Alternative Halloween Treats for Kids

Surprise ‘em all with a healthy and affordable trick!

By: Aimee Morales | October 06, 2016

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healthy halloween treats for trick or treaters

Trick-or-treating children (and their parents) will thank you twice if you make it a wholesome loot bag!

Halloween is coming up and many homes are stocking up on candy to give away to trick-or-treating little monsters—err, children in costumes. After bulldozing through several houses with their charm, these children will be bringing home an insane amount of sweet treats. That should be a lot of fun. However, consuming all that sugar may lead to a visit to the dentist, sugar rush, or hyperactivity—even worse, obesity!

Check ShoppersGuide directory for our list of halloween costumes

Children are so used to getting marshmallows, hard candy, gummy bears, candy bars, gum, lollipops, chocolate pies, fruit chews, jelly beans, candy-coated chocolates, chocolate coins, and all kinds of sugary treats for Halloween. Now that it’s your turn to decide what’s getting in the loot bag and what’s not, it’s your chance to be the caring grown-up to spare them the cavities and tons of extra calories. That is, without being boring, of course.

You’ll be happy to know that there are many affordable alternatives to the typical Halloween treats. Children will enjoy hours of fun with the following Halloween giveaways, plus their parents will be happier, too! Here is a rundown of possible treats that you can include on your shopping list when buying Halloween goodies.

Spooky accessories. Children will love wearing these cool items to complete their look, whether it’s Halloween or not!

Toys and cool accessories for kids, like these glow sticks, are very affordable.

Consider including these interesting pieces in the loot bag: temporary tattoos (spooky ones are a hit!), disguise glasses, glow-in-the-dark bracelets and necklaces, fake moustaches, bat or spider rings, vampire teeth, spooky masks, plastic skeletons, light-up horns, plastic eyeballs, rubber rats and fake bugs, slime, and fake fingers. Check out the Halloween-themed merchandise in department stores, bookstores, and supermarkets for more ideas.

School supplies. Give away practical items that kids can use in school or when they are crafting at home. Okay, at least make them the spooky-type?

Supplies that will help children develop their creativity are definitely a good choice.

A lot of children will be happy to receive Halloween-themed stickers, pencils, erasers, pencil toppers, rulers and stencils, pens, bookmarks, crayons and markers, rubber stamps and pads, mini activity books or coloring books, and even bed-time stories from book sales. But, you get plus points for the really spooky ones!

Small toys. Small plastic toys never lose their charm.

Plastic toys are good alternatives, too. You can find them in big packets in most department stores.

Look for small boxes of plastic blocks, tops, slinkies, wind-up toys or matchbox cars, puzzles, blowing bubbles, yoyos, finger or hand puppets, plastic toy soldiers and animal figures, squirt guns, and other inexpensive items from the department store’s toy section. Quick tip: The small individual packets of giveaways intended for birthday parties would do just fine.

Girls’ accessories. Young girls love to play dress-up. Get them something shiny and shimmering. Something fit for a princess, model, or superstar.

Little girls would love to get pretty hair clips and other cute accessories.

Girls will definitely fall in love with hair bows, mini barrettes, hair clips, and even small bottles of glittery nail polish or cologne! You can also gift them with plastic jewelry: rings, necklaces, bracelets, and crowns. There are a lot of inexpensive options available in most department stores and supermarkets.

Check ShoppersGuide directory for our list of girl's accessories

Healthy food items. We hear you. Trick-or-treaters will still come for the sweet treats. But, stick to the healthy ones!

Fresh fruits make excellent treats for Halloween.

Throw in a few healthy food alternatives into your goodie bags. Let them have some home-baked low-sugar oatmeal cookies, fresh apples and other sweet fruits, crackers or pretzels, small boxes of cereal or raisins, popcorn, granola or energy bars, dried fruits, or juice drinks. Or, you can give away bottles of pure drinking water to quench the thirst of the tired children after a long day of trick-or-treating.

ShoppersGuide Reminders

When shopping for toys to give away, make sure they are non-toxic and safe for children. Read the labels. If your trick-or-treaters are very young children, don’t give them small toys or those with small removal parts that they could choke on. It’s also a good idea to label the loot bags with “TOYS” and to tell the children directly that you’re giving them toys and not candy or anything they could eat.

While it wouldn’t hurt to include a few pieces of candy into the stash, it doesn’t have to be all candy! Know that there are loads of alternatives that will still put a big smile on the little monsters’ faces when they peek inside your goodie bag. Looking after their health is never uncool. Make it a healthier Halloween celebration this year and surprise the kids with a healthy trick.

About Aimee Morales

Aimee Morales is a freelance writer and editor. She is the founder of FLOW, a small community of writers who write for healing and inspiration. She started the Freelance Writers' Guild of the Philippines (FWGP) in 2010 and served as its president until September 2020. Balangay Productions published her first book, “Why Mandaya Teens Have Sharp Black Teeth” in 2015. Five years later in 2020, she published her second book (an eBook) titled, “Alignment: Lessons on Writing”. Aimee is a single mother, tai chi and eskrima practitioner, and creator of the #santoshaproject - a personal effort to encourage more people to incorporate the Santosha gratitude practice into their daily lives.

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