Halloween is coming and that means lots of opportunity for tricks, treats, and costumes. However, it is also a time when too many people spend their hard-earned money on junk food and disposable plastic costumes, contributing to unhealthy lifestyles and waste pollution. We have some easy suggestions for making your holiday fun and healthy for your family and the earth:
- Replace Candy. Let trick or treaters choose from a basket of pencils, stickers, festive band-aids or other non-candy treats such as shells, pretty rocks, art supplies, and game cards. You can also opt for edible treats such as fruit leather, snack bags of popcorn or veggie chips.
- Make or Rent your Costume. Most of the costumes available at the big box stores are cheaply made from poor quality materials and don’t hold up to multi-year use. Pull from your closet. Only buy clothes that you will be able to reuse and invest in quality accessories that can be reused year after year. Click here for more suggestions. If you don’t want to go all out with your making, consider renting a costume rather than buying.
- Attend a Community Halloween Event instead of going door to door. Safety and fun are the standbys of these events, and it is so much fun to see all the kids (and sometimes parents) in costume. Check out this list of Seattle-area events or join us at the ever-fabulous West Seattle Harvest Fest.