Tricks and Treats that Aint so Sweet

It's that time of year again. Fall is in the air, school has been going for over a month now in most places and kids are dreaming of what they will dress up as for Halloween. Every parent knows that a child will change their mind at least twice before deciding what they will be. When Trick Or Treating they will receive a number of different items. Mini candy bars, gum, hot balls, M&Ms, Skittles, dots, etc. Lots of sticky and chewy candy that tastes good but will give them a tummy ache and rot their teeth. BUT, Halloween only comes once a year, so let them have their fun. Since all the other parents will probably be handing out candy, why not try something different? True, by some you may be considered a dork, but some kids would actually think it was COOL to get some of these things, considering most of the houses probably hand out the same old things.

Let's start with the good old mini tooth brushes and tooth paste. Not exactly the MOST popular idea and Yeah, you may have even thought this was an old and fuddy duddy thing to hand out as well, but think about it. They will be getting so much candy, you may as well help them ward off the candy. Some kids may even think it's neat. The toothbrush will probably last longer than a mini pack of skittles anyway. If you want, you could try sticking two mini candy bars and a toothpaste/toothbrush pack in beside it. That's the best of both worlds. I do realize that this idea may not work for may people, as some kids really DO take their candy truly seriously and may decide to smash your pumpkins or egg your house if you give them a toothbrush. So this one is for the brave souls only.

Here's an idea. Try raiding your local party store. Think goodie bag items. You could find a good amount of inexpensive toys to put into your treat bags instead of candy. Maybe yo-yos and harmonicas or little frisbees or stickers and stationary. Many of these places offer those little travel packs of crayons and activity coloring books. These would be great for younger kids. Party Jewlery and small toy cars are always a big hit as well.

Dig into those pockets. If you can find some extra quarters, nickels and dimes, something creative to do would be to find some plastic Halloween candy holders (think those plastic Easter eggs you put stuff in on Easter) and put some of your change in those.

How about little keychain flashlights? Those are fairly inexpensive (depending on the amount of trick or treaters you get) ideas and it could really help the kids out when walking from house to house. Maybe some of those cool liquid glo-sticks that some trick or treaters use while walking around so that cars and other people can see them.

Another fun item are those small bags of assorted chips, pretzels or teddy grahams. They are a sweet or savory treat that will not hurt the teeth. True, the chips are not the healthiest item in the world, but it IS Halloween. Everyone deserves some kind of treat. Everything is good in moderation, so whether you want chips or candy or toys in your goodie bags this year, remember to be safe.