Favorite Non-Candy Treats for Halloween
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If you ask any child what their favorite part of Halloween is, I’m sure most of them would say “the candy”. Tons and tons of candy. Chocolate bars – big and small. Packages of licorice twists. Boxes of colorful Nerds.
Our kitchen table looks like a candy store clearance rack after trick or treating.
For most kids, candy is Halloween night. It’s part of the deal. Kids don costumes, prance around the neighborhood and say “Trick of Treat” over and over.
In exchange, they score a bucket (or pillow case) load of Halloween candy.
After trick or treating around our neighborhood the last couple of years, my littles know exactly which houses hand out the best candy. Those are always the dwellings that we target first on Halloween night.
I am proud to say that we aren’t one of those places. During our first Halloween here, I handed out small packages of Twizzlers and wrapped up Starbursts. The sign asked kids to “Take Two”.
After perusing what our neighbors were handing out, I realized that I was probably being a little skimpy.
There were two bowls to choose from, though. One had the traditional Halloween candy and the other had non-candy treats. Guess which ones went the fastest?
Surprise. It wasn’t the candy. The non-candy treats were gone in a blink.
The thing about Halloween is that there is a lot of candy. And candy is great – to an extent. But, everyone likes some variation. Even on Halloween night.
Non-candy treats for Halloween are a great way to add that variety. It gives kids something fun to play with after they get home. And way beyond Halloween night.
Although the candy loses its luster in a couple of days, I usually find my littles playing with the bouncy ball or wearing the eyeball glasses weeks later.
Does Another Food Treat Count as “Non-Candy”?
Strictly speaking – yes. A food treat that isn’t candy can be considered a non-candy treat. But handing out homemade cookies, brownies and other delicious treats to trick or treaters isn’t always the best idea.
If you grew up in the 80s, you might remember a day when all Halloween treats had to be sealed by the manufacturer. And we weren’t allowed to eat any of them until they were checked by an adult. Something about razor blades getting dropped in Halloween buckets.
Not really sure if this ever really happened, but we still follow this rule today. Just to be extra cautious.
Any wrappers that have opened or the such can’t be eaten. And we also avoid any homemade Halloween treats. Since we don’t know the ingredients, it’s just easier that way.
When deciding on good non-candy treats to hand out for Halloween, it’s probably best to stay away from any homemade food ideas. Even marshmallows and rice cereal treats have a lot of sugar. Just like candy. And parents won’t know the ingredients, which can be hard for kids with food allergies. You don’t want all of your hard work to go to waste.
If you want to get really creative, you could hand out pre-packaged food treats that are dressed up for Halloween. Add a decorative wrap to a chip bag or a Happy Halloween sticker on a package of store bought cookies. This way you’re still handing out a special food treat while being safe.
What if I Still Want to Hand Out Candy?
No matter how cool non-candy treats for Halloween are, there is still a desire to hand out traditional candy. I get it. Halloween is the one night of the year handing out free sugar is acceptable.
If you’re torn between the two options, you could offer trick or treaters both choices. Have one bowl full of candy and one with non-candy treats. This way kids can choose which one they prefer. You might be surprised when all of the non-candy Halloween treats disappear.
Favorite Non-Candy Treats for Halloween
So, here are my favorite non-candy treats for Halloween. And if you’re worried about not being the “cool” house on Halloween night, I promise you have nothing to be concerned about. As long as you aren’t handing out dried out markers like one of our neighbors did as kids.
Instead, here is a list of really awesome non-candy Halloween treats that kids will love. And parents will probably appreciate. There are even homemade treats in case you want to make something for the trick or treaters instead.
Photo courtesy of Parenting Chaos
Glow in the Dark Frankenslime
Few kids can resist glow in the dark slime. Decorate some small plastic jars (affiliate) to look like Frankenstein and fill with this fun glow in the dark slime. It’s the perfect DIY non-candy treat idea that kids will love. Check out all of the details here.
Pumpkin Magnets
These cute little pumpkin magnets are a sweet non-candy treat. And useful too. Kids can add them to their fridge to display their artwork when they get home. You can find the complete tutorial on Modge Podge Rocks. And if you have a family that loves to craft, these will be fun to make together before Halloween.
Mini Water Bottles
Trick or treat night can be exhausting with all of the walking door to door. Quench their thirst by offering mini water bottles as treats (affiliate). You can even make your water bottles more festive with these Free Printable Pumpkin Water Bottle Labels. We do this one every year and it’s always a big hit. We’ve become known in our neighborhood as the house with the water.
Bags of Chips or Pretzels
One of my kids favorite Halloween non-candy treats is a bag of pretzels (affiliate). They love having a snack to pack in their lunchboxes for school the next day. You can hand out pretzels, chips or even crackers. There are even these allergy free chocolate covered ones that look delicious (affiliate).
Photo courtesy of Wonder Mom Wannabe
Juice Boxes
Another favorite addition to my kids’ lunchboxes – juice boxes. They love getting juice boxes as Halloween treats and enjoying them at school the next day. Add a festive Halloween wrapper (check out the Free Printable Halloween Juice Box Wrappers here or these in our shop). Or you can dress them up as witches with this fun project by Wonder Mom Wannabe.
Glow Sticks
Let trick or treaters light up the night with glow sticks. Hand out these glow sticks that can be transformed into necklaces, bracelets and even sunglasses (affiliate). Adding an extra bit of glow as they walk around in the night looks really neat and helps trick or treaters be seen.
Or instead of traditional glow sticks, focus on safety with emergency light sticks (affiliate). Have trick or treaters attach them to their buckets or costumes to provide 360 degrees of bright light. And they look cool too.
Halloween Squishies
What’s cute and fun to squeeze? Halloween squishies, of course! These adorable little Halloween squeeze toys make the perfect non-candy treat for Halloween. (affiliate) Package in a 3″ x 5″ cello bag (affiliate) and attach this Halloween squishies treat bag topper from our shop. Kids will be sure to talk about the treats from your house forever.
Mini Flashlights
One thing a lot of kids forget on Halloween night is how dark it can get. Especially if your neighborhood doesn’t have street lights. Help kids light up the night (and find their way home) with a mini flashlight. This set even comes with batteries, so you are ready on Halloween. (affiliate)
Bouncy Balls
You can never go wrong with a bouncy ball. Choose from glow in the dark ones to light up the night or glitter ones that sparkle when they bounce (affiliates). Or even eyeball ones that have a little extra bounce and are a tad bit creepy. (affiliate)
Slap Bracelets
Oh, these bring back memories from the 80s and 90s. I remember them getting banned from school because they were such a distraction to learning. Although they might not be great for the classroom, Halloween slap bracelets are a fun non-candy treat idea (affiliate). Kids will love wearing them as they trick or treat.
Vampire Teeth
I think vampire teeth has been one of our favorite non-candy Halloween treat over the years (affiliate). The kids were so excited to get a pair and used them for dress up in the months (maybe even years) to come. This set even glows in the dark (affiliate). Attach a fun vampire teeth tag to complete the treat.
Temporary Tattoos
Show off your Halloween spirit with these temporary tattoos (affiliate). They are easy to press on and safe to use. Plus, kids will love showing them off to their friends in the days to come.
Playdough
Everyone loves playdough. It’s soft, squishy and fun to build things with. Small containers of playdough in Halloween colors make a great non-candy treat idea for Halloween (affiliate). Add a fun coordinating sticker to the top to make the container more festive.
Want to create a DIY playdough treat instead? The problem with the manufactured playdough is that it can be expensive to purchase enough containers for every trick or treater. Especially if you get lots of them. Instead, you can make your own Halloween playdough kits. Or make your own playdough and package with a Halloween cookie cutter (affiliate).
Hot Cocoa Packets
If you live in a colder climate, Halloween can be down right chilly depending on the year. Send kids home with a hot cocoa packet (affiliate) to make a delicious cup of hot chocolate when they get home from trick or treating. You can even dress the hot cocoa packet up with a creative Halloween treat bag topper.
Stickers
I have never met a kid who doesn’t love a sticker. Big or small, stickers have been kid favorites throughout the ages. Place this assortment of Halloween stickers (affiliate) into a bowl and ask trick or treaters to take one (or maybe two). They are waterproof, vinyl and stick to anything. Or if you have younger trick or treaters, you can hand out these adorable make a face stickers (affiliate). It’s the perfect activity to do at home while munching on Halloween candy.
Photo courtesy of Coffee and Carpool
Kindness Cards
Although these Halloween kindness cards by Coffee and Carpool may not be the only thing you hand out on Halloween night, they are a sweet sentiment that all kids will benefit from. Each card compliments the trick or treater on their costume. And they are sure to bring a smile to a child’s face.
Hand them to kids after they grab another treat or leave them in an easy accessible stack. You can even suggest that kids pass them on later in the evening. It would be cool to see them handing out the cards to compliment each other on their costumes. Always spread kindness. Even on Halloween night.
Crayons and Coloring Pages
Kids love to color. Feed this interest with Free Printable Halloween Coloring Pages from Crayola. Choose a design and print out on copy paper. Then, roll up into a scroll and secure with Halloween washi tape (affiliate). Hand out the coloring pages as is or add a pack of Halloween crayons (affiliate).
You can even give out these adorable ones shaped like bats, pumpkins and ghosts (affiliate). Place in a cello bag and tie with Halloween baker’s twine (affiliate).
Want to just hand out crayons? These fun multi-colored pumpkin crayons would also make a great non-candy Halloween treat and are already packaged for you (affiliate).
Light Up Rings
Trick or treaters are sure to bypass candy for these adorable light up rings (affiliate). From a smiling pumpkin to spooky skull and crossbones, it will be hard to choose just one.
Halloween Pencils
Nothing says Happy Halloween more than a Halloween pencil. No really. These Halloween pencils say “Happy Halloween” down their sides (affiliate). There are even jack o’lantern mini erasers. Kids will love bringing them to school or using them at home for homework. Hopefully not on Halloween night.
Mini Notepads
If you’re handing out Halloween pencils, consider adding a matching Halloween mini notepad. It’s perfect for making lists, taking notes or drawing little doodles.
Stampers
Encourage your trick or treaters’ creative side with these fun Halloween stampers (affiliate). Perfect for marking papers, writing notes or just adding some Halloween fun to their art project.
Bubbles
Another childhood classic, bubbles are a simple non-candy Halloween treat that kids will love. They are lots of fun to blow on Halloween night and the days to follow. Choose between spooky bubble tubes or attach a Halloween tag to these fun bubble wands (affiliate). You can even transform your bubbles into Cauldron Bubbles with a printable bubble label. Full tutorial on making your own bubble labels here.
Halloween Word Scramble
Give trick or treaters something to puzzle about with this Free Printable Halloween Word Scramble. Print out copies, roll them up and tie with Halloween baker’s twine (affiliate). You can even attach a Halloween pencil (affiliate) to add to the fun.
Lip Balm
Keep lips moist as the weather gets colder by handing out lip balm. You can purchase the lip balm tubes in bulk and add your own printable Halloween labels to make them more festive (affiliate). Find tips for making your own lip balm labels here.
Not that crafty? You can also find lip balm tubes that already have Halloween labels on them here (affiliate). It’s a great way to save some time and still have a creative treat to hand out.
Beading Kit
We handed these Halloween bead kits out a few years ago and trick or treaters loved them. I started with a bulk bag of Halloween pony beads and filled small plastic candy tubes (affiliate). Then, I added a strand of elastic for easy beading. Attach this Free Printable Halloween Beading Tag and your treat is complete. Check out the full tutorial here.
Tic Tac Toe Game
Kids love to play games. Especially after a long night of trick or treating. This easy to make Halloween Tic Tac Toe game is the perfect homemade treat to send them home with. Check out the free printable design here.
If you don’t want to make your own Tic Tac Toe games, check out these handmade ones here (affiliate).
Bottle Cap Necklaces
These little bottle cap necklaces are a sweet way to dress up trick or treaters Halloween costumes. And they’ll give trick or treaters something fun to wear the day after. You can make them yourself out of basic jewelry making supplies. It’s a great treat to craft together as a family before Halloween night.
Hair Ties
Add a festive flair to your trick or treaters’ hair with these Halloween hair ties (affiliate). Place in a bowl for kids to choose one or add onto a small card to give some shape.
Halloween Bath Bombs
After a night of trick or treating, nothing sounds more relaxing than a hot bubble bath. Send them home with a Halloween bath bomb to make bath time even more fun. You can make your own or purchase them pre-made (affiliate). Then, package them in a small cello bag and attach a Halloween tag for a complete treat.
Mini Soaps
If bath bombs aren’t your thing, these mini Halloween soaps are also a spooky addition to bathtime fun (affiliate). Choose from a variety of shapes – pumpkin, bat, ghost, skull and tombstone – or offer them all. For packaging, place the soap in a small cello bag, tie with Halloween baker’s twine and attach a Halloween tag (affiliates). Kids are sure to love them.
Build a Monster Kit
Not all monsters are scary. Especially the friendly ones you can create with this Make a Monster Kit. Combining playdough and basic craft supplies, you can create your own kits to send home with trick or treaters. Check out this tutorial for everything you’ll need here.
Or if you don’t want to make your own DIY kit, check out these pre-made monster kits from Paper Dress Designs (affiliate).
Photo courtesy of The Printables Fairy
Corner Bookmarks
For any trick or treaters that love reading, create these homemade Halloween corner bookmarks from The Printables Fairy. Using origami and free printable templates, you can fold a variety of bookmark designs including a vampire, Frankenstein and black cat. It’s the perfect treat to encourage kids to read.
Not interested in origami? You can also give trick or treaters bookmarks to color (affiliate). Download the design, print on heavy white cardstock (affiliate) and trim. Pair with Halloween crayons and you have the perfect treat.
Fancy Straws
For some reason, sipping liquids through crazy loops brings children much joy. True statement.
Send kids home with these fun, silly drinking straws (affiliate) and you’ll be the admired house in the neighborhood on Halloween night. They are reusable too, so kids can drink out of them again and again.
Treat Coupons
One of my favorite non-candy treats for Halloween growing up were these food coupons from McDonald’s. I am just glad that they still offer them.
For $1, you receive 12 coupons for a variety of treat choices including apple slices, milk jug, apple juice, hamburger and vanilla ice cream cone. Buy some coupon books and split up the coupons to give trick or treaters one treat to enjoy. You can even staple a “Happy Halloween” tag to the back so the coupon doesn’t get lost.
What Do I Do if I Can’t Decide?
Love many of these non-candy treat ideas for Halloween? Don’t worry. You don’t have to pick just one.
Create an assortment to hand out on Halloween night. If you pick a more girly treat – like hair ties – also choose something that the boys (or girls who aren’t into hair ties) will enjoy.
If you select something that is more geared to younger kids, choose another treat that the older kids might like.
Presenting trick or treaters with some variety is a nice touch and they will really appreciate it.
Most importantly have fun choosing the treats. You can get so creative with non-candy treats that I enjoy selecting those over a bag of candy from the store.
You can even let your kids pick them out. They will love the task of planning trick or treat night this year.
Love these ideas and want to save them for later? Be sure to pin it below.
And if you’re looking for more Halloween fun, check out our other Halloween ideas here. From making No Carve Spider Pumpkins as a family to these delicious Halloween Ghost Fruit Kabobs, there are lots of cool ways to celebrate. You can even make a Halloween Countdown Calendar to get ready to trick or treat night.
Happy Celebrating,
Natalie
