Alternatives To Trick Or Treat

Do your kids have to go out trick or treating to enjoy Halloween? Not necessarily! Whether you live in a rough neighborhood, want to avoid candy, or have any other reason to stay away from the tradition of asking complete strangers for treats, you can still have a great Halloween without trick or treating.

Why not host a kids' dress up party for your kids and their friends?

You are almost guaranteed to find other parents who are a bit apprehensive about the whole Trick or Treat tradition — at your kids' school, in your circle of friends, from Scout cubs or anywhere else you or your kids know other children. If you still want to have a great Halloween experience, why not host your very own kids' dress-up party? Halloween dinner parties for adults can be great fun, and you could even combine a kids' party with a dinner event. 

Include games, great Halloween-themed food like ghost-shaped mashed potatoes and pumpkin risotto, and perhaps watch a film that is a little scary, but age appropriate. The party could be turned into a sleepover too. You can still have a wonderfully scary evening in a wholesome way, and your kids won't miss out on any of the fun. If you fall into the more laid-back category of parents, you can make sure kids attending a Halloween party instead of Trick or Treating will not be jealous of friends who did do that very easily. Buy a selection of different treats and candy! You could even make a pumpkin or ghost pinata to add to the fun. 

Younger children (up to 10 years old, or so) will enjoy decorating a pumpkin, playing hide and seek where someone dressed up as a ghost or witch has to catch them, and Halloween-themed board games. You could also collect "scary" things like plastic spiders and bats, pumpkins or a witch's hat and ask blindfolded children to figure out what they are. 

Handing Out Healthy Halloween Snacks

We all know that kids would rather receive candy than an apple when they are out trick or treating. Rest assured in the knowledge that they'll get plenty of sugary treats elsewhere, and be that “witch” who hands out healthy snacks.

• Roasted pumpkin seeds nicely wrapped up in orange cellophane maintains a traditional theme.

• Boxes of raisins can be dressed up as ghosts or witches fairly easily.

• Chocolate-coated nuts combine healthy with a little less healthy.

• If you must give candy, make sure that you avoid the variety that sticks to the teeth, as this type of candy attacks the child's dental health for longer periods of time.

• Another idea is to give a toothpaste samples along with your candy!

• Giving non-food treats may be an even better idea. Look at party favors for cheap toys that can be handed out to your neighborhood kids. It would be nice for these gifts to be Halloween themed, but it's not really necessary