Searching for non-candy Halloween treats? I have a long list of ideas for you!
There are many reasons families avoid giving candy to their kids on Halloween. Some children have food allergies, special diets, or can’t eat at all by mouth. Some families avoid candy for health reasons. Some people are lactose intolerant. Some children have oral motor dysfunction and are only able to eat certain foods safely.
Other families are nervous about commentary in the news telling parents to inspect candy because it could be tampered with. Many families hope to at least limit candy but are fine giving some to their kids.
Even if half of your neighbors stopped offering candy (and they won’t…), there would still be plenty of candy to go around!
You may be okay with your children eating as much candy as they desire on Halloween, but what about your neighbors? Why not be a considerate neighbor and offer choices? You can of course offer candy too! Candy on Halloween is the expectation for most kids and that’s ok.
When my son was 16 months old, we had just moved from Los Angeles to Santa Clarita, California and I was excited for our first Halloween in the suburbs! I thought my young toddler would have fun walking around and seeing all the kids dressed up on Halloween. I wanted to take him out, but I wasn’t ready to give him candy yet.
It occurred to me that this was probably the case for many other families in our neighborhood. I knew there were a lot of very young kids on our street, and I thought it would be nice to offer some non-candy options for toddlers and younger kids. This also got me thinking about all the families who avoid candy for other reasons and I want all the kids in our neighborhood to have fun on Halloween!
These fun ideas also make great party favors for treat bags for Halloween parties. In my household of 4, 3 of us are October babies, so we are no stranger to Halloween themed birthday parties. These Halloween toys and non-candy alternatives are perfect for school parties and other Halloween parties. Your goodie bags just got a little more fun!
As an occupational therapist, many of my patients have feeding and swallowing disorders, are tube fed, have allergies, and some are just extremely picky eaters. Those children should have some solid non-candy treats options to pick out of a treat bucket too!
I now offer a variety of Halloween non candy treats and I think it would be amazing if every home did the same. I created this list to make it easy for you to do just that!
If you are looking for alternatives to candy for Halloween (whatever the reason!), check out our list of nearly 50 non-candy ideas! I have broken my recommendations into two sections, food and non-food options.
The Teal Pumpkin Project
Have you seen teal pumpkins on Halloween and are wondering if they mean something special? Well, they do! The Teal Pumpkin Project was started by FARE (Food Research and Education) to help make Halloween more inclusive for children with food allergies. On their website they state that 1 in 13 children have food allergies and that many more are affected by food intolerances.
By placing a teal pumpkin on your doorstep, you are signaling to children and their parents that your family offers non-food treats. You can even add your home to the map online so families dealing with food allergies can easily find houses to stop at. For more information or to add your home to the map, check out Foodallergy.org.
You can find teal pumpkins at CVS and Walmart and of course there are several options like this one on Amazon as well.
What to Give for Halloween Instead of Candy?
This may feel tricky at first, but once you start thinking of ideas, the list is endless! My list below is full of non candy healthy alternatives as well as toys and trinkets for all ages! From raisins, crackers, and juice, to playdough, flashlights, and stickers, there are so many options your neighbor’s kids will love.
Non-Candy Food Options for Halloween
All food items below are healthier alternatives to candy, are free from common allergens, and come in bulk packs. They all have minimal ingredients (many only have 1-2!) so it’s easy to identify if it does contain something a child is sensitive to. You can also find some of these at Costco or Sam’s Club and they may be cheaper there!
If you’re like me and prefer the convenience of online shopping, click the links to go straight to Amazon (perfect for busy moms and dads)! See below for some great alternatives to candy for Halloween!
Fruit & Veggie Based Snacks
Bare apple chips have 1 ingredient–apple! They are a top choice for food allergy kids and a delicious and healthy snack.
Freeze dried fruit is one of my favorite ways to expose kids to different fruits. Tastes like a crunchy snack, but the only ingredient is the fruit it contains!
These BEAR fruit snacks are made from real food and only have 4 ingredients!
That’s It bars only have 2 ingredients–the 2 fruits that each bar contains, a top choice on a list of healthy halloween treats.
This 72 pack of golden raisins is an affordable and healthier option than candy.
What is it about pouches that kids love? This 20 pack has 3 different flavor options of applesauce. A great option for toddlers and young kids.
How about some fruit juice to wash down all these snacks? This 32 pack from Honest Kids is a unique option for your treat bucket.
Pea Crisp Snacks are one of my favorite ways to expose hesitant kids to veggies. Green peas is the first ingredient and these have 5g protein per 1oz bag, pretty good for a snack!
Chips & Crackers
Veggie Straws are free from common allergens, but do read the ingredients if your child has food sensitivities!
These kettle style potato chips only have 3 ingredients and are made with avocado oil.
Hippeas are made from chickpeas and are vegan and gluten free! Perfect for a list of healthy Halloween treats.
LOVE CORN crunchy corn snacks are non-GMO, gluten free, and vegan. Their salt flavor only has 3 ingredients! One of my own kids favorite healthy snacks.
Fun Non-Food Options for Halloween
Small toys and trinkets are another fun thing to add to your bucket for kids to choose from. I try to provide at least a few options to satisfy kids of all ages.
Stickers
These individual Halloween stickers (50 pcs) are small and will easily fit in your bucket.
These sticker sheets are affordable and are usually on sale right before Halloween. The OT in me loves a fun activity (bonus points for it working on fine motor skills).
Make a Face stickers are a fun activity for kids to do after trick or treating!
Temporary Tattoos
This pack of 144 individual tattoos is a convenient item to give one or two to each kid.
Bracelets
Silicone bracelets like these are safe for kids of all ages.
Slap bracelets are fun for older kids and a great alternative to candy.
Rings
These spider rings are a great deal for a giant pack of 288 if you’re expecting a lot of trick-or-treators!
Light up rings would be so much fun to wear on Halloween night or at a Halloween party!
Pencils
Novelty Pencils are a functional (but still fun!) option that kids can bring to school for writing activities.
Erasers
You can’t have pencils without erasers!
Bubbles
Kids love bubbles and this huge pack of bubble tubes is an affordable option to share with all your neighbors.
Squishies
These Halloween themed squishies are great for kids ages 3 and up. A must on my list of non-food items.
Pop-Its
Kids love Pop-its and they make a great fidget toy. They’re even great for young babies and toddlers to work on poking and pointing skills.
Balls
These bouncy balls glow in the dark which is extra fun!
Stress balls like this pack of 36 is another option.
Wind Up Toys
Wind Up toys are fun for kids ages 3 and up.
Stamps
Stamps are fun and can be used for Halloween crafts.
Balloons
Punch balloons like these or these standard size balloons would make a nice addition to your treat bucket.
Slinkies
Slinkies (or spring toys) like these are fun for kids 3 and up.
Sticky Hands
These sticky hands are fun for kids past the stage of putting toys in their mouth!
Playdoh, Putty & Slime
These mini 1oz Play-Dohs are fun for kids ages 2 and up.
A more festive play-doh option if that’s your thing.
![Crayola Silly Putty Bulk Variety Pack (24ct), Assorted Soft Sensory Putty, Kids Fidget Toys, Goodie Bag & Treasure Box Sensory Toys, Gift for Kids, Ages 4+ [Amazon Exclusive]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51i5KpcKnSL._SL160_.jpg)
This bulk pack of silly putty is fun year round!
Slime is a unique option for your bucket!
Glow Sticks, Bracelets & Necklaces
There is something about glow sticks that everyone loves!
These glow necklaces last 8-10 hours!
Glow in the dark bracelets is another option.
Flashlights
Finger flashlights are a big hit and probably my own kids favorite item to snag from our teal pumpkin!
These handheld mini flashlights with a card wishing kids a happy halloween is such a unique and useful treat.
Straws
Krazy straws are fun to drink from and actually a great way to work on oral motor skills!
Witch Fingers
Witch fingers are a fun and festive option.
Coloring Books
I always like to add coloring books to my treat bucket. Something fun to do the next day!
Spinning Tops
These spinning tops glow in the dark which would be fun on Halloween night!
I hope you found some good non candy options from our list. Your neighbors will thank you! And your kids will probably want to grab a few too!
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