10 Cool & Candy-Free Trick-or-Treat Options

By Ellen Sturm Niz
Reluctant to contribute to the neighborhood sugar rush this Halloween? Instead of giving candy to the trick-or-treaters who come to your door, try passing out one of these awesome no-candy treats that kids will be just as excited to get.
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Bottles of "Booo-bbles"

Courtesy of Spaceships and Laserbeams

Let trick-or-treaters fill the the night air with spooky "booo-bbles" with this fun idea from Stephanie of Spaceships and Laserbeams (spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com). Top favor-size bottles of bubbles with little ghost stickers and tie on one of the cute printable tags Stephanie shared for free in her guest post on Tatertots and Jello.

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Playdough Treat Bags

Courtesy of One Krieger Chick

Turn homemade or store-bought playdough into spooky Frankenstein, ghost, and jack-o'-lantern heads like Ariean of One Krieger Chick. Drop green, white, or orange-colored balls of the dough into cellophane bags, close with Halloween-themed washi tape, and use a black permanent marker to draw on the faces. So easy, even your kids can help make them!

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Pencils With Not-so-Scary Monster Toppers

Courtesy of Handmade Charlotte

Handing out pencils becomes less functional and more fun when they are topped with these adorable monsters created by Mollie at Handmade Charlotte. Just pick up some boxes of No. 2's and print out the downloadable pencil toppers to cut and punch. You can even get creative with some googly eyes and glue.

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DIY Halloween Tattoos

Courtesy of Transient Expression

Even kids who are afraid of bugs will want to put on one of these creepy fake tattoos created by Rachel at Transient Expression. She resized them from images of spiders, moths, and skulls so all you have to do is print them out on tattoo paper and assemble. Hand out one or a handful to each of the kiddos who ring your doorbell and you're guaranteed no tricks.

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Lego Pumpkin Treat Bags

Courtesy of Repeat Crafter Me

No kid can ever have enough Legos, and chances are orange is underrepresented in any collection. Buy a bunch of the pumpkin-hued blocks to divvy up into round cello bags tied off with twine and a paper leaf like Rachel of Repeat Crafter Me, and you've got a "treat" that will click with kids.

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Halloween Kid Craft Paper Pumpkins

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Ring-Adorned Healthy Snack Bars

Courtesy of Savvy Saving Couple

If you want to hand out a healthy edible treat without worrying about your house getting egged, try attaching some inexpensive Halloween-themed favor rings like Amy from Savvy Saving Couple. Pick up the "jewelry" from the drug store or party supply chain and tie to granola or fruit bars with orange and black rafia.

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Popcorn Hands with Spider Rings

Courtesy of Yummy Healthy Easy

Turn a box of disposable gloves into cool "severed hands" like Jen of Yummy Healthy Easy by filling them with popcorn and tying them off with twine or ribbon. Slide on a couple of plastic spider rings for color, and -- if you're open to including a tiny bit of sugar -- add a candy corn fingernail in each fingertip.

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Homemade Pumpkin Crayons

Courtesy of Live Simply

Give the nubby crayon ends littering the bottom of your child's art supplies new life by turning them into these cute pumpkin-shaped crayons by Kristin of Live Simply. Simply bake paper-free crayon pieces in a silicone mold of 24 tiny pumpkins for 15 minutes. After they've cooled, package them in snack-size plastic bags and staple on the cute printable gift tag Kristin created.

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You Light Up My Halloween Glow Bracelets

Courtesy of Thirty Handmade Days

Kids will love having a glow-in-the-dark bracelet to put on as they roam the streets at dusk, so pick up a bunch of the wearables to pass out. Add a cute printable like Mique of Thirty Handmade Days to jazz it up and the kiddos will feel extra special.

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Halloween Gak Capsules

Courtesy of Lil' Luna

For little kids, Halloween is usually more about gross-outs than spook-outs, so giving trick-or-treaters their own little handfuls of slimy gak is appropriately icky. Kristyn of Lil' Luna filled some vending capsules (available in bulk online) with her homemade gak (Elmer's glue, Borax, water, and food coloring) in green or orange and decorated each with a monster or jack o' lantern face. You can stick on vinyl face decals or stickers or draw them on with a permanent marker.

Copyright © 2015 Meredith Corporation.

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