We have to do everything differently in 2020, and that includes Halloween. Some families are spending Hallowe'en in quarantine. Others are wearing face masks with their costumes, washing their hands between houses, and keeping a safe distance between themselves and other trick-or-treaters. People are just generally being more careful and considerate; in yoga, we would call it being mindful.
Let’s rewind one year. It was the week of October 31st, 2019, and our kids’ yoga classes had a Halloween theme. In the yoga tradition we talk about a Drishti, or gaze point: an unmoving spot to focus to keep our balance and stay calm. I thought of a fun Halloween Drishti for my yoga students: tiny pumpkins that they could place on their mats and bring home after class.
This got me thinking of other prizes and gifts that we could bring to children that would not end up in the landfill, or cause the potential health challenges associated with too much sugar. It’s not that I think sugar is evil. In moderation, it’s reportedly ok. But I prefer the fun challenge of finding healthier non-sugar options. Here are some simple ideas for making this year's Halloween a mindful one!
Healthy Halloween Snacks: Fruit
Have you ever created an Orange O' Lantern? There are all kinds of fun and creative ways to incorporate seasonal - and healthy! - fruit into your festivities. Here are a few more ideas for you to try out.
Teaching Moments
Talk about where the fruit comes from, and share some stories or information about it. Case in point: Goji berries. According to an ancient Chinese legend, there was a village in which everyone lived much longer than average. It turned out that the secret to the villagers' longevity was drinking water from a well into which Goji berries had fallen.
Have a Fruit Party
Declare a “fruit party” at the end of the class. Students can try a fruit that they haven’t eaten before and rate it. Then, they can try to guess what part of the country, or the world, the fruit comes from.
Mindful Practices
Did you know that fruit is often used in mindfulness training? Lead children in seeing how their senses interact with the fruit. What does the fruit feel like to the touch? How does it smell? When they taste it, what flavours do they taste? Does eating the fruit slowly make it more delicious? Does it make them want to eat more of it, or be happy with less because they’ve enjoyed every bite?
Healthy Halloween DIY: Homemade Slime
Slime-making is something that makes children squeal with delight. If you haven’t done this yet with the kids in your life, please give it a try! It doesn’t take long and brings out the scientist in all of us.
There are lots of great recipes online for these, including playdough you don’t have to cook and seven safe homemade slime recipes with no borax.
Tip: Try low-waste storage solutions for your homemade playdough with upcycled mason/glass jars and containers.
Healthy Halloween Crafts: Magical Stones
Our Flora invented a beautiful idea using stones. The children each get their own special, powerful stone to place on their forehead for meditation time. There is a brilliant associative power to this practice: the children know that when they wear the stone on their forehead, it’s time to be peaceful.
2020 has brought out our creativity and adaptability both in our daily lives and during festivals and holidays. As hard as the pandemic has been for all of us- and we will never know how hard it has been for some- this is something to celebrate.
Now that the holiday season is approaching, we bet you have some other unique ideas. Please let us know what they are by tagging @ecoparent on social media!
