I love Halloween. I love costumes and parties and trick-or-treating. I don't love the junk food (for me or for my kids). Here are a few things we do at our house to try to keep the fun of Halloween without making it a gluttonous excuse to eat a bunch of crap (and to keep Mommy from feeling like a heroin addict sweating and shaking as I obsess over the bags of candy in the pantry).
1. Pass out non-candy treats -- you might get egged by some pissed-off 12 year olds who wanted full-size Snickers bars, but the cause is worth it. Check out the dollar section in Target or Michael's, the favor section at a party supply store, or a discount store like Big Lots or Dollar Tree. Here are a few ideas:
- Halloween erasers/pencils
- Stickers
- Glow bracelets (our choice to hand out this year; my kids are actually excited about it!)
- Small packs of sugar-free gum
- Goodie bag trinkets like kazoos, whistles, toy rings
- Temporary tattoos
2. The Halloween Witch -- I read about this in a parenting magazine when Makayla was a baby and we've done it every year since she started trick-or-treating. At the end of the evening, the kids each get to eat 2 pieces of candy on-the-spot. They then pick out 5 more pieces to keep. The rest go in a bag on the porch for the Halloween Witch. *She* takes the candy away and leaves a small present in it's place. For example, last year the kids agreed on a dvd they wanted. The first couple of years I sent the Halloween Witch candy with my husband to his office but then I felt bad for his co-workers who then had to fight the temptation. I've heard about donating it to soldiers or firefighters but I kinda' want them to be fit and ready to protect or save me if it is necessary, so I'd rather not load them up with high-calorie, sugary treats. The bottom-line for me is that if I shouldn't eat it, and I don't want my kids eating it, I shouldn't be passing it off to other people. So the last couple of years (this is difficult for me) I've thrown it in the trash. And I throw it in the big trash can and dump something gross on top so I don't get tempted to pull a Costanza and take something "off the top".
3. Healthy Halloween Party Food -- I've never actually made any of these, but they look awfully cute and they are much healthier alternatives to most of the fare you'd see at a party for kids! Let me know if you try any and love them. And if you try one and get a complete pinterest fail you definitely need to share!
- Green Meanies -- cute monster mouths made with apples, peanut butter and almond slivers
- Banana Ghost Pop -- Shredded coconut and bananas make a fun treat. Or you can dip a frozen banana half in white chocolate and add the mini chocoate chips for the eyes and mouth
- Witch's Brooms and Clementine Pumpkins -- pretzels and string cheese; clementines and celery -- easy and so cute on a platter
- Spider Deviled Eggs -- gotta' have some protein
- Ghastly Pear Ghosts -- I never would have thought of this but when you see it, the shape of the pears are just perfect! And pears are in season (unlike strawberries which I saw in a lot of posts).
- A bowl of no-sugar added red fruit juice with an ice "hand" in it. You take a latex glove, fill it with water, tie a knot in the opening and then freeze it. When it's totally solid you peel the glove off and put it in the bowl. My Mom did this at a party when I was a kid and I still remember it!
I hope these ideas help! How do you keep Halloween healthy in your house?
With Easter coming up this Sunday, I thought I'd give some ideas for egg and basket fillers for your children and grandchildren that don't come laden with empty calories and artificial colors. Let's face it, our kids really don't need the junk and most likely, we're going to end up eating some (or most) of the candy they get. So let's set everyone up for a healthy Spring with the following:
Egg Fillers:
1. Legos -- A few years ago I bought a lego starter kit and filled a bunch of the plastic eggs with a few pieces each.
2. Plastic crystals -- My kids still get so excited about finding "treasure"
3. Coins -- Who doesn't like cash? And when you shake the eggs they sound like maracas :)
4. Stickers -- Kids love stickers!
5. Vouchers -- Come up with something that would be important to your kids that you could write on a slip of paper and then roll up and put in the egg. A few options might be picking what's for dinner, a special outing, a small item they've been wanting that wouldn't fit in an egg.
6. Clues for a scavenger hunt: Write a clue on a slip of paper that you'll roll up and put in the egg. Number the clues so that when the kids have found all of the eggs, they can work together to find a prize. One year I did this and it led the kids to a soccer net I had hidden in the bathtub.
7. Balloons: Last year, I put balloons in some of the plastic eggs and a balloon pump in each of the kids' baskets. They had a lot of fun pumping up the balloons and then playing games in the backyard with them.
8. Actual, decorated, hard-boiled eggs. Great source of protein and a lot of fun to prepare :)
Easter Basket ideas:
1. Jump ropes and hula hoops -- you can challenge them to a contest to see who can jump or hula hoop the longest.
2. Any water toy that will get them moving. Last year my mom made water bombs out of cut up strips of sponge that she then tied together. The kids soaked them in a bucket and then had a sponge fight. Of course, we live in Southern California, so anyone living in a colder climate probably thinks I'm crazy!
3. Dumbbells or resistance tubes. Believe it or not, last year the Easter Bunny brought the kids 3 and 5 lb. dumbbells because they always want to lift weights with mommy. They were the biggest hit in the basket!
4. Sidewalk Chalk -- when I had the daycare I used to use sidewalk chalk for all sorts of running and learning games. My favorite was drawing letters and numbers all over the driveway and then having them run to whichever one I called out. It's not just for hopscotch!
5. Balls, balls and more balls!
6. Bubbles: my kids are 8 and 5 and they still love chasing bubbles. Especially the mega ones you can make with some of the cool bubble toys available in stores.
If you have any other ideas, please share below!!!
