Parents & Considerate Neighbors, this is a Public Service Announcement. Think outside the (chocolate) box this Halloween.
Kids love trinkets. And I feel like we get a lot of them between school, sports, and birthday parties. So knowing that my house is overflowing with trinkets, I’m still here to suggest that you consider small toys to give away on Halloween instead of or in addition to candy.
Reasons to give away trinkets/small toys on Halloween:
Kids love them just as much as candy.
The fun for the kids last longer than candy.
You can recycle (seriously, just walk around your house and fill up a bucket).
They can be cheaper than candy (see some ideas below).
It’s healthier? I’m not anti-candy but there’s just sooo much of it after and around Halloween.
And no food allergies to worry about so you can include all kids in the Halloween fun! (the most important reason!)
If you decide to give away non-food items, consider adding your house to the Teal Pumpkin Project Map. https://www.foodallergy.org/our-initiatives/awareness-campaigns/teal-pumpkin-project. You can also put a teal pumpkin outside your house to let families know you are a safe place for kids with allergies. I like this sign.
Based on some rough math, you’re spending $0.16 per trick or treater for one piece of a candy from a mixed chocolate bag. Here are some non-candy options that work out to be less than that:
Witch Fingers ($0.15/kid)
Fake Spiders ($0.06/kid)
Pre-Cut Temporary Tattoos ($0.04/kid)
Nice (and cute!) Stickers ($0.07/kid)
3D Printed Fidget Animals ($0.13/kid) - these are currently a huge hit in our house
Assorted Fidget Toys ($0.09/kid)
