Here’s the good news: Halloween is fun for kids. Most of the Halloween fun happens when the sun goes down. Here’s the bad news: Halloween can be dangerous to children. A study from the Center of Disease Control found that Halloween poses special risks to children as they engage in door to door trick-or-treating. Elementary and middle school-aged children are at the highest risk of pedestrian-sustained injuries on Halloween night, more than on other evening of the year. Crossing streets rather than at crosswalks is common during the Halloween trick-or-treat frenzy, and dark costumes further limit the visibility of kids to drivers. All the more reason to prioritize the importance of Halloween lighting.
Below are some not-so-scary lighting ideas from Green Halloween:
• Candles are the quintessential tool for spooktacular Halloween lighting. Use in jack-o-lanterns, along walkways in luminaries (see DIY project below), and as indoor décor. Nothing says fall like the warm glow from a candle’s flame. Be sure to always choose 100 percent beeswax or soy candles, as paraffin candles are petroleum-based and burn less cleanly.
• LED lights are a great option in addition to, or instead of candles. They last as much as 133 times longer than incandescent and cost 80 percent less to use. They’re also safer around children than candles or regular bulbs because they don’t generate heat. LED lights are available in all shapes and colors, including festive Halloween themes for indoor and or outdoor use.
• Solar lighting is, of course, the crème-de-la-crème of Halloween lighting choices. Solar lighting uses no electricity whatsoever, and sun is a renewable resource!
DIY Halloween Luminaries.
What you need:
Paper lunch bags
Soy or beeswax candles, or flameless LED tea lights
Stones or rocks
What to do:
1. With scissors, cut the top of each sack into a fancy shape (scalloped, crescent or pointed).
2. Draw out a spooky design on the bag.
3. Cut the design making sure not to cut through both sides (unless that is the effect you are going for.)
4. Place rocks or stones into the bottom of the bag to give the luminaries some anchor against the wind.
5. Place your candle or LED tea light into the bag nestled into the stones.