When our daughter was little, we tried to get creative with the items we would hand out every Halloween to the Trick or Treater's who would stop by our home.

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Over the years, I have learnt to keep a variety of items on hand for that special night. I like to give out age appropriate items, so I make up 3 baskets of goodies filled with items for a particular age group. Inexpensive wicker baskets that can be purchased at your local dollar store are great for organizing your Halloween goodies. When the child arrives at my door, I can pick up the appropriate basket and let the child pick something out of it.

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Children get a lot of candy during this time of the year, so if you are looking for some fun alternatives to handing out candy this year, I think you will find some creative and inexpensive ideas from the following list.

Travel Tooth Brushes

Travel-Size Tooth Paste

Re-useable Sports Bottle Straws

Temporary Body Tattoos (boys)

Pony Tail Holders (girls)

Hair Barrettes (girls)

Glow Sticks, Necklaces and Bracelets

Inexpensive Jewelry (Dollar Store)

Mini Die-Cast Cars (Dollar Store)

Mini Boxes of Crayons (4 packs)

Pencils

Erasers In Fun Halloween Shapes

Silly Putty (Dollar Store)

Mini Canisters of Play Dough

Mini Holiday Coloring Books and Activity Pads

Holiday Refrigerator Magnets

Holiday Vinyl Mini Window Clings

Mini Bottles of Blowing Bubbles

Mini Foam Holiday Rubber Stamps

Mini Ink Pads

Key Chains

Decks of Playing Cards

Bookmarks

Certificates for a Free Movie Rental

Character or Holiday Pins

Sheets of Stickers

Bandanas

Sports Cards

Movie Tickets or Discount Movie Coupons

Finger Puppets

Travel-Size Boxes of Cereal

Fast Food Beverage, Fries or Ice Cream Certificates

Tip #1: Throughout the year, when we eat out at fast food restaurants, we order kids meals for ourselves. We take all of those 'kids meals' toys and put them into a large wicker basket. When Trick or Treat night rolls around, we get the basket out and hand out those toys to the kids that visit our home on Halloween night.

Tip #2: Every year we get several babies out with their siblings and parents at our front door. I like to keep several jars of baby food or baby teething cookies on hand for those that visit our home. After all, a candy bar would be inappropriate to give to a child that small.

When it comes to Halloween, the most important part is to have fun and to stay safe. I believe it is important to have a variety of age appropriate items on hand to give out to the Trick or Treater's that arrive at your front door.

Creative Alternatives to Traditional Halloween Candy For Trick Or Treat Night

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