All the ghouls and goblins will be out trick-or-treating, filling their pumpkins to the brim with plenty of sweet treats. As a kid, there really isn’t anything much better than wandering from house to house being handed loads of candy. Of course, the homes passing out those full size candy bars are always the first stop. I fondly remember pouring my bags of candy out afterwards to take stock of our loot. We would sort and barter for the best flavors, trying to see how much we could get away with eating.
While all that candy is a bit of a childhood rite of passage, the amount can be a bit excessive. To combat all that sugar some parents exchange candy for coins. Others trade that bag of sweets for a toy. Both sound like a good deal for a kid of any age, without taking all the candy out of the holiday.
Instead of adding to the mound of candy, we’ll be handing out a different kind of treat this year. You can’t go wrong with small toys or a bag of goldfish. And letting your kids help pick the goodies to hand out makes it even more exciting. Here are my 10 favorite non-candy tricks or treats to hand out for Halloween:
- Glow Sticks – perfect for Halloween night!
- Bubbles – I mean, what kid, young or old, doesn’t love bubbles?!
- Play dough – You can often find large bags of mini play dough containers at a box store.
- Stickers – Some might argue against this one since they’ll likely end up stuck all over your house, but hey, they’re having fun.
- Temporary Tattoos – Always a kiddo favorite!
- Glasses/Masks – check out your local party store for quirky glasses or masks. Perfect for dress-up all year long.
- Straws – Don’t kids drinks everything better when they have fun straw?
- Juice Boxes – Perfect with one of those fun straws as a giveaway at a Halloween party!
- Snacks – Think anything your kids enjoy in their lunch. A few favorites include: goldfish, fruit leathers, Rice Krispie treats, pretzels, and granola bars.
- Cuties/Satsumas – A healthy treat that can support our local farmers as well! Let your kids draw some cute faces on them for a fun jack-o-lantern giveaway.
The best part of all of these is that if there are any leftovers they can easily be saved for next year, or added to your kid’s lunchbox. No extra bowl of candy hanging around for Mom and Dad to eat. (That’s a good thing, I think…)
I hope this inspires you to add something new to the mix of goodies you are handing out for Halloween this year!
