Nine Non-Candy Halloween Trick Or Treat Ideas
There are but three constants in this world: death, taxes, and… trick-or-treaters. If you just can’t face a bag of fun-sized candy this year, check out these thrifty alternatives to Halloween candy for ideas on how to branch out. (Tip: Stay away from homemade edibles or any food item you open and repackage yourself (including apples!!) – in our cautious world, these will likely be thrown away uneaten.) Here are some non-candy Halloween treat ideas to get you going.
1. Freezer Pops – During September and October, start stalking the clearance aisles for deals on the huge boxes of freezer pop tubes that can be enjoyed either room temperature or frozen. While you’re still giving out sugary fun, kids will enjoy the variety while parents will appreciate the convenience of a treat that can be frozen and kept for later. If you can’t find any on clearance, you can get them for a great price (WAY cheaper than candy) at Walmart as well.
2. Halloween-themed pencils and erasers – Many kids love the “fun” pencils that parents don’t always buy for school, and mine are always excited to find these on the shelf. Pick yours up in bulk at places like Oriental Trading (and watch for periodic free shipping codes!), or look for seasonal deals at your local drugstore or Target.
3. Creepy crawlers – Big bags of plastic spider rings or creepy crawly bugs often run less apiece than an equivalent bag of candy – and they provide longer lasting fun! Non-food items are also great to have on hand for kids with food allergies.
4. Creepy teeth – Glow in the dark vampire fangs, anyone? Pick up some bulk slightly creepy (but not too scary) accessories for the kids to add right into their costumes while on the go this year – or to help them extend their Halloween fun right into November!
5. Temporary tattoos – Kids love these things. Keep your picks holiday themed yet parent-approved for a younger crowd, like these cute monster tattoos, glow-in-the-dark Halloween tattoos, or Halloween temporary tattoos.
6. Stickers – With smaller items like stickers or temporary tattoos, you’ll do better to buy in bulk on Amazon or the Dollar Store and let the kids choose a couple of their favorites. Don’t skimp with only one per kid!
7. Scary eyes – Do you know how fun it will be for your child to leave an eyeball on their parent’s pillow? Plastic eyeballs are both creepy and thrifty to buy in bulk, so add these to the options!
8. Glow bracelets – Again, think bulk for the best deal here. Don’t buy the little dollar store packages, but shop online for much better bulk pricing – especially if you expect mobs of kids at your door this year. Right now you can pick up a tube of 100 glow bracelets for just $8.19, so at $.08 per bracelet, these are just as affordable as candy treats – yet dentist-approved! What’s better, these will last a long time. So if you have extra after you’ve finished giving them out to trick-or-treaters, save them for your next barbecue or holiday! Flesh out your variety with some plastic rings as well!
9. Mini comics – Each year, participating comic shops sell polypacks of 25 Halloween-themed mini comics that you can pick up to pass out to trick-or-treaters. These usually go on sale at the end of September.
Some of these ideas will be better suited to younger trick-or-treaters, so you might want to keep separate treat bowls available for older and younger kids or for earlier in the afternoon/later in the evening. Make the choices more fun by mixing several of these thrifty alternatives to Halloween candy in one big bowl for trick-or-treaters to choose from. Kids love to have options, and parents will appreciate some variety when they get their haul home. Do you have any other ideas? I’d love to hear them!
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