"Green" Halloween ideas

[GreenKiddie]

Hiya,

With just a couple of weeks to go, there is enough time to prepare for Halloween. And to think about how to give it some eco twist, without missing out all the fun. Here are some tips on having a “green” Halloween – from Trick-or-Treating to hosting a Halloween party for the neighbour kids.

Pumpkin
There is no Halloween without pumpkins. Organic ones are the way to go. Use your imagination to carve it. Wash pumpkin seeds in water and air-dry the seeds by spreading them out on a screen or paper-towels. Place dried seeds outside for bird feed – they’ll love it! You can also grow your own organic pumpkins in your children’s garden. If you decide to buy one, purchase just one pumpkin per household. Although pumpkins might seem like decoration only, pumpkins are a food crop for both humans and animals and to throw out millions of pumpkins each year is excessive and unnecessary.

Costumes
Rent a costume, or borrow from a friend, rather than buying a new one. You can also pass on your older costumes to someone else’s kids. Crafts time? – Why don’t you try and make new costumes out of old dresses and sheets you have almost forgotten in your wardrobe? Here is an idea for a Pumpkin costume: http://www.greenkiddie.co.uk/Halloween.php

[StillSingingMom]

Uhhh... thanks.

But we get a pumpkin for each child, and sometimes more. Although pumpkins may be a food crop, the variety grown for decoration are not all that suitable for eating. Also, ours are not thrown out. They are composted.

Putting out pumpkin seeds for the birds would actually feed rats here. We are not sufficiently green to want to encourage the rat population.

We also buy new costumes, and put them in the dress up bin. We wouldn't dream of renting a costume for a child- rental costumes tend to be much more elaborate and expensive than children's costumes, and we can't afford to be charged for ruining a valuable costume.

[SarahFae]

Toast your pumpkin seeds and sprinkle them with a yummy mixture of spices (i.e. garlic salt, nutmeg, whatever you want, I like the popcorn butter salt on them). Great snack and a long shelf life (3 months room temp or 1 year refrigerated).

[carpju]

Thank you very much for this awesome ideas. I only bought one and I will definitely try to feed the seeds to the birds. I also think that they will love it. This year I have planned to make a new costume out of my old one. I hope this will work out. I guess I will celebrate a green Halloween.

Happy Halloween to everybody.