More than 36 million children in the United States go trick-or-treating, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s a great deal of sugar-laden Halloween candy that is finding its way back into our homes. Young guests at your Halloween party will have their fill of candy and chocolate, so take this opportunity to derail the sugar train for a night. Treat kids to something different in their Halloween party favor bags by eliminating the sugar and elevating the fun.
Wearable Favors
Young party-goers may be dressed in their Halloween best, but they still love to embellish their looks. Make party favor bags with some inexpensive and wearable items, including Halloween, fall or character tattoos. Read the directions before you make the bags, as you will surely be applying many fake tattoos at the party. Include eye patches, bandannas, sheriff or other badges and other small trinkets your party guests can wear. Label the favor bags “for girls,” if you also include beaded necklaces, rings, jeweled crowns and bracelets.
Glow-in the dark bracelets and necklaces are a must-have sugar-free favor for any evening Halloween party. These are best for kids ages 4 and up.
Stretchy bracelets, the type that magically shrink back into shape are wildly popular with kids and will bring wide smiles to the painted faces of your young party guests.
Sugar-Free Treats
Fill a Halloween party favor bag with some edible goodies that don’t contain sugar. Include single-serving sizes of salty snacks like pretzels, air-popped popcorn, cheese crackers or beef jerky. Jazz-up homemade popcorn for the bags by sprinkling on some cinnamon. Make your own homemade pumpkin seeds and toss them with sunflower seeds for a sugar-free treat.
Party-goers will also enjoy treats that come in sugar-free versions, including sugar-free gum. Include a variety of fruity gum flavors, and the kids won’t even miss the sugary rush from regular gum.
Package up some mixed nuts or trail mix if none of your guests has a peanut or nut allergy. Incorporate the trail mix making into your Halloween party activities by letting each child use a tablespoon to scoop their favorite items you sorted into large bowls.
Crafty Favors
Send kids home with Halloween and fall-themed craft items. Include stickers that are seasonal, or use alphabet stickers for preschoolers and kindergarten students. Not only will they love playing with the stickers, peeling and apply stickers helps young children develop the fine motor skills they need to perfect their handwriting grip.
Add small containers of colorful dough or a miniature package of self-hardening clay to the favor bag. Sort out a variety of colorful craft sticks, pom-poms and pipe cleaners into smaller bags and include those with the favor bag.
Let children leave their mark on paper with Halloween stamps, crayons, pencils and markers. Add a pencil sharpener and an eraser. Have fun assembling the bag and look for funny-shaped items like a nose-shaped pencil sharpener or pumpkin-shaped erasers. Drop in a small notebook, which you can make by stapling together small squares of construction paper cut into a ghost shape.
