Non-Candy Treats that Kids will Still Love:
String Cheese
Sugar free Bubble Gum
Packets of instant sugar free hot chocolate
Raisins or Craisins
Almonds
Fortune cookies (contain sugar, but 20 calories apiece –– not as bad as candy.)
Organic juice boxes
Organic unsweetened applesauce
Organic fruit leather
Sugar Free Pudding Cups
Pretzels (still not the best choice, but better than sugary candy)
Just Tomatoes Products (freeze-dried fruits and veggie snacks!)
PB Slices (Fun!)
Bare Fruit
Here are some great non-food alternatives to hand out:
Temporary tattoos
Stickers
Pencils
Fancy erasers
Pencil toppers
Crayons
False plastic teeth
Miniature magnifying glasses
Plastic jewelry/decoder rings
Glow sticks or glow bracelets
Fake money
Adhesive bandages with fun kid prints -- "My Little Ponyyy, My Little Ponyyy"
Barrettes or other hair things
Beads
Cookie cutters – mini—these can be great for cutting fun sandwiches and vegetable shapes—not just cookies!
Fake jewels
Word games, word search or cross word puzzles
Mini Pumpkins
Seed Packets
Toothpaste (they'll need it)
Buttons
Magnets
Bookmarks
Door hangers
Mini Flashlights
Bubbles
Collectible cards (some have fun facts like the state capitals and the US presidents, one card per child)
Happy Halloween!!
9 comments:
I'll go along with the non-food items. A lot of that, especially pencils and erasers with Halloween themes would be fun.
But, I was just reading a debate on a parenting website about this. I think parsing out the candy during the next few months is fine and it's about moderation. The "healthy" food thing sometimes breeds contempt. But, getting candy and having the adult be in charge of controlling one small piece a day, is the way to go.
My mom did that and it always turned out I was "over" the candy before it was technically over.
Just a rant, sorry. Maybe it's the future parent coming out.
My mom let us have the candy that way, too. But, I never got over it. I will be a sugar addict until I die. I just think if kids are introduced to more healthful options earlier on, the sugar laden stuff candy won't have such an appeal, either. I really believe that with all the candy kids will surely receive in their bag, something that is NOT made with sugar is not going to hurt. One bag of pretzels or box of raisins is not going to breed any contempt. Hell, as a kid as active as I was in the kitchen, I probably would have melted a chocolate bar I got in the same evening and dipped the pretzels or fruit in it!
I don't think you are ranting, I just think maybe you missed my point. I am just trying to REDUCE the amount of candy kids are eating. Not totally take it away. You have to admit there is too sugar being eaten on a daily basis as it is. Kids are definitely getting bigger. Directly attributed to inactivity and diet. You have never experienced the pain of being a fat kid. It sucked.
I undertsand completely, I also understand that when you take away things it makes them more appealing.
And, trust me, I see kids everyday working in a school and to me, the biggest probelm might be school lunches over Halloween candy. Those meals are horrible. Too many crabs, not enough fruit and veggie servings, and milk to drink. Personally, I think that is the worst.
I told Joe that once our child starts school I will pack lunch every day. A lean meat on wheat bread, carrots, a piece of fruit, and a small pudding or yogurt is so much better and more filling.
Trust me, the crap school lunches are a culprit that get very little shine.
I have to agree that school lunches suck! Remember what we had in high school ourselves? The option to buy hostess, cookies, and fries everyday! :(
Some of the meals I see I think that a snickers would be a better option and that's truly sad.
But, there are so many problems with diet these days and the poor are affected the most because crap food is cheaper and it creates a cycle of bad choices, nowhere to play, and cheap food. Until we address a way to help poor people get better food and explain its importance then things won't get better.
One of my work friends has been doing this with his son each year:
The boy leaves out his bag of candy for the "Halloween Fairy" who exchanges the bag of candy for a cool new toy or video game.
Becky,
I think that is awesome. It might be also cool to weigh the bag when the child returns from trick or treating and give them that much money to cash it in (weigh in grams and give one cent per gram--this works out to be 29 cents per ounce and $4.64 a pound).... or give them the option to take some candy out to enjoy --to take away from being totally denied of candy--and turn in the remainder on November 1st for a reward... the reward of course gets smaller the lighter the bag from the initial weigh in...
We gave the kids temp. tats!
We gave out playdoh. I couldn't believe how many teenagers asked for it instead of the lollipops I had for older kids. Next year we're going all playdoh.
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