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Non-Food Halloween Treats are becoming more popular.  Halloween candy or not… Halloween Treats are fun for everyone- no matter the age!  

Whether you are making Halloween desserts, looking for ideas to create a fun Halloween-themed dinner for kids, or you want to find healthy Halloween Swaps (swap that candy for this snack!), we’ve got you covered.

Today we are turning the focus from store bought Halloween candy to some great non-candy Halloween treats. These non-food Halloween treats are perfect for younger children, children with allergies, Halloween parties, or simply a candy alternative.

halloween treat ideas that aren't food

While these treats are great for everyone, they are perfect for children with allergies, children who can’t consume large amounts of sugar or children who are too young for candy.

Non-Food Halloween Treat Ideas for Trick-or-Treaters this Year

When our kids were little, and not ready for all the candy, we gave them their own pumpkins to paint… like this Star Wars Pumpkin.

A pumpkin decorated  as Princess Leia.


We also made cute Halloween treats like these Spider Oreo Cookies.   

Oreo spider recipe

Since these things are a little too hard to pass out while trick-or-treating, we came up with other options. 🙂

Most children don’t care about the actual candy since it is more the fun of the experience, the dressing up, the walking around at night past bedtime, etc. You can always put the candy somewhere out of sight and ration it out each week/month or even as a mini-reward.

Today, I will give you some ideas if you want to start the “non-candy” Halloween tradition with your kids or students. Here are just a few things on my list to make or buy every year at Halloween.

P.S. You might SAVE money by not buying those vast $20 bags of candy for every event. ;). Today we are sharing affiliate links for these items to fill the treat bags.

The Best Halloween Treat Ideas (that aren’t food or candy)

1. Playdough

Play Dough Mini Packs! I might be over-exaggerating here, but I’m pretty sure playdough is the second greatest toy invented, second only to crayons.

You can opt for this large set from Amazon.com to hand out to trick-or-treaters, or you can make your own at home in Halloween-themed colors!
Make your own pumpkin-scented playdough, too! 

A close up of a fruit playdough

2. Slime

Slime comes after play dough, which can also be bought or made in funky colors or scents for an easy Halloween treat idea. Bonus, you can make your own fluffy slime as a homeschool project or class Science project!

Fluffy Slime (no-stick slime)

3. Halloween Crafts

These will keep your kids busy for hours!   I love these little wooden ornaments that your kids can paint, decorate, write on, add stickers to, etc…  all you have to do is give them the ornament & let them come up with an idea! 
These coloring sheets are a great Halloween Treat, too! Tie them up in a little orange ribbon & you’re set!

4. Glow in the Stickers & Window Decals.

Glowing Stickers with Halloween patterns are perfect for a Halloween treat. You can also make your own Halloween glow-in-dark window decals.

5. Washable Glow-in-the-Dark Tattoos

Glow in the Dark Temporary Tattoos  In this pack, you get 30 individual sheets of different sheets of glow temporary waterproof tattoos.   It comes with a total of just around 400 tattoos so you will have plenty (either leave them in sheets of 30 or cut them in half for more!) 

Younger children love using tattoos, just as much as they love using stickers! They will use them on plastic pumpkins, books, paper, arms, and legs! You can’t go wrong handing out sheets of stickers or temporary tattoos on Halloween night.

6. Busy Book Halloween Activity Sheets

The best thing about a Halloween busy book and activity sheet packet is that they will last much longer than those bite-sized candy bars!

Plus, parents everywhere will thank you for giving their kids a way to have fun (staying busy) for hours! Check out the Halloween Coloring Sheets or this Halloween Preschool & Kindergarten packet of printable activities.

7. Pencils & Erasers

Halloween Pencils & Erasers are perfect. This is a must-have in any child’s Halloween treats stash! Children will use them all month long… until it’s time for the Christmas-themed pencils to come out.

8. Laser Finger Lights

These tiny finger flashlights fit on your finger like a ring.  They are so much fun!  They might not last long, but the kids love them while they are giving off light. 🙂

9. Glow in the Dark Jewelry

What kid doesn’t love glow-in-the-dark jewelry? Not to mention, it will make them more visible when trick-or-treating at night. Glowing lanyards, Glow sticks, Glow Jewelry (glow bracelets, glow necklaces, glow glasses).  

10. Books

Fun occasions & holidays are not complete without a new addition to our library. I love adding seasonal books to our bedtime story line-up. This would also be great if you are a teacher!

A small pumpkin with text above it.

In fact, Scholastic often has holiday sales where you can buy seasonal or clearance books for $1, making sure everyone gets a copy. (Use the code Becky10 for 10% off)

For those of you who want to indulge this Halloween, but not in the traditional way we hope that you’ve taken away a few ideas for treats that don’t involve candy.

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When Halloween Is Over…

Remember to use your pumpkins for education! Try this cool Halloween science experiment with your kids.

Hi there!

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

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