“Trick or Treat, smell my feet, give me something that rots my teeth”… oh wait, that’s not how it goes! When I was a kid, we used to make sure we scouted out the “rich” neighborhoods for all hallows eve. Why? Because they always gave out the full sized candy bars, and if you got lucky, $5 bills!

Now that I’m a parent myself, I see Halloween and the whole trick-or-treating scenario much differently. While I adore getting my little 2 year old dressed up and letting him go door to door, we usually secretly replace all of his sugar filled loot with things like raisins, animal crackers and apples while he’s sleeping. How about you, do you spend Halloween walking your children door to door in your neighborhood as they fill their treat bags with candy? How do you feel about this age old tradition and are there any amendments that you make as a family? Does the impending holiday season fill your heart with more charitable giving tendencies that usual?

Well, what if you could trick or treat AND raise money for less fortunate kids in developing countries?

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF enables people and especially kids (of all ages) to realize the world around them and help raise funds for children in developing countries. Its so stinking easy that they won’t even realize they are doing something good while having fun. All you have to do is order these FREE collection boxes (which are super cute anyway) and have your kids take them to school or even around trick or treating with them! By collecting donations for UNICEF in these boxes, you will be helping UNICEF provide clean water, nutrition, education and more to millions of kids in need around the world.

Check out the following facts about how the money raised helps save children’s lives:

• 7¢ provides 1 packet of special powder that, when mixed with water, can save a child from deadly dehydration.
• $1 buys 24 protein biscuits for a starving child.
• $17 pays for vaccines to keep a kid safe from six killer diseases.
• $18.57 provides three bed nets to protect families against mosquitoes that carry deadly malaria.
• $26.95 buys a lifesaving first aid kit.

Do you have a young artist? They should check out the first ever create-a character box design contest!  Kids ages 4 and up can participate by submitting their original design.

Submitted designs will have a chance to be part of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF’s 2013 limited edition collection. There will be a winner chosen from each category (children ages 4-8, 9-12, and 13 years and older) and announced on Halloween, Oct. 31. The contest runs from September 1 through October 26.

The best part, winners will receive up to 1,000 boxes with their featured design to distribute in their community. Just imagine the look on your child’s face, as they see their design featured on collection boxes for all of their friends and family to see!

Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday, so I love the idea of raising money for children while trick or treating. What a great way to distract children from what type and how much candy they received, by focusing on how many other children they were able to help! How do you plan to participate this year?