Five Healthy Halloween Ideas – Alternatives to Candy!

When I was a kid, I loved getting tons of candy on Halloween. Now that I’m a Mom – I despise it. It’s so hard to tell a 2 year old that she doesn’t need to eat all that junk that she’s worked so hard to collect. 

I know, I know. Maybe I shouldn’t let her collect it, huh? But I’m going to. It’s a past time that I enjoyed in my childhood and I’m going to let her enjoy.

But – I’m going to jump on the Healthy Halloween wagon this year and I encourage you to do it also! Stuck with no healthy ideas that are alternatives to the cheap candy found in the stores? Here’s a list to help get your creative juices flowing!

1. Play Doh!  I’m sure you’ve all seen those small, treat size canisters of Play Doh.  I gave these out a couple of years ago and they were a true hit!
2. Fun, decorative Mandarin Oranges.  Super simple – it’s orange and with a fun Jack-o-Lantern style face, they’ll fit right in with the Holiday! {pictured above}
3. Do the same thing straight onto Clementines – you’ll be surprised at how much more kids will love the fruit just because it has the silly face drawn on!
4. Stuffed Animals – Yep.  My parents have a neighbor who lets children pick stuffed animals that she’s collected – they’re all washed and are in great shape and you would be surprised at how many kids think this is the coolest hand-out ever!
5. Healthy pre-packaged snacks, like Pop Snax and Organic Letter of the Day Cookies from Earth’s Best.  These popular toddler – older kid snacks now come in an individual package and are the perfect size for handing out healthy Halloween treats instead of candy!