Halloween Tips and Tricks
Halloween Tips and Tricks
There's a lot to cover here, so I've split it into parenting and food. 😉 Just here for the candy links - HEAD TO MY AMAZON SHOP
Parenting
Trick or treating should be about the fun of collecting and playing make believe, not about which candy they get or when they'll eat it. Dressing up and going door to door are the exciting parts for little kids!
With little ones, go out early and bring flashlights so it doesn't get scary. A frightening night can easily turn into a sleepless one. And remember, you don't have to go trick or treating at all. Having people over for a kid friendly celebration is just as special. 🧚
One thing I love to do is bake before we head out. When we get home, the kids can trade their candy for something delicious and freshly baked, and we get quality time together in the kitchen. You might say, "We're going to bake cookies before we go, and when we get home they'll be cool enough to eat!"
Food
My philosophy is that if my kids are going to eat foods that don't help them grow, I'd rather them have better options. That might be a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie (check out Pamela Salzman) or a vegan gluten free cupcake (check out @yvonnesvegankitchen). This is what works for my family, and my kids love baked goods.
A lot of you have asked for my candy picks. Here are the brands we love:
🎃 YumEarth Sour Littles
🎃 YumEarth Giggles
🎃 YumEarth licorice
🎃 YumEarth lollipops
🎃 Dip'Ems, a Fun Dip alternative
🎃 Unreal dark chocolate peanut gems
🎃 Nelly's Organics chocolate bars
🎃 Organic Candy Factory vegan gummies
🎃 Koochikoo lollipops
🎃 Justin's peanut caramel bars (like Snickers)
🎃 Supernatural sprinkles (I love these on top of cupcakes)
Non-candy handouts: friendship bracelets, Tater Tats tattoos, bubbles, erasers, seed packets.
Three Ways to Handle the Candy
The swap. Bring an identical bag of dye-free or allergy friendly candy. You can swap it with your child's bag at the end of the night, or slip ahead to the door and ask the neighbor to hand out your candy instead. (You may or may not see a very pregnant fairy running around doing this!) 🧚 If you see a teal pumpkin outside a house, that means they have allergy friendly options. #tealpumpkinproject
The Candy Fairy. This one works best for school age kids. Before you go out, explain that the fairies need candy to build their houses. If your child leaves their candy under their pillow, the fairy will replace it with a toy that lasts much longer than candy. 🧚
Donating. Older kids who understand the idea of giving can donate their candy to American troops. 🧚
At the end of the day, it's one night. My motto is always 80/20. 🎃
Face Paint
Natural Earth Paint face paint kit. Also sold at The Wooden Wagon.
It's certified non-toxic and free of nanoparticles, heavy metals, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, and petroleum-based dyes.
Masks
Most store-bought masks are hard to breathe in, and a lot of them are genuinely scary for little kids. I prefer cloth or fabric masks.
Kids can also make their own. Cut a mask out of paper or use a free printable as a template, punch holes in the corners, and thread through some yarn.
Shop Merci Milo has a great selection of fabric masks.
Costumes
I look for PVC-free, flame retardant free, and no PFAS, since most conventional costumes contain at least one of these. My favorite shops:
These are my favorite shops for non-toxic costumes:
Play silks. I love Sarah's Silks for building costumes from their scarves and capes. Their animal print set with brown leggings and a brown top makes an easy animal costume. You can also find them in my Amazon store
Handmade. I love supporting moms on Etsy, and I've found the costumes are often better made. Search for crochet or handmade Halloween costumes. They cost more, but they go straight into the dress-up bin and get worn all year.
Organic pajamas as a base. A solid colored organic pajama set is the easiest costume base there is. Add a mask, cape, ears, or tail and you're done. All my favorite PJs are on my Pajama blog
Extras I'm Buying This Year for Safety
And always remember this:
