Never Too Early for a (Green) Halloween

Thinking about Halloween early has its advantages:

1. You're sure to have the best-planned costume

1. The tips you learn from Green Halloween can be used all year round

New Dream has written about simplifying gift-giving holidays in our Simplify the Holidays booklet, and you can create an Alternative Gift Registry to manage all the material and non-material gifts you might want for any holiday or occasion. Halloween is one of those holidays that seems as though it doesn't need that much simplification: no gifts are exchanged, per se, and candy that is exchanged comes only at the price of some good old fashioned fun.  Where others see only ghosts and witches, Green Halloween founder Corey Colwell-Lipson saw an opportunity: If Halloween spending is in the billions (it topped an estimated $5.77 billion last year), then couldn't those funds go towards a greener, healthier holiday?

What began as a local initiative in Washington State has become a nationwide movement and a website with tips for parents, activities for kids, a blog and expert advice. The principles behind Green Halloween are just as applicable to parents trying to get kids through the summer months in a healthy, fun, and environmentally responsible way. Eating junk food at any time of the year comes at a price, and parents are always looking for activities that encourage kids to engage with the world in a fun yet thoughtful way.

The party tips on the Green Halloween site are equally applicable to any summer get-together, but if you're looking for something more appropriate to June, check out the Celebrate Green site for advice on how to green any occasion. Of special interest to all you last-minute kids out there are the Father's Day tips.

Stay tuned for more kid-friendly, fun-filled tips from the Green Halloween site.