Awareness of lowering impact of holidays has been growing. There are several years of eco Halloween tips available online, so I’ve gathered some of the best I’ve seen.
Treats
I’m not that impressed by the idea of organic candy. The problem isn’t so much the organic or the fair trade (good issues, but not the important ones when it comes to children). How to avoid the sugar and processed foods route altogether? Giving out homemade treats doesn’t always work, since a lot of parents will throw out anything that isn’t prepackaged. I’m hoping you’ll tell me.
- Crayons made in Halloween-shaped molds. From Inhabitat.
- If candy, then eco candy (if that isn’t a contradiction). From Green Scout Report.
Treat Bags
Reusable, of course. I’ve seen some gorgeous Halloween bags. Easy choice, great looking. Done.
- Decorate an old laundry soap container before you recycle it. This dinosaur carrier from Celebrations.com.
Food
Rather than focusing on the frosting and the food coloring, how about beautiful, natural treats. Last year, we had hot soup in bread bowls at my cousin’s house before hauling the kids out to walk through the neighborhood. It’s harvest, and the food should reflect YOUR harvest.
- Eco kids’ food. From EcoBites.com.
Costumes
Reuse, simplify, be more creative than hag in a bag or commercial character costumes. This seems like an easy one for me because I’ve been working on it for several years and my children are on board. My son made a scythe from sticks, and my daughter gathered grasses for a witches broom. From other parents I know that this is their tough issue.
- Eco-friendly Halloween costumes. From Eco Child’s Play.
Make Up
The potentially carcinogenic ingredients in some make up are scary. A cloth mask just over eyes or a breathable mask over the nose will do for most (some experts say this is a no-no), but what if your daughter really, really needs to have green skin?
- Homemade green skin make up video. From Thread Banger.
- More on safe face paint for children. From Eco Child’s Play.
Pumpkins
We (accidentally) grew our own pumpkins this year, so I want to eat them. Because of this, we are painting rather than carving our pumpkins. The pumpkin tradition started to protect the light, though, and these pumpkins won’t be lit, so it’s a compromise. I see a lot of mandates to buy organic, but I would probably focus on the local first. Pumpkins are heavy. If you can avoid transporting over a long haul, this is good.
- Eco Halloween Pumpkins. From Daily Eco Tips
Decorations
Do you have costumes that are too small for your children but haven’t been spoken for by others? Scarecrow. One of our old costumes is in front of our house with a giant rock that has been made into a tombstone. No crows so far, so it must be working.
As I’m surrounded by a lawn full of red and orange leaves, I wonder why anyone would paint anything orange during this season. String leaves as you might for a holiday tree. Drape the stringed leaves around the windows and doors.
- Halloween decorations for any style, any budget. From Eco Women.
Lighting
Shake or crank flashlight. Shaking and cranking are jobs that belong to kids.
- Hand-powered kids’ flashlights. From Green Halloween.
Tip Lists
- Eco Huddle
- Etsy Finds from Bliss Tree
- Healthy Child Healthy World
- Nature Moms
- Stop Global Warming
Image © James Steidl | Dreamstime.com
Thanks for the links to EcoHuddle, Inhabitots, and Blisstree Green – I write for all of them – oddly enough 🙂 Nice round up too of Halloween tips!
Jennifer, nice list of blogs to write for.
As I see similar tips come up often, I wonder if a new commonsense will emerge and most parents will just KNOW how to lower the impact of their holidays.