All you need to know about…

giving happiness global impact

Give To the Planet This Halloween – 5 Eco Friendly Halloween Gives

These eco friendly Halloween gives are fun! Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I know I am not alone! While Halloween is a festive, spooky time, it is also a time that we tend to create a lot of waste that is not good for the planet. When October hits, there are new, exciting Halloween decorations that are tempting to buy, especially for school staff who like decorating their school halls and classrooms. But we have to remember what this means for our planet, all of these extra decorations will eventually go to waste and will continue to hurt the planet. So what can school staff do to reduce waste and have an eco-friendly Halloween with their students? Let’s find out!

Reuse Decorations For An Eco Friendly Halloween

Halloween is a time of temptation. We want to get the latest and fun decorations highlighted online and in stores to spruce up the classroom. This year, reuse your old decorations from last year! Make it a yearly tradition to dust off your box of Halloween decorations and reuse them every year and only replace decorations as needed. A pro tip is to make sure to detangle and organize your decorations when you are putting them away for the year, there’s nothing more frustrating than trying to untangle meters of caution tape! Those old decorations you have to finally stop using? See if you can recycle them and dispose of them in an eco friendly way.

DIY Halloween Decorations! A Halloween Classroom Project

If you are anything like me and feel like every year you want something new to add to your decoration collection, try making your own! This could be a great class activity that your students can do for an art project. Use your recycled plastic/cardboard from home or from the classroom (if you do not have enough, ask your kids to bring a thing or two from home). There are plenty of fun homemade Halloween decoration tutorials you can find online for you and your students to enjoy! Check out these three ideas that you can bring to the classroom: Flying black bats  made from toilet paper rolls, cute bats  made from toilet paper rolls, and Monsters made from pop bottles!

eco friendly Halloween - 365give

What About Candy For An Eco Friendly Halloween?

We all get tempted to buy at least two boxes of candy from the store, one for the trick-or-treaters and one for ourselves! Those boxes of individually wrapped Halloween chocolate bars and candies are so tempting because they’re delicious and convenient. But they are terrible for the environment. If you give out candy in your classroom or at your school – try to avoid buying those convenient boxes of mini candy’s and instead make goody bags! This Halloween, give back to the planet by buying large bags of candy and chocolate that do not wrap the candies inside individually. Using small brown paper bags, you can make a variety of candy bags to give to your kids. Remember to wash your hands before transferring the candy and minimize using your hands – kitchen tongs might be your best bet! Keep it clean and eco friendly!

eco friendly Halloween - 365give

Buy Pumpkins Locally!

If you are planning to decorate your classroom or your school with real pumpkins, buy from a local source. Finding a local pumpkin patch is a great way to give back to your local community and to give back to the planet by reducing your emissions and carbon footprint. While this is something you may prefer to do individually, you could consider organizing a group of school staff to carpool to the pumpkin patch and pick out pumpkins for the school!

Pumpkin After Care

If you do end up using pumpkins in your school or classrooms, make sure you dispose of your pumpkins responsibly. When you’re done with the pumpkins make sure to save the seeds. You can add spices and roast them for yourself or roast them plain and feed them to the birds! You can also call your local farms or zoo to see if they want any pumpkins as snacks for the animals. If this option is not possible for you, make sure to at least compost the pumpkins instead of throwing them in the garbage. You could also have a short lesson with your students on Pumpkin After Care, so they can dispose of their pumpkins at home responsibly as well.

eco friendly Halloween - 365give

Did we miss anything? If you can think of any other Halloween-ie planet gives that could be done in the classroom, leave a comment below! We always love hearing from you. Ready to start giving with your classroom on a regular basis? Sign up for a free membership at 365give and watch your students fall in love with giving.

 

 

What people are saying about 365give

“I wanted to express my gratitude for the teaching you provided today. Your message was delivered eloquently, compassionately, and without judgment. The kids were engaged, and now have knowledge with which they can change the world. We all appreciated how you took the time to help us learn to build positive mindsets and practice happiness.”
Shelley Gardner, Grade 6 Ridgeview Elementary (West Vancouver)
“Actions really do speak louder than words, which is why I believe the 365give Challenge has resonated throughout my community. Every give we do is so important to us and leaves us happier and appreciating our lives a little bit more than before.”
Mahina Niyozova (Tajikistan)
“After watching the 365give TEDx Talk, I was inspired to join and begin a daily giving program in India. Today, along with 12 other volunteer women, we provide 100 meals to local underprivileged children in Bangalore for school every day.”
Deepika Ahuja, Mom (Bangalore, India)
“My life has greater meaning now.”
Renate Jorge, @BeKindBrazil and 365give Member, Family Program (Brazil)
“I just wanted to share that 365give really helped me. I am a better person now, thank you.”
MayLee, 365give Member, Individual Program
“This 365give Challenge has really injected excitement and extra enthusiasm in each work day as I think about what we can do. It has motivated me and the students.”
Cristina Peters, School Counselor (New York City, USA)
“I have seen a huge shift in energy throughout my classroom since doing the 365give Challenge. The Challenge has empowered my students to make a positive difference in the school’s community and beyond.”
Cella Adriana, Special Needs Educator /The Holliswood School (New York City, USA)
“The 365give Challenge helps students understand their impact on others. It opens avenues for introducing and discussing global and local issues in classrooms. It is powerful to watch students of all ages think about how they can make a change in another person’s life with one small act.”
Jessica Hall, Primary Teacher, French Immersion at École Pauline Johnson (West Vancouver, Canada)