Halloween is a fun holiday to enjoy with your kids. Planning costumes and decorating your house or yard is a great activity to let everyone’s creativity and imagination go wild. But it’s also the first holiday of the season that can promote selfish thinking and unhealthy eating habits. Here are our tips for encouraging mindfulness in your students and kids.
Combating the Green Eyed Greed Monster
Like its bigger cousin Christmas, on the surface, Halloween is all about getting more for less. More candy. Finding which house has the best candy and trying to sneakily visit it more than once.
But you can turn this into an opportunity to teach your kids about sharing. Start a family tradition of donating some of your kids’ candy haul to those less fortunate. Encourage your kids to include some of their favorite pieces, not just the varieties of candy they don’t like. One such organization that accepts candy is Operation Gratitude which donates candy to deployed troops and first responders. On Halloween, you can also have toys or other goodies to pass out to those kids who have a food allergy and can’t participate in Halloween.
DIY Costumes
Rather than spending a fortune on a cheap piece of material that your child may only wear once or twice, make your own costumes together at home. If you’re a teacher, you may even include a costume making party as part of your classroom celebration. Fun, easy costumes to DIY include a ghost or mummy, Rosie the Riveter, a mime, or Waldo from Where’s Waldo. Or try a themed family costume if your kids are up for it, like a superhero family or characters from your favorite movie.
Mindful Eating
A large pile of candy is difficult for even the most will-powered adult to not pick through, much less a child. On the night of Halloween, limit your child to five of their favorite pieces of candy (they’ve probably been sneaking candy as they walk anyway). After Halloween, limit each child to just two pieces. Explain to them that this will help make their stash last even longer. Encourage your kids to take their time chewing each piece to prolong their enjoyment.
Have a happy and safe Halloween!
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