15 Halloween Candy Alternatives
Nutrition
Oct 23, 2020 • 6min read
Candy is as central to Halloween as ghosts, zombies, and witches, but it may be time to rethink the tradition of handing out sweets when the kids come knocking. While a few mini candy bars can be a tasty indulgence, a pillowcase filled with treats is simply too much. This is especially true, considering that more and more children are struggling with their weight and their health. Halloween fitness doesn’t have to be an oxymoron, and you don’t need to drop yet another candy bar into the buckets of the neighborhood children. Instead, take a look at these 15 candy alternatives for Halloween.
Is It Time to Find Alternative Ideas for Halloween Candy?
You may have fond childhood memories of pouring out your Halloween candy after a successful night trick-or-treating, but can there be too much of a good thing? A single fun-sized chocolate candy bar contains 85 calories and 10 grams of sugar. That doesn’t seem like such a big deal, but what kid stops at eating a single Halloween treat? Be honest. Those same fond childhood Halloween memories probably include you eating so much candy you felt sick or snacking on Halloween candy well into Thanksgiving.
Calories and sugar add up, and it shows in children. According to the CDC, 18.5% of children in the United States are obese, including 20.6% of children ages 12 to 19. Now that’s a horrifying fact fit for Halloween. If you don’t want to contribute to bad eating habits this Halloween, consider choosing Halloween candy alternatives. Fortunately, there are tons of fun calorie-free goodies that your littlest neighbors will absolutely love. Check out these healthy alternatives to Halloween candy.
1.Halloween Stickers
Grab a roll of fun and silly Halloween stickers and drop a few into the buckets of your neighborhood trick-o-treaters. Kids will love putting these stickers on their trick-or-treat containers or backpacks. Consider buying a range of stickers, so kids can trade for the ones they like best.
2.Glow Sticks
Why not support Halloween fun and safety at the same time? That’s like killing two werewolves with a single silver bullet. Your little trick-or-treaters will love wrapping glow sticks around their wrists, necks, or heads, and drivers will appreciate the ability to see them more easily.
3.Mandarin Oranges
Want to offer a sweet treat that doesn’t include lots of processed sugars and unhealthy fats? Grab a bag of mandarin oranges. Kids love these snacks and can even toss them in their lunchboxes. Their sturdy peel also means they can survive a whole night of trick-or-treating. To make your treats extra special, use a black Sharpie or marker to draw jack-o’-lantern faces on each mandarin.
4.Temporary Tattoos
Children will delight when they find these fun and inexpensive Halloween-themed tattoos in their buckets at the end of the night. Many will want to wear their new “tattoo” to school or may want to trade tattoo designs with the other kids in their trick-or-treating group.
5.Pencils
Kids are always losing or running out of pencils. You can help them stock up on this important school supply with fun and frightful Halloween pencils. Kids will delight in pencils with special Halloween designs, especially if you include a Halloween pencil eraser or pencil topper with it. Don’t be surprised if these quickly become collector items in the neighborhood.
6.Mini Bottles of Water
Walking around the neighborhood can be a lot of work. Help your local trick-or-treaters stay hydrated with mini bottles of water. Hydration is a big part of Halloween fitness. Parents and trick-or-treating chaperones may also ask for a water bottle. (Need help with hydration? Learn more about foods that hydrate.)
7.Slap Bracelets
Smaller children are obsessed with slap bracelets. Find slap bracelets in bright colors with funky designs that will appeal to boys, girls, vampires, and everyone in-between. Bonus points if you can snag some Halloween-themed slap bracelets. Look for different designs so that everyone has their own special bracelet to show off the next day.
8.Apple Cider or Hot Chocolate
If you have a strong bond with your neighbors and they feel comfortable accepting unpackaged treats, you may consider making up a witch’s brew of hot chocolate or spiced apple cider for the trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood. Late October is downright chilly, and even monsters, superheroes, and princesses can get cold after being outside. You get bonus points if you serve your simmering drink from a witch’s cauldron.
9.Bouncy Balls
What kid doesn’t delight in a bouncy ball? Heck, what adult doesn’t get a little secret thrill at tossing the ball on the sidewalk and watching it fly into the air? Bouncy balls are fun, popular, and low-cost treats. Just remind your little trick-or-treaters not to start playing with their newest possession on a dark street. Safety first!
10.Halloween Rings
What’s that on your hand? Oh! It’s a creepy plastic spider ring. Many Halloween outlets sell silly rings and other Halloween jewelry. Grab up a collection and start dropping them into bags. They will be a unique gift that your neighborhood kids will remember.
11.Vampire Teeth and Other Halloween Accessories
While you’re at the Halloween store, check out all the fun and cheeky Halloween accessories. Some kiddy favorites include glow-in-the-dark vampire teeth, stick-on mustaches, and adorable rubber finger puppets. Kids will delight in trading with each other and showing off their new toys to their parents.
12.Halloween Bookmarks
Got a lot of little bookworms in your neighborhood? Encourage them to keep up with their reading with Halloween-themed bookmarks. Give out bookmarks that are colorful and shiny. The children in your area won’t be able to resist trying them out on the latest book.
13.Halloween Bubbles
Halloween-themed bubble containers can be found in many Halloween stores and at big-box retailers. Many include Halloween labels and cool bubble wands with vampires or zombies at the end. Don’t be surprised if you notice bubbles floating around your neighborhood throughout Halloween night.
14.Sticky Eyeballs
Parents might not be entirely amused, but children everywhere will sing your praises if you drop one or two sticky eyeballs into their bags. You know what these are. The squishy balls can be thrown against a surface, where they stick until pulled off. Kids will have a blast playing with these toys.
15.Mummy Applesauce Pouches
Do you love getting down with your DIY self? Then grab a few rolls of toilet paper, some applesauce pouches, and get to work. Wrap the applesauce pouches in toilet paper, stick on a pair of googly eyes, and draw a silly expression on the toilet paper using a black marker. Add your own creativity here. Your mummy pouches can be silly or scary or anything in-between. The neighborhood kids will appreciate the effort.
Make the Spookiest Holiday Special This Year with Candy Alternatives for Halloween
Just because you don’t want to give away unhealthy candy this Halloween, it doesn’t mean you have to be the house no kids want to visit. (That would be the house giving away pennies or containers of floss.) Instead, by choosing to give out candy alternatives for Halloween, you can be known as the house that always has something fresh, unique, and fun. Kids will look forward to seeing what you’ve got in store each year.
Choosing Halloween candy alternatives doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult either. Most medium-sized towns and suburbs will include a temporary Halloween store that will offer up bunches of fun Halloween-themed accessories at low prices. If not that, start checking online. To save even more, visit your local Halloween store a day or two after Halloween to grab lots of goodies on clearance for next year. Things like pencils, bubbles, spider rings, and lots of other Halloween accessories don’t take up much space and will easily keep all year.
Looking for more ideas to promote Halloween fitness and health? Keep reading the EōS Fitness blog, or search for a gym near you.