When we speak of Halloween one of the first things to come to mind is Trick or Treating and all the great candy that is to be had. There were candy bars, lollipops, bubble gum and so much more great candy to gather. Now days the goal for many is to find out other trick or treat goodies as alternatives to candy. The reason behind this is the fear of "childhood obesity" There are many organizations that will make deals with children over their Halloween candy. Around here I have seen places even pay per lb for all the candy that a child can gather. The candy is then sent to those such as soldiers.
While we know that it is not healthy for a child to sit alone with a plastic orange pumpkin full of sweets. What about an overflowing bag full of candy?? Excess candy is not great for teeth, belly, skin or brain. But don't disallow all candy by saying no. Candy that is forbidden often becomes a temptation. Unless your child suffers from extreme dietary restrictions due to health then do not set a definite "no" but do make limits. Decide how many pieces of candy your child can have each day.
Yet another idea is to swap your child their candy for a toy. The choice is there, the size propotion is there size. The more they give the bigger the toy. As I stated before the idea of buying back the candy is not new but still a valuable idea. You can pay money, books or even the opportunity to do something special. You can put a price on the candy and how much each item is.
If you choose to not give candy for Halloween trick or treaters make sure your treat is something that the children will enjoy. Here are some great ideas
Non-food options:
- Temporary tattoos
- Stickers
- Playdoh
- Pencils
- Small pads of paper
- Fancy erasers
- Pencil toppers
- Crayons
- Coins (pennies, nickels, dimes)
- False teeth
- Superballs
- “Slime”
- Kazoos or other small musical instruments
- Tiny decks of cards
- Origami paper & instructions
- Bubbles
Healthier food options (buy organic if you can afford it):
- Granola bars
- Cereal bars
- Pretzels
- Glee gum
- Packets of instant hot chocolate
- Raisins
- Fruit leathers
- Prepackaged trail mix
- Prepackaged cookies
Most of all let your kids be kids. It is one night a year. Allow them to have fun. Do you remember what it was like to go trick or treating?? If you have any great suggestions I would love to hear them
Thanks for including Glee as a healthier Halloween treat option! We so appreciate it. Happy chewing!
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