructions. Making your own is a really simple project.

  This is a perfect way to bring out your creative side while making the perfect fall planter!

• Donate It To A Zoo or Farm

  Welcome - Pumpkins For Pigs

  Our mission is to match pigs (and other pumpkin-eating animals) with un-carved, non-inked/non-painted pumpkins to prevent them from being thrown in the landfill. They are excellent feed and a wonderful treat to the animals on the farms and sanctuaries. They also make great compost.

  No farm near you? Donate it to a local community garden!

• Pumpkin Pie

  Perfect Pumpkin Pie

  We have over 130 recipes for homemade pumpkin pie here at Allrecipes, but this recipe takes the cake (or pie) with over 2,600 five-star ratings. And it's proof that a good recipe doesn't necessarily need to be a complicated one - you get a great result with canned pumpkin puree and store-bought pie crust.

  With Friendsgiving on the horizon, and Thanksgiving after that, making a pie is the perfect way to use up any pumpkins you have! Or, if you don’t want to wait, who is to say you can’t make a pumpkin pie just for fun…

   

• Pumpkin Bowling

  How to Play Pumpkin Bowling | eHow.com

  Whether you are staging a fall festival, Halloween party or a family fun night, bowl everyone over with a round of pumpkin bowling. This game consists of rolling a pumpkin into ghostly pins. Putting all of the pieces together is simple and components are easy to find.

  Looking for a family bonding experience? Look no further! By setting up some empty two litter bottles or paper towel rolls,  you can make the perfect at home bowling ally. Use the pumpkin like a bowling ball and try and knock down the pins!

• Plant The Seeds

  How to Prepare and Plant Fresh Pumpkin Seeds in the Garden

  The easy process of preparing and planting pumpkin seeds from a freshly carved or sliced pumpkin for growing in the garden. Fresh pumpkin seeds saved from a batch of homemade puree make a delicious snack. They also grow quite readily if you clean them up and plant them in your garden!

  If you have your own pumpkin patch there is no reason to get dressed up in matching outfits and drive forty five minutes for a photo shoot when you can just do it at home!

Ayla Brown is the morning show host on “Country Mornings with Ayla Brown” from 5:30-9:00am. You can read the rest of her blogs here

Country Mornings with Ayla Brown

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