Halloween is right around the corner! As a mom of 3 kids, this time of year can be so much fun! The kids love to dress up in their costumes, decorate the house with spooky crafts, and of course, carve their pumpkins (which let’s be honest, if your kids are as young as mine, it means I’m carving pumpkins!). In all seriousness, this time of year can be a blast! But with all the fun and ghostly decor, comes the endless amounts of candy!!!! Every where you turn there is candy. Kids are getting candy from school, from daycare, from grandparents, the local pumpkin patch… you name it, they are getting their hands on CANDY!!!
With all the candy handouts comes going through each piece, making sure everything is safe…if your kid has a peanut allergy, good luck! Candy for days!!! It’s incredible how much candy these little kiddies bring home.
So what do you say we come together during Halloween and pass out an alternative to all the candy! Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors… let’s pull together to give our kids something different this year which will be just as exciting as candy but much healthier! Here are some great healthy snack alternatives to hand out at the local trunk or treat event or to the batman, mermaid and dragon knocking on your door!
- Individual bags of popcorn or pretzels
- Organic fruit bites
- Fruit cups (no sugar added)
- Granola bars
- Fig newtons
- Go squeeze applesauce
- Raisins
- Mini water bottles
Trying to stay away from food altogether?! Great! Here are a few non-food options:
- Pencils
- Erasers
- Bubbles
- Glow Sticks
- Stickers
- Washable Tattoos
All great alternatives but let’s get real… we KNOW our kids will still be bringing home bags full of candy. So what do we do with it all?? Have you ever considered donating the excess candy you get after Halloween?? This is a great and rewarding experience… not only do you get all that candy out of your house but your kids feel pride in knowing they are giving back! Here are a few places you can donate to:
- Operation Gratitude https://www.operationgratitude.com
- Halloween Candy Buy Back http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com
You can also check with the local dentists in the area!
Many great options to make this Halloween even better than the last! But we want to hear from you!! What other healthy snack options do you pass out during Halloween or what items do you like to give to the kids?!
Jackie Giese, Community Outreach Coordinator
PTC_therapy October 25th, 2017
Posted In: General