Halloween is an occasion that is traditionally associated with candy, lots and lots of candy. But really, does it have to be? I know my kids get more fun out of the the activities like treat o'treating, pumpkin carving, costumes and the like. The candies being just the "necessary evil". So I wonder, can we do Halloween minus the candy?

Corey Colwell-Lipson, founder of Green Halloween, thinks we could, and probably should. An excerpt from a press release:

Colwell-Lipson proved that children would be open to giving Halloween a healthy twist at a series of appearances around the Seattle area where the Green Halloween team exhibited alternatives to conventional candy to more than 20,000 children. Not a single child between the ages of two and sixteen, Colwell-Lipson asserts, said they would be disappointed if they found in their bag, one of the treasures or healthier items displayed on a board.

"In view of the childhood obesity epidemic, we are sending the wrong message when we dump handfuls of conventional candy into children's sacks," contends Tracy Bennett, executive director of Treeswing, the non-profit "host" of Green Halloween. "It's appalling that the average child brings home 10 pounds of candy after making the Halloween rounds."

If you're running our of ideas what to give out instead of candy, Green Halloween offers dozens of suggestions (as well as hundreds of ideas on greening up costumes, décor and more). Here are a few favorites:

* Feathers (this was a favorite of children of every age)
* Organic honey sticks (not for children under age two)
* Play dough in individual portion containers
* Captain Teao's organic Tea for Kids
* Games for Your Brain Ocean Cards (one card per child)
* Organic fruit leather
* Pencils made from recycled money
* Spooky S'mores flavor Clif Kid™ Organic ZBaR™
* Seed packets
* Stamps from foreign countries
* Polished rocks
* Yarn bracelets
* Fortunes and jokes you write on strips of paper and place inside empty walnut shells, then wrap with string so they close
* Soy or beeswax crayons

Go green this Halloween!