Trick-Or-Treat
Sidestepping the sweets: Creative (and cute) Halloween candy alternatives
With Halloween only a few days away, ‘candy run’ is most likely high on your list of weekend to-dos. While everyone loves a sweet treat (I’ve never met a Reese’s I didn’t like…), there are some other ways to inject a dose of creativity into the generally predictable trick-or-treat routine.
Not to suck the fun right out of the ritual, but a recent GOOD articlealso opened my eyes to the (very) questionable practices behind the production of many mainstream chocolate candies. It was reading this article, along with receiving a free set of Tattly’s special Halloween ‘designy temporary tattoos’ in the mail the other day that fueled a brainstorm session for creative alternatives to normal Halloween treats and activities.
Think about it: There is an inherent element of creative play in all things Halloween, and the act of going door-to-door is, at its essence, a community building activity. With so much anticipation and enthusiasm surrounding parties, costumes and the treats themselves, there are plenty of ways to create fun and memorable experiences for you and your family that don’t necessarily involve exorbitant amounts of sugar.
Just glow with it
Dark streets filled with costume-clad kids are not exactly ideal safety situations. Parents may actually be the ones thanking you if you hand out these double- duty treats and toys that transform their tykes into human night-lights.
Express yourself
Children will probably already be beaming with pride as they show off their chosen Halloween costume Monday night, so why not take the opportunity to give them yet another fun means of artistic self-expression?
Arts n’ bats
Get crafty with this (kid-friendly) DIY that also happens to be my personal favorite of this round-up. After you’ve toured the neighborhood with your kids (or yourself, no judgment here) have some fun with the trick-or-treaters who ring the doorbell in search of candy. This simple recycled bat idea is not only remarkably easy to make, it does its part to keep Austin batty, too. Plus, it could be a fun bonding activity. Make a few of the bats, but don’t hand them out to just anyone (after all, who really has time to make more than a few?). Set them aside and tell your kids/spouse/pet that the bats are your family’s “Halloween trophies”— to be awarded in a few (democratically agreed upon) categories: Most Creative, Most Time Consuming, Funniest, Most Adorable, etc.
We know we know, it’s not a competition and everyone’s a winner… but not everyone gets a bat.
Good intentions
However, if you do find yourself with an excess of candy on your hands come November 1st, there is a charitable way to unload those treats and keep the sugar crashes at bay. Check out these “Halloween Candy Buy Back” locations in the Austin area where you can exchange candy for $1/lb. (up to 5 lbs.). The program donates all of the candy to Operation Gratitude, who then sends care packages to U.S. Military deployed in harm’s way.
Trick-or-treat!