Fall is my favorite time of year, and with it comes my favorite holiday - Halloween! Traditionally, Halloween has an orange and black theme, but this year, going green when it comes to shopping, planning costumes, passing out treats and throwing parties is all the rage. Here are a few tips for how to keep your Halloween green. Or, celebrating Hallogreen.... No? Okay. Sorry.
1. D.I.Y. Costumes - Instead of shelling out $50 at the Disney store for a crappy, unimaginative costume, challenge kids to make their own this year. Whether they choose to keep it simple or go hog-wild, your local Goodwill or Salvation Army store is guaranteed to have everything they'll need to look fabulous (some thrift stores even have Halloween departments this time of year).
2. Give Earth-Friendly Treats - Organic and fair trade chocolate, cookies and candy available everywhere these days, and the Farmer's Market is an excellent source of locally made goodies (I'm going with honey sticks this year). I have no problem being the mom who hands out organic apples in lieu of candy, but if you do, hit up the dollar store for funky stickers, erasers, pencils or tattoos.
4. Skip the trick-or-treating - The sugar, the food coloring, the aimless staggering around the neighborhood... who needs it? Invite friends over instead! Serve seasonal, organic food on Halloween-themed dishes instead of paper plates (again, the Goodwill is an excellent resource here). Bob for apples, make spooky masks out of recycled paper or cardboard (have plenty of glitter, googly eyes, feathers, ribbons, markers and paint on hand), have a costume contest, a dance party and watch a spooky movie (The Nightmare Before Christmas can not be beat in terms of scary, silly fun).
4. Keep It Clean - Bring a reusable bag trick-or-treating with you, and teach your kids that wrappers, trash and other waste belong in the garbage can, not on the streets of your neighborhood. Offer a special reward to your kids as an incentive to go out and pick up trash/wrappers the day after.
5. Partake in a Progressive Party - Build up your community by suggesting a "progressive party" on your street. Each house serves a treat (pumpkin pie, baked apples, popcorn balls) and organizes a kid-friendly activity (limbo, cake walk, scarecrow building contest). Spend 20-30 minutes at each house. Who says Halloween has to be all about candy?
Part of being green is focusing on people instead of stuff, so try to decrease the amount of things you need to buy this Halloween, and increase the focus on having fun, being with friends, and celebrating the season. And don't forget to tell me how it goes!
