Once my children were old enough to stop Trick-or-Treating, I dispensed with Halloween with a sigh of relief. Although it might not be on the top of my holiday list, that doesn’t mean others shouldn’t enjoy. Here’s some ideas for a greener Halloween:
- Use reusable bags – Instead of a molded plastic pumpkin, use cloth or canvas shopping bags, even pillow cases will do the trick. You can decorate your own blank canvas bags with non-toxic paints.
- Make your own costumes – Instead of buying costumes and disposing of them after being used once, prowl thrift stores and yard sales for inexpensive costume materials or trade costumes with other families.
- Face paint – Skip the face paint kits at the costume store. Use organic makeup for a healthier alternative.
- Walk instead of driving – Trick-or-Treat in your own neighborhood and you’ll save gas as well as reduce pollution. And don’t be the parent who slowly follows your children in your idling car, while your children walk from house to house. Walk with your children, you’ll have a better time and so will they. You can also check to see if there are Halloween parties at schools, churches or community centers.
- Give greener treats or avoid candy altogether – Green Halloween has an abundance of alternatives.
- Make your Halloween party eco-friendly – Use email for invites, reusable plates, cups, utensils and napkins. Keep the trash out of our nation’s landfills. Use materials for Halloween decorations that can be recycled, such as bedsheets for ghosts.
- Keep Halloween clean – Teach your children not to litter. Take along an extra bag to pick up trash you might see as you Trick or Treat.
Need more ideas?
- Yahoo Green Picks: Buy safe candy this Halloween.
- Green Halloween - It doesn’t have to be all about the candy. Think outside the candy box.
- National Geographic’s Green Guide: Low Impact Trick or Treating - Get the scoop on Halloween makeup whose ingredients won’t scare you.
- Stop Global Warming.org’s This Halloween, Think Green - Ten tips for an earth-friendly holiday.
Related Post: Website of the Day: Green Halloween
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Welcome to Verda Vivo. My name is Daryl Warner Laux.
Here in Goldendale the merchants have started a new tradition called Trunk or Treat. A well lighted portion of Main Street is blocked off and cars back in with their trunks open and full of treats and decorations. The Golden Art Gallery participates with open doors and a couple of members on the sidewalk to greet the costumed kids with treats. This is a very safe family oriented way of celebrating the night and whole families come by to enjoy it. Other stores open their doors and join in the fun with photo ops and franks and more treats. A pumpkin carving contest is a big hit too.
Good ideas. We have always done home made costumes and keep a box of unusual clothing items just for the occasion.
Great ideas … thanks for getting me thinking. We are doing very low-impact costumes this year.
I love the idea of Trunk or Treat and bet it’s fun for both parents and children. I found some great suggestions for easy costume ideas – http://justshootmenow.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/easy-and-frugal-halloween-costume-and-makeup-ideas/
Great ideas. We have been using the same reusable candy catcher that I made for the past 3 years. My son loves it.
since when do parents follow their trick or treating kids in their cars?? that’s so lazy! am i that out of the loop that i have never heard of this? haha
Corinne, Crazy, isn’t it? I’ve seen it with my own eyes and guess parents figure that the goal is to get the most candy. In one neighborhood where I lived parents would truck their children in because the houses were closer together. It made for a bigger haul. ~ Daryl