Do you want to go green this Halloween? Kids like IH from San Francisco have been spreading the word about going green on this traditionally black and orange holiday.

Green Halloween is a nationwide organization that helps kids and parents all over the country rally their communities to go green on Halloween. It offers great tips for green halloween parties, games, costumes and much more. Corey Colwell-Lipson, the Founder of Green Halloween says that green Halloweening helps bring communities together as people focus on conservation and environmentalism during a traditionally un-eco-friendly holiday. This photo was taken at one of the many Halloween parties in Southern California organized by Corey and her friends.

Kid Blogger IH’s 5 Tips On How To Have A Green Halloween

1. When you go Trick-or-Treating don’t create litter with candy wrappers. Think about how you can use them for a craft project. If you don’t want piece of candy, don’t throw it away. Share it with a friend or save it for later.
2. Use a reusable bag for Trick-or-Treating this year.
3. If you want to Trick-or-Treat don’t drive. Walk or take your bike there instead.
4. Instead of buying a a new Halloween costume, see if you can make one out of old stuff instead: Halloween masks,
5. Don’t eat too much candy.

Bonus Tip: HAVE FUN ON HALLOWEEN!

— Contributed by IH, Age 10, San Francisco, CA

If you like IH’s Green Halloween suggestions, then you might want to check out this other cool stuff:

• Fun green Halloween costume ideas at Go Green this Halloween with a Green Monster Mask

• A number of great ideas for having a green Halloween at www.greenhalloween.org

• Green Halloween games and Halloween party ideas at www.celebrations.com

And send us photos about you Green Halloween. We’d love to post them on our site.

Phantoms and Vampires Lurk When You’re Not Looking

Does you home have phantoms and vampires?

Our friends at GreenHalloween.org told us that “Phantom Loads,” and “Energy Vampires” lurk because appliances and electronics drain energy just because they are plugged in. So when you’re not looking, these unnecessary nuisances release carbon into the environment. Now that’s got to be scary!

So when you’re not using them, make sure you unplug your toasters, IPODs and gizmo chargers. And ask your neighborhood hardware store about “smart” power strips that don’t feed unwanted energy suckers.

Save energy now…nobody wants Phantoms and Vampires after Halloween!

For more cool ideas about how to have a green Halloween, check out www.greenhalloween.org.

Go green this Halloween by creating a scary Green Monster Mask from recycled materials. Not only is it easy and fun, it’s a great way to use those bits and scraps of leftover stuff that you never know what to do with. Besides, it’ll make for some very cool art that you might just want to display well beyond the scary season!

What You Need

• A cardboard box, large enough to fit over your head but snug enough that it won’t move around too much.
• Paint
• Recycled decorations: cotton balls, used tissue wrap from old presents, leftover scraps of wrapping paper, used aluminum foil, used bubble wrap, fallen leaves etc.
• Glue
• Scissors

What To Do

Create a green base

• Paint the outside of the box your favorite shade of green.

Create Monster Features

• Paint on a scary face
• Glue an assortment of materials to the top and the sides of the cardboard box
• Use painted bubble wrap or fallen leaves for hair
• Twist aluminum foil into a pair of horns
• Cut tissue wrap into thin strips and use them for whiskers
• Cut odd sized teeth out of old scraps of wrapping paper
• Stick cotton balls together to create fuzzy ears

Mark the Eyes

• Place the mask on your head and have someone help you mark out the eyes; cut out the eye holes so you can see
• Become the Monster
• Wear the mask and become the monster
• If necessary, glue two pieces of string to the lower edges of the mask and tie these together under your chin to secure a tight fit

Tip: If you want to make a body to go with the mask, then follow the same instructions but with a large cardboard box in which you can cut out holes for the head and arms.

Do you have your green Halloween costume picked out yet? If not, here is a great way to create your own out of stuff that you already have at home.

Go green this Halloween by creating a scary Green Monster Mask from recycled materials. Not only is it easy and fun, it’s a great way to use those bits and scraps of leftover stuff that you never know what to do with. Besides, it’ll make for some very cool art that you might just want to display well beyond the scary season.

And if you have a costume already, you might want to go ahead and make one of these anyway. Set it at your doorstep with a flashlight inside and you will have a scary looking jack-o-lantern!

Click here to learn how you can make the Green Monster Mask