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when can I plant pumpkin seeds?

I will be turning a garden of mine into a pumpkin patch for my 2 daughters.It is a good size and I want to be able to have my oldest(who is 5)plant her and her baby sister seeds to grow each a pumpkin come Halloween. When can I start to do this?Any suggestions as to which kind to purchase?Thanks.

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1. It all depends on where you live,but just about anywhere in the continental U.S you could start them indoors in a sunny window and transplant them outside after all danger of frost has passed.You can find decent varities at any home and garden store.
2. You should plant them in a well drained, rich loamy soil that gets plenty of sun shine. If you plant the smaller Pie Pumpkin style, allow about 4 ft. circle for each hill. Allow about six feet for each hill if you plant the large Field Pumpkin style. The type of pumpkin you plant should depend on your girls ages. You don't want them to have a pumpkin that weighs more than they do. Pie pumpkins are usually about the size of a basket ball and can be used for Jack O Lanterns too. Plus you can cook and eat any extras you grow. Planting time is a week before the normal last frost for your area. Google for the Agriculture Zone Maps for your town to find out when to plant. Plant about 4 or 5 seeds to each hill. Make a ring around the hill using slug bait as slugs love pumpkin and squash seedlings when they first sprout and will eat them if you don't protect them. Keep the soil damp, and fertilize heavily when they flower and again mid way through summer.
3. If you're going to plant seeds, these take about 120 days from germination to ripe fruit. So, going backward from Halloween, you would be looking at around the middle to end of June to plant. If you're planting seedlings, take off an extra couple weeks and plant around the end of June to the middle of July.