[dharmama]

I've "cleaned up my act" quite a bit food-wise over the last year and am much more conscious of what I'm putting into my body (and what I make for others)...lately I've been giving a lot of thought to Halloween.

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For those of you who celebrate Halloween, what do you give out to kids trick-or-treating?

In the past I've just handed out chocolate bars and peanut butter cups (without really even thinking about it).

I don't want to do that this year.

I would love to make some treats but I know in this day and age, kids are instructed not to eat anything home-made for Halloween - so that's out.

I was thinking that there might be something I could buy (pre-packaged) in bulk from my healthfood store...like carob raisins or something. Any other ideas???

Also.....I don't have kids yet (hopefully soon!!!) but what do you do with your kids so that they can participate in the holiday without bringing piles and piles of candy into your house???

~Erin

 

[Fleurette]

How about giving out halloween stickers or pencils or something non edible? You could try orientaltradingcompay.com for some ideas that aren't terribly expensive. I wouldn't allow my child to eat something homemade unless it was a neighbor that I know well. Unfortunately, you never know what's in the homemade stuff and may possibly have things in it that my child is allergic to.

F.

 

[dharmama]

Oooo....I like that idea!!

Anyone else???

 

[mamaMAMAma]

Last year I gave out honey sticks and sesame candies from whole foods. The kids were really curious about the honey sticks. I saw some "healthy" lollipops at whole foods a few weeks ago, so I thinking about those for halloween in addition to the honey sticks.

 

[dharmama]

The honey sticks are a great idea too!!! They are pretty inexpensive also.

 

[rebx]

When I'm really organized, I get lots of cheap toys from Archie McPhee in Seattle and give those out instead of candy (poison dart frogs, squirting fish, tiny plastic ants, etc have all gone over well). The Seattle store has big bins of cheap stuff, but I'm not so sure about the online catalog: http://www.mcphee.com/

The leader at the LLL mtg I went to yesterday had an idea that I love: Let your kids go trick or treating, then as soon as they get home, The Great Pumpkin visits and gives out toys they really want in exchange for the candy they've collected (they each keep 2 pieces or so of the candy). She says her friends have been doing this with their kids all along, and that the kids love it.

We always went trick or treating for UNICEF when I was a kid, so I'm planning to make that a part of DD's Halloween experience, along with The Great Pumpkin trade-in idea. I'm not planning to make this a consumer extravaganza, just something small but fun in exchange for the candy. I really felt cheated by not being allowed to get any candy at all when I was a kid (we ONLY collected $ for UNICEF), and I don't want to replicate that experience for DD, but I don't want to go too far in the opposite direction, either.

http://www.unicefusa.org/trickortreat/

 

[ja mama]

We will also trade out all od Ds's candy for fruit leather, and gummi rings with no food coloring and jelly beans with no food coloring, maybe even a small toy. He'll still get tons of sugar but I'm a real sticler on the food coloring. Or have you already figured that out?

Organic raisins are good too

 

[guestmama9924]

at my local market I can by little Halloween decorated packs of peanuts. I give those out.

Fleurette, I too have, in the past I gave out stickers and pencils and other Halloween decorated trinkets. Put them in a little tiny Halloween prize bag and it is definitely a hit!

We allow the girls to sort it out, pick out their few faves and then let them have 1 a day. By day 5 they have forgotten all about it and we toss it.

Rebx- our school also does the Trick or Treat for UNICEF thing with the little boxes, but I have not allowed DD to do that in the past. The school pushes it as a way to "help save the worlds kids through vaccines" ....and since we are a non-vaxing family it just does not mesh well with us! Plus kids soliciting just never has sat well at all with us.

 

[rebx]

Keysmama - I hear you on the vaxing & UNICEF connection - It's definitely true that Unicef sponsors large vaccination programs in the developing world, but they also use a lot of their $ for oral rehydration therapy, clean drinking water, education and other things that I do think are valuable, so that's how I justify it to myself, fwiw. When my mother presented the concept of collecting $ to us, it was explained as part of our obligation as Jews to work for tikkun olam (healing/repairing the world). I think it was her way of making a non-Jewish holiday into a way for us to perform a mitzvot (good deed)...But, I can totally see how having kids solicit money isn't everyone's cup of tea!

I hope that isn't all too off-topic. Here's to a happy halloween for everyone, whatever you're giving out or collecting!

 

[blessed2bamommie]

I thought about making oatmeal raisin cookies, (dh likes them too!) But, I haven't particpated in years, so I didn't remember that! I thought I would have something healthy in case kids come knocking, (I'm in an apt) since I'll be home, and it falls on Friday. Raisins.....I have to see if I can find honey sticks at my local. But, maybe the raisins, in case noone comes and it won't go to waste!

 

[Irishmommy]

I buy Halloween pencils and give them out. They have the added advantage for me in that they are not edible, so I don't have to replace my stash if I buy in early October.

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Don't give out peanuts. There are too many kids with allergies for it to be worth it.

 

[EnviroBecca]

Another idea is to get a bunch of rolls of pennies at the bank, and give each kid a handful. One of my childhood neighbors did that, and it was a big hit--we all felt like we were really getting something valuable, yet he probably spent less per kid than many people giving out candy!

Another neighbor gave out buttons that said, "Make Mormon Missions Possible!" His was NOT a popular house.

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Another source of cheap little toys is American Science & Surplus.

 

[friend of mine]

When I was a child we always went to a dentist's home. He would give out tooth brushes and small tubes of tooth paste. My brother and I loved trick-or-treating there, and we never forgot to brush our teeth on Halloween night.