The Fun is in fundraising this Halloween

With brightly lit jack-o-lanterns, frightening costumes and treats, Halloween is a much anticipated time of the year for many. But while kids are making the rounds, gathering goodies from neighbors and friends, there is much they can do, individually or with schoolmates, to give back to their community during this exciting holiday.

Ghoulish Giving at School

This Halloween season, talk to your kids about helping their peers around the world by supporting the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign. The organization is launching its first nationwide “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF School Challenge,” designed to help elementary school educators teaching children about the needs of their peers in other countries. Winners will get the opportunity to travel abroad to see programs for children in action.

“Teachers play an essential role in supporting UNICEF’s work each year through the Trick-or-Treat campaign,” said Caryl Stern, president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “This year, the campaign’s partners also include HSN, Inc., Key Club International, American Airlines and Coinstar. We want to recognize teachers and our partners for their tremendous efforts in helping to positively impact children’s lives around the world.”

Beyond the classroom, there are many ways for kids to get involved. Here are some other ideas for children to help out with causes important to them:

Hold a Seriously Spooky Bake Sale

Encourage your kids to whip up some creepy treats for a bake sale to benefit local charity. Make it a monstrously fun time by inviting school buds together to bake Halloween-themed delights for the sale.

Collect Donations While Trick or Treating

Teach kids to give back this Halloween through the original Kids Helping Kids campaign. While going house-to-house, invite your kids to Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. The campaign raises money to provide medicine, nutrition, clean water, education and more to children around the world who don’t have access to these basic things. For more information on how to participate in this Halloween tradition, visit www.trickortreatforunicef.org.

Host a Creepy Crawly Car Wash

Who wouldn’t want to get their car washed by a prince or princess? Invite others over to raise money for their school, sports team or library with a car wash. The kids will have a blast seeing each other in their costumes, while helping out their community at the same time.

Host a Bone-Chilling Chili Cook-Off

Have kids sign-up to make a pot of their favorite chili and serve over their lunch break. Those who don’t want to cook can bring in all the fun toppings. All money will go directly to the cause of their choice.

Purchase Halloween-themed Items to Benefit UNICEF

From tote bags to nail polish to jewelry and more, multichannel retailer HSNi will offer kids and parents Halloween-themed products that help kids. From Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, HSNi will donate a minimum of 10 percent of the purchase price to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF for each item purchased in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF stores at HSN.com, GrandinRoad.com and Chasing-Fireflies.com to support lifesaving programs for children.