This Halloween, you can give children a great surprise when they come by your house for Trick or Treat. With a search online, you can learn how to swap out the traditional candy with exciting alternative treats.
Forget about the boring apples and bananas, because we have 21 amazing candy alternatives the local kids are going to love. Let’s take a look at some of these ideas, and be sure to consider handing out some of these treats when the big day comes!
Bubbles
Every kid loves bubbles. Seriously. Remember dipping the hoop in a bowl of soap and trying to blow the biggest bubble you could?
You can easily get Halloween-themed bubbles online, via Amazon, Ebay and other websites. You can probably even pick some up at your local supermarket, so be sure to head over and take a look. It’s a much better way for kids to have fun this Halloween, without giving them more sugary snacks that will rot their teeth!
Stickers
What kid doesn’t love putting stickers everywhere? Go down to your local store, or stationery shop, and you’ll find rolls upon rolls of spooky Halloween stickers. These are great for kids who want to brighten up their textbooks at school or make their bedroom look spooky. What a perfect alternative to sugar!
Fangs
Even when a girl goes out dressed as a princess, you can bet she’ll come home by the end of the night with a wand, a spooky necklace or some other kind of Halloween prop. So why not add to the fun and hand out those amazing glow-in-the-dark fangs? Everyone loves those, even adults!
Temporary tattoos
Temporary tattoos can be a lot of fun, and even add something extra to a Halloween outfit! These are great to hand out at the door, but be sure to ask their parents if they are with them. Some parents aren’t the biggest fans of temporary tattoos, so just be careful!
Play-Doh
Play-Doh is fun for everyone, and you can even pick up party-size Play-Doh packets specifically designed for Halloween, with spooky and autumnal colors. If you’re feeling arty, there are also recipes for making your own, so give it a try!
Spooky school supplies
Why not help the kids brighten up their school week with some spooky new school supplies? Head over to the stationery store and see what spooky pencils, paper, pens and other equipment they have. You’re bound to find them, and the kids are bound to love them. Little things like this really help kids feel more enthusiastic about their studies!
Glow sticks
Glow sticks are more than just an accessory for drunk people at a rave. You can pick up lots of different kinds of glow sticks. Some look like wands – which are amazing for a wizard or witch costume – and others can be bent and made into necklaces and bracelets.
Fake spiders
Come on, isn’t it obvious? Kids love to play pranks, and a fake spider is one of the best pranks around. Find them at your local store and give them out as toys on Halloween, and you’ll be sure to get a smile!
Glowing bugs and critters
Glow-in-the-dark critters, bugs and monsters are great for putting on bedroom walls and ceilings. They’re like those glow-in-the-dark stars you used to have on the ceiling…except they’re spooky! Pick up some glowing critters and hand them out along with fake spiders or glow sticks, and you’ll get rave reviews among the Trick or Treaters.
Spooky bouncy balls
Bouncy balls seem to be disappearing for some reason, but that’s not because they’re not fun! Pick up some bouncy rubber balls – preferably the large ones that can’t be easily swallowed – and use them as a surprising gift for your spooky guests. You should be able to find lots of spooky balls in the stores, too, including eyeballs. They’re eye-deal!
Hot Wheels
If you’re looking to go down the toy route, then handing out Hot Wheels car is a great idea. They’re actually really inexpensive to buy, and some stores will even sell them for as little as 99 cents. This is a great idea if you live in a small neighborhood – though, if you live somewhere with more children, you can always purchase a bulk box for not much more than you would spend on candy anyway.
Coloring books
Just like with Hot Wheels, coloring books don’t actually cost all that much – and if you need to, you can pick them up in bulk from stores that sell to schools and activity centers. This is a particularly good idea if you get lots of small children coming to your door every Halloween – and you can always pick and choose which gifts you give to which kids!
Pencil toppers
Another great idea that helps encourage kids to do better at school is to distribute pencil toppers. They’ll love using spooky ghost and witch pencil toppers as they do their geography homework, and it gives them something to laugh about with their friends!
Squirt guns
Squirt guns are the classic toy, and they can be a great addition to a child’s Halloween costume. Hand out squirt guns on Halloween, and be sure to load them with water first – they’ll be able to use them instantly! Make sure, however, that their parents are OK with it first, as some of them might not be too happy about getting wet!
Slinkies
Another classic toy which doesn’t cost a lot anymore, is the Slinky. You can actually pick up really inexpensive mini Slinkies these days, and they’re available from party stores. Some places even sell spooky Slinkies, but you could always print them in black if you need!
Crayons
As well as coloring books, you could hand out crayons from the numerous Crayola ranges that are made specifically for Halloween. They contain all the spooky colors you’d expect for the season, including pumpkin and blood red. You can pick up mini packs of crayons are most stores, and they really don’t cost much either.
Hot chocolate
So rather than candy, why not give the children a hot chocolate that’ll warm them up after they spend the night in the cold? You can pick up big brand hot chocolate sachets in bulk boxes from the supermarket, and they really don’t cost much at all. It’s a great idea, and something they almost certainly won’t be getting from anywhere else! You can even pick up special flavors of hot chocolate, which they’ll be sure to love.
Popcorn
Popcorn is becoming increasingly popular as a healthy snack, with companies producing packs of popcorn that don’t have all the greasy butter and added sugar that you get at the movie theatre. Pick up some healthy packs of popcorn and you’ll be giving children a chance to snack on something that doesn’t do their health and their teeth harm!
Fortune cookies
Did you know you can actually pick up Halloween-themed fortune cookies now? They’re not exactly the easiest thing to find in real life, but they’re super easy to find online. Just search for Halloween fortune cookies and you’ll find plenty of normal cookies, as well as spooky black cookies, that are filled with creepy messages inside.
Mask kits
Why not put together craft packs that contain everything you need to make your own mask? Remember that kids like to enjoy Halloween weeks before and after the day, so by putting together kits for kids to make their own masks, you’ll be helping them enjoy the holiday without eating too much sugar. They’ll be doing something arty and productive!
Yo Yos
Remember Yo Yos? What ever happened to them? Help bring back this epic little toy by introducing them to youngsters again. It’s not hard to find Halloween-themed Yo Yos, too.
Pick them up, hand them out and watch as kids start leaning the old tricks. They’ll be ‘walking the dog’ out of your drive way and onto the next house – but they’ll be remembering your treat more than the others!