Dentists and concerned parents the world round know that the meaning of Halloween for kids not yet old enough to willingly get drunk and objectify themselves in the spirit of the holiday is rounding up candy until either they, their bags, or both can’t carry anymore.
Knowing this, a number of substitutes have been introduced throughout the years to varying levels of success, from apples all the way down to pennies, with most making the ones that dare hand them out the scourge of the block.
As Joystiq reveals, however, PopCap and the American Dental Association have joined forces in an effort to ease those woes with what is being called the “Stop the Zombie Mouth” campaign, allowing parents to replace candy with something kids should find at least somewhat palatable: copies of Plants vs. Zombies, the popular tower defense game.
Interested parents must only stop by the campaign website, or their nearest participating ADA dentist, to receive free coupons which can be redeemed for either a PC or Mac copy of the game.
Some may consider it an unfair trade-off, getting rid of the teeth-rotting in favor of the brain-rotting, but I’d guess those Debbie Downers are also the type that hands out pennies each year, so I say they can keep their two cents (or, in this case, their one cent) to themselves. The day might come when we have to entrust them with the duty of protecting us from the zombie hordes using well-placed plants, and I want them to be prepared if it does, so bring on the zombies!
Ahem, I mean Plants vs. Zombies.