UNICEF offers many service-learning ideas that are fun alternatives to
the typical school Halloween party.
Say the word UNICEF and many people automatically make the connection to those little orange boxes that come out once a year as students "trick-or-treat for UNICEF." But those little orange boxes are just one of many ways in which children raise money to help UNICEF's efforts. In schools around the world, students organize Read-a-Thons and many other events to raise money for UNICEF. Many schools have replaced Halloween costume parades and parties with UNICEF service-learning projects. The ideas and links below will help you see a variety of options for getting students involved in a service-learning project that supports the valuable work of UNICEF.
All of the ideas below come from UNICEF. For many more ideas, see these UNICEF resources:
Trick-or-Treat
for UNICEF Handbook
(see Classroom/Group Activities, pages 10-13)
Sell Something
--- Candy sale on Halloween: Tell local supermarkets you are raising
money for UNICEF and ask them to donate candy or sell it at a discounted
price. Set up a booth at school during lunch too; sell the candy to
your classmates and teachers.
--- Greeting cards, posters or calendars: Design your own gift cards,
posters, or calendars and sell them to local stores to display in their
windows or to your friends and families to use at home.
Have a Fun-a-Thon
--- Dance-a-thon: Ask a local supermarket to donate refreshments. Consider
charging entry or spectator fees.
--- Good Deed-a-thon: Perform chores around your house or help a neighbor
mow the lawn for donations.
Organize a Festival/Event
--- Harvest-fest Fundraiser: Include activities like pumpkin painting,
face painting, guessing the weight and circumference of a pumpkin, or
guessing the number of kernels on a cob of corn.
--- Haunted House: Choose a safe site, like a school gym or community
recreation center, and fill it with volunteer monsters and goblins.
With darkened rooms, sound effects, and a little acting talent, you're
sure to scare up a sizable donation.
Get Competitive
--- Rivals: Challenge your rival school or another class to raise more
funds than you. Hold a pep rally or assembly with both schools/classes
where the winner is announced.
--- Penny War: Kids place giant buckets or empty water cooler bottles
in each classroom. The class who has the most pennies at the end of
the "war" wins. The kick is that so many pennies are deducted from the
class total per nickel, dime, quarter, and dollar. Kids from other classes
can stick $10 bills in the class with the most pennies and essentially
reduce their "war total" to nothing.
Other Good Ideas
--- Pizza party: Organize a party where everyone pays an extra dollar
for their piece of the pie. Maybe you know a pizzeria that will donate
some food and drinks to a worthy cause.
--- Skip-a-Snack: If you normally buy candy, soda, or other snacks,
donate the change you would have spent to UNICEF instead.
Additional
Resource
Trick-or-Treat
for UNICEF Handbook
This 22-page guide includes information about the work UNICEF does around
the world as well as resources about the value of service learning;
classroom and group activity ideas; and fundraising ideas.
Assessment
How many students got involved in this service-learning effort?
Lesson Plan Source
UNICEF
National Standards
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Civics
GRADES K - 4
NSS-C.K-4.4 Other Nations and World Affairs
NSS-C.K-4.5 Roles of the Citizen
GRADES 5 - 8
NSS-C.5-8.4 Other Nations and World Affairs
NSS-C.5-8.5 Roles of the Citizen
GRADES 9 - 12
NSS-C.9-12.4 Other Nations and World Affairs
NSS-C.9-12.5 Roles of the Citizen
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Geography
GRADES K - 12
NSS-G.K-12.1 The World in Spatial Terms
NSS-G.K-12.4 Human Systems
See more Lesson Plans of the Day in our Lesson Plan of the Day Archive. (There you can search for lessons by subject too.)
For additional social studies lesson plans, see these Education World resources:
Halloween Party Alternatives from UNICEF