When you’re handing out treats for trick or treaters, it’s great to offer more than just candy. Some kids can’t have candy at all, but sometimes it’s just nice to have something more creative instead of the same old candy. Whatever your reasoning, there are lots of options for things you can give out instead of candy.
There are tons of inexpensive Halloween-themed items you can find at specialty stores like Halloween Express or big box stores like Target or Walmart. Think of the gift bags you used to get at elementary school parties. There are spider rings, pumpkin erasers, Halloween-themed stickers or temporary tattoos, pencils decorated with little ghosts and more. Did you know they even make Halloween-themed coloring books? This style of treat can be especially good for smaller children, and are a great way to add a little extra interest to the trick or treat bag. One major plus is how incredibly inexpensive this type of treat is to buy. There are so many options that you can get a bunch of different things – say, one pack of five or six different items – and let the kids choose what they want.
The convenient and per-serving nature of individually-packaged candies are a huge reason that basically every house gives them out for trick or treaters. If your goal is to avoid candy but still have the convenience candy provides, consider giving out individually-packaged snacks. Packages of pretzels and chips seem really impressive because they’re pretty large, but they’re still really inexpensive, especially if you’re shopping at a club store like Sam’s or Costco. There are other products in this same vein like packs of cookies, boxes of raisins, boxes of cereal and snack bars. These are great because they’re still viewed as safe, since they’re pre-packaged, but they’re slightly more interesting and creative than candy.
If you want to get away from food entirely, consider items that will last longer. Things like a pack of crayons or markers foster creativity and can be used for months on end. This is also an opportunity to visit the Dollar Tree (or a similar dollar store) and get a variety of things kids might like, so the kids who come to your door have a lot to choose from. Dollar stores have so many options – necklaces and bracelets, notepads, mini-flashlights or science kits, shoelaces and stamps are just a few. You can also go for fun things like glow sticks or sidewalk chalk.
This one can be tricky because some people don’t like to accept homemade things, but if you’re in a tight-knit community or just in a smaller town, this might be completely acceptable. The best homemade treats for trick or treating are able to be individually packaged after they’re made, so they’re not inconvenient for people to carry around. Small packages of homemade caramel corn or puppy chow are great options, as well as homemade cookies in ziploc bags. You can make Rice Krispies treats that look like candy corn by adding food coloring to separate batches and assembling them into a triangle. There are tons of ways to make relevant, delicious snacks that are still convenient and will make everyone think your house is the best one to visit.
This might seem a little weird at first, but kids who are the age for trick or treating are right at the age where a couple of quarters makes for quite the treat. Obviously, this is not a good option for toddlers or younger kids for whom it might pose a choking hazard, so you’ll want to have something else for them. But for the kids who are too old for, say, the spider rings you’re giving to the younger kids, spare change can be an inexpensive and extremely simple solution.
