Before I have the candy brigade issue warrants for my head, let me preface this article by saying, that we love candy as much as anyone else. HOWEVER, the insane amounts of candy kids come home with after trick-or-treating has me worried on several counts:
- It’s too much. Really. Too much. Even if you use the candy to make stuff you see on Pinterest. Y’know, “use Halloween candy to make cookies/cakes/pies”, you still end up with too.much.sugar.
- Sometimes, you aren’t sure about the quality of the candy or you can just see that it isn’t something you’d like your kids to put in their mouths, so, you end up throwing it away. Waste!
- For those of us who have kids with allergies, candy usually means going through every itty-bitty piece to ensure it doesn’t have peanuts or gluten or whatever else our littles are allergic to.
So, this year, I’m making things easy for everyone by giving out non-candy treats that both kids and parents are bound to love. No, I do NOT want to get “tricked” or be “that house”, so I will make sure that kiddies are happy with the treats they get!
Non-Candy Treats for Trick-or-Treating This Halloween:
1. Books and Movie CDs
Depending on your budget and if you can score some great deals on Amazon, Halloween-themed books and movies can make great treats to give out!
2. Homemade Sweet Treats
For those of us who’re sensitive to nutrition and allergies, homemade sweet treats will tick all the boxes. You can choose ingredients that are healthy and allergy-friendly as well.
Think, gluten-free pumpkin bread slices, individually wrapped or candy apples.
3. Organic Juice Boxes, Raisins, Granola Bars
If making a sweet treat isn’t an option {let’s face it, we all have a LOT to do during this season!}, opt for organic and allergy-sensitive. Organic juice boxes, raisins or nut-free granola bars or mini Larabars will all be perfect and loved by kids and teens.
4. Character Adhesive Bandages
Seriously, if my daughter would come to your home for trick-or-treating and you’d give her a character bandage, you’ll be her best friend forever. No kidding!
Buy a box and split up the bandages, one per kid. Easy, non-food, and economical too.
You can actually, do the same with Halloween themed stickers and temporary tattoos too!
5. Halloween-themed stationery
Ghoulish pencils, pens, erasers, notepads or coloring books will all be a real treat for little trick-or-treaters without giving them a sugar overload.
I’d even add crayons, markers and paints to the mix. Not always Halloween-themed but useful nonetheless!
You can make your own Halloween treat bags and fill them with the above or with other items. Click here for some tips.
So, go ahead, make trick-or-treaters truly happy and their parents delighted too this year with some fun non-candy treats!
Looking for more Halloween action? Visit The Cubicle Chick’s 2014 Halloween Guide here!
Written by: Parenting Contributor, Prerna Malik
Some absolutely great ideas here, I competely agree with the issue of too much sugar! Speaking of which, I should make some halloween themed temporary tattoos!
Joelle