My kids love Halloween; they love dressing up and seeing all the costumes, but let’s be real- they LOVE the candy! As a kid, I always loved collecting a bagful of candy and trading with my brothers and sisters afterwards.

We live in a day and age that’s definitely a little more complicated! There are so many allergies, children with autism and/or sensory disorders- it can be a little overwhelming! While it’s fun for kids to receive a bunch of candy, there are plenty of options that are less sugary and can be great alternatives for those kids that can’t have candy- or for those moms who’d rather not bring home buckets of candy! But it can be harder to come up with ideas for these special needs- so here’s a list to help you out. You can opt to completely substitute what you provide for trick-or-treaters this year, or you can choose to have 2 different buckets- one full of candy, and one full of these other alternatives!

• Stickers
• Goldfish
• Annie’s bunny crackers
• Halloween pencils
• Fun shaped erasers
• Kid bandaids
• Cheap jewelry (like rings and bracelets- my girls would go crazy!)
• Popcorn
• Pretzels
• Small packs of crayons
• Mini activity books
• Glow sticks (these would be a HUGE hit with my kids!)
• Fruit snacks
• Granola bars
• Bubbles
• Bouncy balls
• Drink packets- simple but super exciting for kids!
• Mini Play-doh
• Bookmarks
• Mandarin oranges
• Raisin boxes

Not all these options will work for everyone; kids with gluten allergies or dye sensitivities in particular might not be able to have several of these options, so it might be a good idea to have a few different things to choose from in your special bucket- for example, have bubbles, fruit snacks, and popcorn as different items to choose from.

While it may take a little more planning and budgeting to provide these candy alternatives, you’ll definitely have kids (and moms!) who are super grateful!