One Halloween when I was eight-years-old and my brother was five, we had the world’s most successful trick-or-treating. We got such an amazing loot of candy we had enough to easily last us until the next Halloween, even if we ate some everyday. My brother wisely stored some in the bedroom we shared, in the top left-hand corner of the desk beside his bed. Over the course of several months, I heard the rustle of candy wrappers during the day, and at night, too, before we went to sleep. It didn’t occur to me that my brother was anything less than a genius for having a candy stash so easily within reach. And our father knew nothing of it until many months later, when the dentist informed him that my brother had nine cavities. To make a long story short: the candy drawer was uncovered, emptied, and a lot of dental work ensued.
Despite my love of candy, thanks to the cavity incident, I understood well that eating it came with a price. And when trick-or-treating, I was usually satisfied when someone gave me a small gift as a Halloween treat instead of candy (expect for pennies. Getting a penny instead of candy did not cut it!).
In the spirit of giving Halloween treats that aren’t candy (or pennies) to trick-or-treaters, we searched through Amazon to find some suggestions. And we found a lot. If you have items to recommend, please add them in the comments section so we can compile an extensive list. Enjoy a happy and safe Halloween!
My oldest son is 12 and fortunately, thus far, to my relief, he has not brought up the subject of getting a tattoo. I think that most young kids are quite happy with temporary tattoos, and would be delighted to have one that’s Halloween-themed. A tip for parents: When the tattoos start to fade and peel, I’ve found a bit of rubbing alcohol easily removes the rest.
It doesn’t matter what you’re drinking, if you’re drinking with a crazy straw, it’s going to be fun. Even a glass of water takes on the Halloween spirit when you pop in one (or more) of these black and orange straws. The product description says the “Spooky Krazy Straws, perfect for parties, school functions or giving out to trick-or-treaters.” Recommended for ages 5 and up.
Surprisingly, my kids haven’t gotten into the Silly Bandz craze. I don’t, however, think anyone has shown them rubber band bracelets that glow in the dark. If I were out trick-or-treating in the dark, I would gladly slip a few of these onto my wrist. A perfect accessory for every witch, Spiderman, Sponge Bob, princess, and mermaid out there.
A spider ring is always a good thing, and it doesn’t have to be Halloween for a kid to be happy to have a bug on his finger. But on Halloween, it’s an especially good thing. Take the bug thing a step further like my kids have, and you might find a giant rubber cockroach sitting on the couch.
A
pencil with pictures of a ghost, pumpkin, and a bat is even better than an iPad! That’s right, kids love taking a new pencil to school. Okay, maybe it’s not really better than an iPad, but it’s a close second.
This is my favorite “treat without the sweet” Halloween gift. I love Play-Doh, I’ve always loved Play-Doh, my kids love Play-Doh, and even my dog loves Play-Doh (but we try not to let her eat it). Holiday themed Play-doh is simply the best and it goes a long way on a rainy day. (This means you’re giving the kids’ parents a gift, too!). According to the product description “The Treat without the sweet Halloween Bag has 15 one-ounce cans of Play-Doh modeling compound.” I’m a big fan of the mini-sized containers. Check out the picture: not only is there good stuff on the inside, you can also build a pyramid with them.
In July at the
Children with Diabetes Friends for Life conference, we had a magnificent time playing with beach balls. Each table at the banquet dinner was decorated with inflatable palm trees, sunglasses, and little beach balls, which, my kids, after their usual dinner-in-under-five-minutes, jumped up to play with. They were so happy it makes me think every meal should conclude that way. Bottom line, kids + balls = happiness. And for parents, beach balls are soft so you don’t have to worry too much about things getting smashed.
