Hi friends! Teacher Omi here with some non-traditional Halloween alternatives. Now don't get me wrong. I like Halloween well enough. Some of it is over the top. And too much money is spent on it. And the spooky stuff is concerning. But for the most part, it's tame enough, I guess. And yes, I can juxtapose that with my Catholic Christian faith by avoiding the parts that don't fit (not just the ghoulishness but also the overspending.) I see nothing wrong with kids making cute little costumes, that make the neighbors smile.
Having said that, Halloween is an ironic holiday. All year long, parents teach kids to eat healthy. They tell them not to take candy from strangers. Then on Trick or Treat, parents dress kids in costumes and tell them to beg for candy door to door! Then all that candy has to be sorted and half gets thrown away. Then kids eat too much sugar and get wild or sick. So, how about we mix it up a bit with some Halloween candy alternatives? Here are 50 cheap non-candy Trick or Treat giveaways kids will love.
Non-candy giveaways work for kids with ADHD, allergies, special needs, juvenile diabetes, or other health conditions. Use these Halloween candy alternatives for the classroom, scouting activities and Halloween party planning. These non-food Halloween giveaways will work for Trick or Treat handouts at libraries, banks, businesses, restaurants and any other places. These treats will be less messy and cost effective as well.
All non-food Halloween candy alternatives can be found for around $1.25 per dozen or less. (Remember it's not Dollar Tree anymore, lol it's the five quarters store as my husband calls it) Check the Oriental Trading catalog, too. Target has a cheap toy section as well. Plus most stores have a bulk section, cheap holiday giveaway and clearance shelves stores. Look for birthday party prizes too. Online sites are offering free shipping around the Halloween season.
Here's my list of suggestions for Halloween candy alternatives.
Give school supplies for Halloween candy alternatives. Pass out pencils, rulers, mini marker sets, crayon sets (look for glow-in-the-dark Halloween crayon packs), colored pencils, mini stampers, pens, tablets, note pads, stickers, scissors, glue sticks (from back to school sales). Little coloring books and reading books are always well-received in Trick or Treat bags.
Give pocket toys and birthday prizes as Halloween candy alternatives. Pass out adjustable rings, tops, bubbles, glow bracelets, squirt guns, friendship bracelets and rings, key chains, compasses, slide flutes, sticky hands, little yo-yos, tiny decks of cards, whistles, puzzle games, Chinese handcuffs and parachute toys. Give Halloween themed toys like fake fangs, spider rings, skeleton rings,glow-in-the dark bugs, fake fingers and squishy eyeballs.
Give books! Check Amazon for job lots of kids' books.
Give little game sets: ball and jacks, ring toss, finger puppets. Noisemakers are popular, Give science gadgets (Teacher Omi's personal fave) like magnifying glasses, geodes, prisms, putty, play dough in little cans and kaleidoscopes. Kids love the "growing"creatures in capsules (sponges in pill capsules that expand when put in water). Give out toy animals, soldiers or figures for Trick or Treat.
Cheapest Halloween candy alternatives are balloons, Band-Aids (seriously, kids love these!) sticker sheets, temporary tattoos, rubber band bracelets, mini notepads, plastic rings, bouncy balls and play spiders. These sell for about $6 a gross from Oriental Trading.
Some Halloween candy alternative foods include mini muffin packs, popcorn, pretzels, fish crackers, healthier gummy bears, cheese sticks, jerky, juice boxes and other snack treats. Kids might like Trick or Treat candy alternatives better than Halloween candy! Though when writing this my husband did gasp that I was advising not to give candy! He said "they'll mutiny!" Traditionalist that he is. But teacher Omi doesn't believe you would do that, would you children? I think you'd love these ideas! 😘