We love Halloween: getting the house ready, choosing costumes, and carving the pumpkins. My kids love to go out trick-or-treating but the amount of candy they bring back is crazy. If you are looking for some candy alternatives to hand out this year, we have a few ideas.
| Halloween Treats: Glow In The Dark Stars |
There’s something fascinating about things that glow in the dark. My kids love racing into a closet to see the item glow. Buy a pack of Glow in the Dark Stars (like these from MasterMind Toys) and hand a few of them out to kids. $11.95 Cdn for 150 stars. Another great idea is glow bracelets, also available in packs. Kids can even wear them while they go trick-or-treating. $18.00 Cdn 50/pkg
| Halloween Treats: Stickers |
Another popular item with young kids is stickers. They love to share them, use them on pictures, even on themselves. There are so many themes that you’re bound to find something that will appeal to both boys and girls. Break down a pack of stickers into strips or squares to give to kids (most have perforate edges making them easy to share). A sticker warehouse, like Sandy Lion in the suburbs of Toronto, can offer you bulk stockers at discounted prices. Micheal’s Craft Store is another great place to find bulk stickers. They have buckets of Halloween themed stickers; just toss a few into a child’s treat bag. $5.99 Cdn
| Halloween Treats: Play-doh |
Forget eating candy when your kids can make their own, or rather their own pretend candy. Play-doh is a great tool for creative play. The Hasbro Play-doh Halloween Bag gives you 20 – 1oz cans of the colourful stuff. If you need more for the demand of trick-or-treaters in your neighbourhood try Costco $10.99 Cdn for a pack of 80 – 1oz cans.
| Halloween Treats: Popcorn and Fruit Chews |
Growing up we use to receive apples and handmade bags of popcorn from our neighbours but times have changed. Popcorn is a great snack alternative for kids and even if you can’t pop it for them, you can give them Orville Redenbacker snack-sized bags. 10 mini bags, price varies by store). Another alternative could be snack-sized bags of fruit snacks, like the naturally flavoured Irresistibles Fruit Twists. (box of 12, price varies by store, see Food Basics or Metro).
| Halloween Treats: Riddles and Jokes |
What did the scary skeleton get on Halloween? A silly riddle or joke. Knock knock jokes. Tongue twisters. Spooky riddles. Kids love sharing a good joke or even a bad joke. Why not print off a few and hand them out instead of candy. Your kids probably know a few and the Internet is filled with them. If you’re not feeling very creative, Song In My Heart had printable Riddle Candy Cards you can download and print. These are designed to hold candy in them but they can easily be used as cards on their own. $4.09 Cdn.
| Halloween Treats: Fair Trade Chocolate |
If you’re a die hard candy lover (and giver), visit your local health store for small candy packs of fair trade candy or chocolate. Endagered Species Chocolate is organic and they have handy treat sizes, known as Chocolate Bug Bites, offering a perfect sweet treat while helping others. $6.99 US for a Halloween Treat bag of 24 pieces.
Whatever your Halloween treat, be sure to have some fun when handing them out. I love the Hocus Pocus Treat Presenter ($14.95 Cdn, available in Hallmark stores). An eerie spell book that opens to reveal your treats with spooky messages when the cover is lifted. Great fun.
Happy Halloween!