Every year, you pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters.
Every.
Year.
But this Halloween, maybe you want to spice things up!
With the cost of candy going up, as well as cavities in kids, why not make a change?
Great!
But what else could you give out for Halloween instead of candy?
Hmmm…
Well look no further!
Mama’s Grilled Cheese has thought up a list of new ideas for you!
Check out some of the coolest treats that you could put into kids’ bags this year!
*Some of the links within this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase an item, I may receive a small compensation from certain items.
1. Party Horns/Whistles
Hey, the holidays are coming up!
And so is New Year’s!
(Ok, maybe I am getting a little too far ahead here)
But party horns can make a fun, supplemental treat to candy!
Kids love to make noise, so what a great treat!
You can find some party horns here!
Are you more partial to whistles?
Whistles make for a fun, noisy toy!
But did you know that they also make great self-defense tools?
Give kids something simple, yet useful to use…
A whistle!
2. Fidget Toys
Fidget toys are really popular nowadays!
They can help to keep a child calm and focused.
Fidget toys are not only for children diagnosed with autism.
They are also great for most other children and even adults, too!
They are small, transportable and fun to use!
You can see some here!
3. Finger Puppets
Finger puppets!
Remember those things?
They are a traditional type of toy that can fuel imagination!
Kids can put on a puppet show or simply pretend play!
Finger puppets are also easily transportable, making them a fun toy for on the go!
So why not pass out these little trinkets instead of candy?
4. Cheese Crackers
So you’d still like to pass out some sort of edible goodie, huh?
No problem!
Cheese crackers make a great substitute for candy!
They are somewhat on the healthy end of snacking.
And they are a great fill-in for the traditional peanut butter ones.
There are many kids with peanut allergies today.
So, the cheese ones are probably your best bet!
Plus, you can easily plop an individually packaged set of cheese crackers into a child’s trick-or-treat bag!
5. Applesauce/Fruit Pouches
Who doesn’t like a yummy applesauce/fruit pouch nowadays?
Again, a healthy alternative to the classic Halloween candy!
There are many different flavors, as well!
You could buy a variety pack of them and mix it up!
They are also easy to carry in lunchboxes or to take on road trips!
Need a spoon?
Heck no!
It’s a pouch!
Just slurp and enjoy!
An easy-peasy healthy snack!
I am quite certain that most parents will thank you for that!
6. Mini Toy Cars
Beep! Beep!
Coming through!
Mini cars are fun, little toys that can add some excitement to a child’s treat bag!
Young kids may enjoy playing pretend with them.
Heck!
Even older kids may enjoy fiddling with them!
Again, these are easy to pass out on Halloween and a fun substitute for candy!
You can find some here.
7. Mini Activity Books
Most kids enjoy an activity book!
With games and puzzles, a child can keep busy for awhile!
Why not pass out some mini ones?
A child can make good use of them, especially when traveling.
A small activity book will make it easier to take with them.
Would you like to check some out?
Just click here!
8. Pencils
Pencils are also a great choice!
Especially to go along with those mini activity books we just talked about!
Or just pass out pencils alone!
Pencils are so much fun and come in all different colors and designs!
Kids just started back to school, so why not give them a pencil for their pencil box?
This is another useful sort of treat that may be much more productive than candy.
They’re typically reasonable in price and you can buy them in bulk.
Pencils are a simple goodie that can delight a child of just about any age!
9. Erasers
Well, now, we can’t talk about pencils without erasers, can we?
Just like pencils, they come in so many different colors, designs and sizes!
Plus, they are pretty reasonable in price!
You can buy them in bulk and pass them out individually.
Erasers are just fun.
Period.
They’re small, decorative and you can even collect them!
(Yes, I once had an eraser collection many, many years ago!)
They are also useful for school activities, so they make a good little gift!
10. Stickers
Ok.
Now what kid doesn’t like stickers?
Seriously!
What a great, non-candy treat!
Kids are typically sticker magnets!
Many of them go crazy over stickers!
And if you hand a child a sticker…
Watch out!
You may find it stuck to the fridge or to the back of your shoe!
Older kids like to put them on school notebooks or lockers.
They are an easy way to bring a little fun to Halloween!
You can buy them in rolls and tear them off, passing them out one at a time.
Or you can buy sticker sheets, which can be a little pricier, but give some ongoing fun!
If you choose to pass out stickers instead of candy, I think you’ll make some kids very happy!
11. Bubbles
Bubbles are just plain fun!
They are easy to use, a delight for little ones and are even used at weddings!
If you get the little mini bubbles to pass out, then you are all set!
Drop those babies in a trick-or-treat bag and a child will take home more fun than candy!
12. Play-Doh
A little mini container of Play-Doh for each child is another cool idea!
Play-doh is good for developing fine motor skills.
It is also great for growing a child’s imagination!
Remember playing with Play-Doh as a kid and how much fun you had?
Why not give that bit of fun to all of your trick-or-treat guests this year?
13. Stress Balls
Lastly, we have Idea number 13!
What a fit number for Halloween!
Ha! Ha!
I’ve saved the very best for last, my friends!
These are my absolute favorite, non-candy treat for trick-or-treaters!
Stress balls!
Anyone can use them!
Little ones like them because they are squishy and fun to play with!
Older kids and adults like them because they are useful for taming stress.
If you want to pass out stress balls that also provide encouragement, click here!
Best House on the Block!
Yup!
That’s you!
You can be the coolest house on the block this year with these different Halloween goodies!
Kids will enjoy receiving something fun and unique!
And you may feel good knowing that you handed out something other than candy!
Goodbye chewy, gooey, sugary lumps of chunk!
You got something better this time to pass out for Halloween!
And if you have little ones, click here to see more ideas on how to make this spooky time of year fun for them!
Happy Haunting, everyone!
Do you have any other non-candy treat ideas that you’d like to share?
Leave them in the comments section below!
Mama Morgan is a single parent by day and a writer by night! She is raising two, young children with special needs during a global pandemic. She aims to give other parents confidence, hope, and a practical, down-to-earth reading adventure through her own experiences. While Morgan is heavily focused on caring for her little ones, she is also dedicated to helping others and making the world a better place. Mama’s Grilled Cheese is just her delicacy!