I have mentioned before how much I enjoy the celebration of Halloween. I wanted to give you some ideas for treats...other than candy! I believe most of the excitement that the kids feel comes from dressing up, spending time with good friends and family, and getting to go meet their neighbors for a "treat". However, that "treat" need not be candy!! Children don't really want all that sweet stuff, and the tummy ache, and possible cavities that follow anyway. Here are some ideas if you are the one handing out treats this year.

Dr. Amy's Ideas

You could have a photo booth set up at your front door. You could hand out instant photos of the kids in their costume. This is a great instant camera and film, or this is a neat printer that is easy to set up and link to your phone. I know this one would be a hit with their parents for sure!
Play-doh! You can't go wrong with this one, especially for the littler kiddos...they LOVE it! I used to carry a jar of this in my purse just for the occasional distraction emergency. It really works wonders!
Reflector necklaces. This is a great idea that they can instantly use, and it helps keep them safe on their Halloween journey!
Water bottles. This is always a welcome treat, as many kids are walking a long ways, and forget to bring something along to drink. You could just hand out regular bottles or dress them up! Here are some cute stickers to make them festive, and there are a ton of cute ideas for this on Pinterest!
Small crayon packets. These are really affordable and a great treat. I love treats that help foster creativity. And this is another great one to through in your purse! They come in so handy...even when your kids get to the homework stage! And these stacking crayons are super cute for older kids!
Glow bracelets. Kids of all ages love anything that glows! These are really affordable and would make a great "treat"!
Goo. Kids of all ages also like goo! Any kind, any color...this stuff makes everyone happy...that is until it gets stuck to your wall or ceiling for any amount of time at all. This stuff will definitely leave an oily mark, so more of a kid favorite than a mom favorite I would say. Here is some that glows in the dark...which makes it awesome!
Halloween balloons. These balloons are themed and would be a great prize. you could use an air pump like this one to help with the filling, or if you really wanted to be a neighborhood rock star, you could get a hold of a helium tank!
Glow sticks. These are wonderful! We get these for our kids every year. They help parents out too as they make the kids easy to keep track of, once the sun goes down.
Punch balloons. This is one of those items that surprisingly will keep kids entertained for a very long time! They are cheap, could be filled with a standard air pump, and would be a huge hit!
Halloween silly bands. This are little bracelets that retain the shape of Halloween themed designs. kids really like these to wear, and trade.
Disappearing ink. This stuff rocks! Even adults find this stuff fascinating. It is priced right and could be a great gift that they definitely wouldn't find at every house!
Lip Balm. Grabbing a huge tub of mini chap sticks could be an excellent and very particle treat. Everyone can use chapstick on occasion. Very practical!
Balloon animals. Are you an extravert that loves interacting with the kids? You could get a set like this and learn how to make a couple of balloon animals! Even if you only gave them the option of a flower or sword...they would think you were the coolest! Of course, this might depend on how many kids you usually have come your way...You could end up with a line down your drive and you making balloon animals until 2 am too!
Sticker activity sheets. Here are some Halloween themed activity sticker sheets. These are fun and easy! Most kids would enjoy them....and they would last about as long as piece of candy! Or, if you wanted to, you could just hand out regular Halloween stickers like these!
Toy chest. There are some all-inclusive toy chests that offer a bunch of different little toys. You could have one of these and just let each child pick their own toy. You could even decorate your whole entrance like a pirate ship!!!....ok or maybe just have the toy chest.
Tattoos. Fake tattoos are always a huge hit! These are very cheap, Halloween themed, and easy to hand out. All kids know how to put them on and enjoy them.
Halloween necklaces. These are adorable! Or you could also do beads, beads, beads!
Pencils and Pencil top erasers. These little erasers are adorable, and if you combined them with a Halloween themed pencil that is a total win!
Bubbles! Of course, I can't end a list like this without mentioning the magical power of bubbles!

I sincerely hope you enjoyed and found this list useful! You know I love to preach moderation, so if you are not comfortable taking away all the sweets and offering alternatives, maybe you could have an option. It might be really interesting how many kiddos would chose the non-sweet option all on their own! Dr. Aric and I are doing the pencils and pencil erasers this year for our treat!

Love,

Dr. Amy