Summary: Instead of handing out candy, why not consider handing out non-candy treats, which are a great option for kids with food allergies, celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes. (Of course, some candy is okay!)
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When I was cleaning out the pantry a few weeks ago, I found a bag of candy from last Halloween and Valentine’s Day. I’m not even kidding! My kids put a piece in their lunch box each day for a few days and have a piece or two with snack and then forget about the stash.
I don’t deny my child with diabetes candy. All things in moderation. Let kids enjoy childhood rites of passage such as haunting the neighborhood on All Hollow’s Eve. The tree nut allergies are a bigger thing for us these days, and Halloween candy is notorious for having cross-contamination risks for nuts.
So for parents looking for some alternatives for class parties, to hand out to trick-or-treaters, or to swap out for some of your child’s giant stash, here are some non-candy ideas that my kids have liked:
- Mini Play-doh (always a hit among the preschool set!)
- Spooky tattoos
- Skeleton stickers
- Glow sticks
- Bouncy balls shaped like eyeballs
- Black, orange, and green rubber bracelets
- Spider rings
- Pumpkin rings
- Mini pumpkins
- Rubber bats
- Themed pencils
- Ghost pencil toppers
- Spooky erasers
- Monster finger puppets
- Rubber skeletons
- Plastic bugs
- Mini notebooks
- Coins
Resources
Don’t Get Spooked…Tips for Navigating Halloween With Type 1 Diabetes or Food Allergies
Boldly not having Any candy for my trick or treaters…offering fun toys and games, etc. And I will display my teal pumpkin and posters to explain change. This is big for us, my husband is gluten intolerant, my daughter is T1d and I have dieting issues so this was a very conscientious decision. I care about the kids coming to my door…and we get Alot…last year 300.