At Halloween it can be all too easy to give away hundreds of dollars of candy. And while I’m a fan of sugary sweets, I do think that far too often kids end up with giant bags of candy that they just don’t need. Here are some great ideas for candy and candy-less gifts for trick or treaters this year.
Here are my ideas:
- Surprise balls made from crepe garland. Fill crepe paper with tiny toys or figures and wrap it slowly into a large pumpkin shaped ball. Add eyes and a stem to make it look even more pumpkin-like. Of course, you can always add wrapped candies to these little pumpkin balls, but if you’re hoping to save money or your child’s blood sugar, opt for toy soldiers or bouncy balls. Maybe even plastic spiders.
- Owl gift boxes – Make little paper boxes in the shapes of spooky animals like owls or vampires. Fill them with yo-yo’s or sticky hands or play-dough. The dollar store has plenty of inexpensive options that are far better for small children than candy. Be creative! Maybe you could make hair accessories for the little girl trick or treaters.
- Noisemakers are a great gift. Just fill any old drum with dried pasta, beans or small pebbles. You can make them out of paper, cardboard, empty toilet paper rolls or broken plastic cups. Just fill, seal and decorate. I keep plenty of fun Halloween inspired scrapbook paper at hand just so I can have plenty of things to choose from. If you want you can even make them out of cute fabrics.
I would love to know what you hand out. I’m always looking for suggestions. Feel free to email me or leave your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.
