halloween activities for kids seattle
New contest lets kids create help charity and the environment
Art contests for children are fairly commonplace. But what if you could take such a contest, make it benefit a charity that helps children, give the winners a host of fantastic prizes, and then have the whole thing also help the environment too? Some might say it’s an early lesson in community activism for some very lucky children.
For the second year running, reusable bag pioneer, ChicoBag (www.chicobag.com), is challenging children ages 1-13 to design bag art for their annual trick or treat bags that best captures “The spirit of a Green Halloween.” Last year’s contest proved so popular that the company not only sold out of the bags, but decided to expand the program this year.
By encouraging children to think about ways they can make their Halloween more “green,” such as carrying solar flashlights while trick-or-treating, and using reusable bags to hold their loot, the contest provides a launchpad for establishing eco-friendly habits that can last a lifetime. It certainly isn’t a bad idea to teach them how to minimize garbage that ends up in a landfill or eat healthy foods to avoid contributing to the obesity health crisis facing our nation; nor does greening their holiday minimize any of the fun.
While art contests are always a favorite with children, they also provide a forum for expression to kids who are starving for some right lobe stimulation, especially given the lack of arts funding in most school systems. The empowerment they get from creating “message art” can also have a profound affect on helping them realize that the world they will inherit is also theirs to shape.
This particular contest is in partnership with Green Halloween, a Seattle-based nonprofit grassroots community movement to create healthier and more sustainable holiday traditions. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Treeswing, a nonprofit organization that promotes healthy eating and lifestyle habits for children. Entries will be accepted from September 1 -October 24, 2009. Winners will be announced on Halloween, 2009. Visit www.greenhalloween.org/chicobag for details.
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