Trick or Treat: Cute Ideas for Halloween Goodies

I know that years ago parents did not have to worry about home made treats being given to their child or children on Halloween. However, times have changed. Now parents must inspect Halloween treat bags for anything that could be suspicious. As a parent myself, any treat I find that was home made will be the first items thrown out. As sad as it is, we can't be certain what ingredients were used in those home made items. If our child has food allergies, the risk is even greater with home made goodies. The safety of our children comes first, even if it means throwing out a goody that a neighbor worked hard on.

I am the type of person who would love to make cute home made treats for all the kids in my neighborhood. However, as I stated above, that is just not acceptable in this day and age. Even though I can't pass out homemade treats, I still enjoy getting creative with what I pass out. The possibilities are endless and just too much fun to pass up! Plus, every child will be talking about what great stuff was given out at your house come Halloween night!

Goody Bags

Pretty much every house we go to with our children has a bowl full of candy that they purchased in a large bag and they just give a handful to each child that comes to the door. This is of course the easiest way to give out Halloween treats. You can easily take this a step further and have a much more creative option. While you are at the store purchasing that bagged candy, also purchase Halloween party favor bags, or even Fall themed zip-lock bags. Take an assortment of the candy that you just bought and put it into the decorative bags. This simple addition is a wonderfully creative yet simple and inexpensive option. Instead of just passing out a handful of candy, now you can give the trick or treaters goody bags!

Pumpkin Sacks

This one is my favorite choice! Pumpkin sacks are kind of like goody bags, however I find them much more fun to make! Instead of buying party favor bags or zip-locks, purchase brown paper lunch sacks instead. These are incredibly affordable. I buy them on sale throughout the year for $1.00 for a package of 100. My children and I will decorate the sacks together. We will draw pumpkins on them, or decorate them with Fall and Halloween stickers. I put a bit of candy into the sacks and I also like to slip a few other goodies in them too. A few examples of goodies for your pumpkin sacks are candy, pencils, stickers, small Halloween themed toys, and play jewelry. I have even found small and inexpensive activity books and put them into these sacks on occasion. Every child I have ever given a pumpkin sack to has absolutely adored it!

Healthy Choices

Before you read any further, let me start by saying I am not suggesting you give trick or treaters fruit, vegetable, or toothbrushes. Children are expecting something fun and not good for them on Halloween. They do get disappointed very easily in this situation, so I do try and appease them even if they don't realize they aren't getting exactly what they wanted. Each year I have found large boxes of Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin themed fruit snacks. Fruit snacks are not the healthiest food in the world. However, many of them are made with real fruit juice and this is much better than most candies in my eyes! If you are looking for a healthier alternative to candy, fruit snacks are a wonderful choice. They do not have to be Halloween themed, however, if you can find the Halloween themed snacks, definitely go with those!

Skip the Sweets

Another option is fill your treat bowl with everything but candy. Pencils, erasers, small toys, stickers, play jewelry, coloring books, crayons, and any other Halloween themed goody that is not for eating. You can allow the trick or treaters to choose from your bowl of fun stuff, or just pass them out yourself. I know the parents will appreciate less candy, and the kids will enjoy finding something different when they rummage through all of their Halloween loot!

Change Things Up
When I say change, I mean 'change'; pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters!!!! I know it may sound odd, but I like to put a bit of change into leftover plastic easter eggs and pass them out on Halloween. Kids love getting money on any occasion. What is more fun than spending your own money!

No matter what you pass out to the little one in costume this year, it will definitely be fun for all. However, you can easily turn you Halloween into a trick or treaters bliss by choosing any or all of these fun alternatives to a handful of candy!