Have you bought Halloween candy yet or are you still trying to figure out what to give out instead of candy for Halloween?!
It wasn't that many years ago that I had no problem grabbing bags of my old favorites to hand out for Halloween: Reese's or Twix, or that year I ate the WHOLE bag of… gosh I can't even remember what those were called now, they looked like little chocolate drops and they were really chewy…
Oh I know, MILK DUDS!
Has anyone else ever done that?! Then after I learned about the ingredients in all that candy, it slowly began to not even look or sound appealing anymore. I'd have one piece and think, “Wow, that wasn't even worth it.” My own homemade treats just tasted better. (Not that I eat perfect by any means, I still have stuff that isn't all sparkly now and then, but it's MUCH less.) I remember a few years ago it was a day or two after Halloween and it hit me, “I didn't even have ONE piece of candy this year, and only just realized it!” For the years following, I'd still buy the junk thinking, “It's only one day”, but over time I came to really dread that moment when I'm at the store, looking at all the bags of rotten candy, trying to figure out what to hand out on Halloween. Those ingredient labels are unbelievable, there really are NO good options!
Finally a couple years ago or so I just decided: NO MORE.
Yes, our kids go trick-or-treating and they get their share of the disgusting junk, but I'm not handing it out anymore. Thankfully our house hasn't been TP'd yet! I do try to think of fun alternatives, and I think I've landed on one that I'll stick with for now, so I'll share what I hand out these days PLUS a bunch more ideas for you to consider…
Ideas for What to Give Out Instead of Junky Candy for Halloween:
1. One year I gave out these organic suckers, which went over pretty well.
2. A friend gave me the best idea and what I do nowadays: 100 glow sticks for only $9! These are nice because it helps with safety too, you can see the kids better as they're walking around at night. 🙂
3. Or you can get 80 of these finger lights for less than $8. (Pictured at the top of this post.) I may do those next year, and again, they have the added safety benefit.
4. Flashing rings look fun.
5. I think most kids would love Halloween mini flashlights.
6. Halloween bounce balls are usually a hit because they really bounce — I found 144 for $15.
Don't get that many trick-or-treaters at your door like we do?
In our neighborhood kids are dropped off by the carload, but if you have less kid-traffic you could get some of these that are a bit more expensive:
7. Organic chocolate bars or Unjunked candy — I love these, there's still sugar, so it's not like it's a health food or anything, but watch the video below to see all the junk it does NOT have.
10. Bags of yummy homemade popcorn — if you make it like we do, with organic coconut oil, organic popcorn, real pastured butter, and real sea salt, it's not exactly a cheap option to hand out, that's why it's on this 2nd list.
Need Halloween Party Bag Ideas?
These are a little too lame (in my opinion) to give out to trick-or-treaters with nothing else with it, but they're nice if you need more party bag stuffers:
- Little bottles of bubbles
- Halloween stickers
- Halloween pencils or erasers
- Growing bugs
- Witch fingers
- Mini paratroopers
- Stretchy skeletons
Here's the video about the “better” candy:
What do YOU hand out for Halloween?
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More you might like:
- Since we're talking about candy, I figured now would be a good time to ask you: Is anyone else “the weirdo” at the dental office who refuses x-rays like we do? Here's my post about it: Are You Afraid of Dental X-Rays? I'm also curious how many of you even DO the 6 or 12 month dental cleanings/check ups? We've sent the kids, but Kent and I haven't been in a while. How often do you go? Here's one more: It’s Scary What Your Dentist Doesn’t Know
Carly Pugliese says
#tealpumpkinproject Food Allergy Research & Education
Lyndsey Stang says
They all love bandaids. Perfect for birthdays, Easter, Christmas, you name it.
Christina Agoris says
Costco sells an 80 ct bag of mini play dough containers for Halloween.
April Williamson says
Halloween is always a tough holiday to make choices for. The store candy is so bad, but so are the cheap toys we use to replace them. They’re made of cheap toxic ingredients, support horrible working conditions in other countries, and fill our landfills. I’m still trying to find a good solution that’s affordable, pleasing to kids, and healthy.
Sarah L. Peterson says
I’m thinking honey sticks this year!!
Solioli says
There’s also been a movement of putting out turquoise pumpkins at houses which are giving out allergen-free goodies. Would be a good accompaniment any of the top 6.
I also do continue to go to the dentist regularly, partly because I have dental insurance but also because I have bonded teeth from an accident when I was a kid. X-rays are a once every few years thing at her office as well so I don’t worry about it too much.