We had a HUGE number of spooktacular entries for the 2010 design contest (winning design will be featured on a 2010 ChicoBag reusable trick-or-treat bag).

It was extremely difficult to choose the winner (best capturing “the spirit” of Green Halloween), but here are the top three:

First place: Design by 13-year-old Gracie Gralike

Second place: Design by Patrice Narasimhan

Third place: Design by (the 2008/9 winning designer) Estefania Vargas

Thank you SO MUCH to all of the parents, teachers and kids who took part in and/or supported the contest! We look forward to seeing what you come up with for next year’s competition.

For more details on the Green Halloween & ChicoBag trick-or-treat-bag contest, including prizes and sponsors, click here. A percentage of the 2009 Green Halloween ChicoBag are contributed to our non-profit beneficiary, Treeswing.

For the third year in a row, Green Halloween raised funds in support of Treeswing, a Seattle-based nonprofit focused on preventing childhood obesity, as part of our not-for-profit initiative.

What does this mean, exactly?

It means that money raised above the cost of running Green Halloween (e.g. website and hosting, print materials, etc.) was donated as part of our vision to spread the “good.”

Why do we love Treeswing?

Here are just a few of their amazing programs:

Get Fit – Get Smart!

Treeswing’s flagship project “Get Fit – Get Smart!” is a research-based PE curriculum serving 46,000 students in grades K-12.  Implemented in partnership with Seattle Public Schools, the curriculum incorporates health and nutrition concepts into PE classes and allows teachers to monitor their student’s fitness levels, wellness, and academic performance.

JumpUp

“JumpUp” is a partnership initiative between Treeswing and Seattle Children’s Hospital to distribute jump ropes to 5,000 kindergarten students in Seattle Public Schools.  The program is intended to get kids started early on the path to physical fitness and gives them a way to incorporate daily exercise at home.

Boardwalk 5K and Fitness Carnival

Treeswing sponsored the 4th Annual Boardwalk 5K Run and Fitness Carnival held at Husky Stadium on April 26th. Nearly 1000 runners turned out and another 300 kids and families participated in the free activity carnival held on the field (a 100% increase over the previous year.) The event raises money to support physical education programs in Seattle Public Schools.

Sammamish Splash – “Get Out There and TRI”athlon
Treeswing was a lead partner in launching the Sammamish Splash, an event geared towards creating a positive, achievable triathlon experience for children and their families who want to give one a try. The Splash was held on August 23^rd at Lake Sammamish State Park and included swimming, running and biking events for kids of all ages.  The multi-sport event allowed kids to interact with others their age and helped them to develop a positive attitude about physical fitness. The Get Out There and TRI series is sponsored by Mary Meyer Life Fitness.

Support Treeswing
Treeswing relies on financial support from the community to help us improve the health of children in the Seattle area. If you or someone you know cares about children’s wellness and would like to support Treeswing through sponsorships or contributions, please visit Treeswing’s website at http://www.treeswing.org/understanding-the-problem to donate.

Our interview on AM Northwest in Portland (filmed at the Portland Humane Society)

With Shaniqua Manning on Northwest Cable News

October issue of Working Mother

NPR  – Two segments: one with Rose Scott and one on Tell Me More

For a complete list of our 2009 press coverage, check out our latest Green Halloween e-newsletter.

Do you know about NAU?

Nau is the hip, visionary, sustainable clothing line developed by a company that actually considers it’s impact on people and planet. (We know – what a concept.) We love them and we know you will, too. (What’s not to love about organic cotton, recycled poly, recycled wool and other eco fabrics? And love aside, you’ll even respect their commitment to clueing consumers in on every detail of the lifeline of their products.)

What has this got to do with Halloween? Nothing, except that Green Halloween’s founder is one of their biggest fans.

Want to see what all the buzz is about? Check them out here, and enjoy a 10% off coupon good on anything on the site, even sale items.

Promo code: NEW2NAU

Also, if you happen to live in the New York City area or will be visiting from now through December 31st, be sure to stop by Nau’s pop-up shop called Here/Nau/NYC. Get the 411 here.

We just stumbled upon this new book by Alison Jenkins – called Wacky Baby Knits. Although we haven’t read it, we thought we’d let you know about it in case you wanted to get knitting on your baby’s 2010 costume!

Want to make the get-up as green as possible? Choose yarns made from organic wool, alpaca, silk, organic cotton, hemp, grains or other sustainable and baby-friendly material. Don’t see these options in your local store? Click here for a few online options.

How can parents tell if their child’s language development is advanced? What age do boys start talking? A first step is to look at typical language developmental milestones. A second step is to look at what advanced language development is.