Halloween has a reputation as one of the biggest candy holidays of the year, thanks to the tradition of trick-or-treating. However, if you’re looking to mix up your offerings this year by handing out something useful, practical, or fun on Halloween night, here’s what we’d recommend. These non-candy Halloween treats are a great way to accommodate and include kids with food allergies or special food requirements in the historic Halloween tradition.
We can all but guarantee parents will be thankful, too, as a small toy, back-to-school item, or Halloween activity will offer respite from the mountain of candy kids are sure to receive on Halloween night. When thinking about budget, these bulk gift ideas are often similar in price to a bag of assorted treats — meaning they’re a great alternative price-wise as well. So, if you’re open to trying something new this October 31, we recommend handing out these fun, non-candy Halloween treats.
For more ideas on how to celebrate this year’s Halloween, make sure to check out our lists of easy Halloween decorations, Halloween snacks, and pumpkin carving ideas next.
1. Mini Mazes
Particularly great for older kids, this mini maze will provide a fun challenge for kiddos to keep their minds sharp. They can even gamify the maze by timing how long it takes to solve.
2. Beaded Bracelets
Every kid will feel special with a unique, Halloween-themed bracelet on their wrist. Let visitors choose a bracelet that speaks to them, or pass them out at random during busy trick-or-treating hours.
3. Finger Puppets
Gift them a trick-or-treating companion when you hand out these friendly finger monsters on Halloween night. Each color comes in five designs, making them a fun collectible that you can gift year after year.
4. Halloween Pencils
Parents will surely appreciate the break in candy when you pass out Halloween-themed pencils during trick-or-treating. Plus, it's a fun way to encourage kids to practice writing.
5. Mini Card Games
Popular card games Go Fish, Old Maid, and Hearts get a makeover in this 24-pack of Go Eeek!, Ol' Witch, and Bats! These are great intro card games for those ages three and up.
6. Halloween Mask Craft Kit
Gift kids a fun mask kit that they can assemble after the Halloween candy hunt is over. With accessories to personalize, they can outfit their Dracula, Frankenstein, ghost, owl, etc. mask to their liking.
7. Sticky Hands
Pass the novelty of sticky hands onto the next generation with these Halloween-themed varieties. They can toss and fling them to their heart's desire for loads of nostalgic fun.
8. Halloween Socks
A fun gift idea that's also practical? Parents, as well as kids, are sure to love these themed novelty socks that fit ages 6-10.
9. Juice Boxes
Help them wash down their Halloween candy bounty with a juice pouch that's easy to port around from house to house.
10. Halloween Pokémon Packs
This Halloween-themed Pokémon pack is a tremendous non-candy alternative that kids will be excited to receive. Each pack comes with three novelty cards that youngins can compare and trade.
11. Wind-Up Toys
Hand these classic wind-up toys out for Halloween, and watch as kids race them down the sidewalk. Whose spooky character will win?
12. Halloween Squishies
These cute, festive characters are filled with small balls that are perfect for squishing, stretching, and squeezing. If kiddos are nervous about trick-or-treating, having one of these friendly characters in their hand may help calm them down.
13. Stretchy Toys
These elastic skeleton toys are sure to bring lots of fun, as kids test how far they can stretch the colorful figures. They can pull on them, make them dance, and more.
14. Crayons
This four-pack set of crayons is perfect for drawing on the go. The pack contains four prominent colors: red, yellow, blue, and green — ideal for drawing blue skies, yellow suns, green grass, and red houses, among other things.
15. Mini Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way to help kids identify patterns, develop problem-solving skills, and work on independent play. These mini Halloween character puzzles are great for children of many ages.
16. Lip Balm
Little ones can add this lip balm to their "beauty collection" for dress-up time. They'll feel just like an adult applying their "lipstick," except it's clear and will help hydrate their lips.
17. Silly Straws
Meal time will be double the fun with these pumpkin-shaped silly straws. Kids will be anxious to add them to their drinks, which will also help keep them hydrated.
18. Plastic Cups
These skeleton-patterned cups are a fun vessel for gifting Halloween snacks. Fill each cup with a mix of pretzels, candy corn, and popcorn to pass out to trick-or-treaters.
19. Pop Fidget Toys
Both kids and adults alike will enjoy these Halloween icon-shaped pop fidgets that help soothe nerves one pop at a time.
20.Halloween Whoopee Cushions
If there's one universal truth known to mankind, it's that kids cannot resist the hilarity of a whoopee cushion. These even feature familiar Halloween characters.
21. LED Rings
Halloween-themed light-up rings are an age-appropriate goody-bag filler you can easily grab on Amazon or at your local dollar store.
22. Glow Bracelets
Hand out glow-in-the-dark accessories to make kids extra visible on Halloween night — both for safety and fun.
23. Slime
We think it's fair to say, kids are obsessed with slime. Feed their love of slime with these individual containers of multicolored, metallic goo.
24. Hair Scrunchies
Festive and practical, these Halloween hair scrunchies are less than $1 a piece and are popular with kids of all ages.
29. Slinkies
Slinkies are fun for everyone, and Halloween-themed slinkies make great candy alternatives for kids ringing your doorbell on October 31.
30. Mini Skateboards
Before the pop fidget, fidget slug, and fidget spinner, there was the Tech Deck — a miniature skateboard everyone played with in middle school during the aughts. Oriental Trading has the cutest Halloween-themed boards.
31. Stickers
What kid doesn't love decorating their notebooks with colorful adhesives? Festive stickers make for fun treats that won't weigh down trick-or-treaters' bags.
32. Novelty Glasses
In eight different Halloween styles, these glasses are a screaming good time. Perfect for adding to their dress-up bin at home.
33. Snack Bags
If you have minimal time to shop, pre-packaged, individual servings of Goldfish from Amazon are a great non-candy Halloween treat option (that also smiles back).
34. Mini Brain-Shaped Erasers
School supplies in fun shapes and patterns give kids something to enjoy after Halloween ends. They can bring them to school and show all their friends.
35. Bubbles
Pick up Halloween-themed, party-sized bubble bottles or grab packs of clear bubble tubes and decorate each with Halloween stickers.
36. Glow-in-the-Dark Vampire Teeth
Even if they didn't dress up as a vampire or werewolf this year, it's hard to resist these spooky, glowing plastic teeth. Princesses can have fangs too, right?
37. Mini Bottles of Water
Walking from door to door around the neighborhood can be a workout, especially if you're sneaking candy between houses. Help the kiddos stay hydrated while they make the rounds by handing out mini water bottles with fun. festive labels.
38. Play-Doh
Whether you hand out a mix of colors or opt only for Halloween hues, kids will love playing with the dough inside these iconic canisters long after the holiday has passed.
39. Temporary Tattoos
Halloween-themed tattoos are safe for kids, easy to press on, and perfect for showing off at school the next day. Sounds like a win to us!
40. Bouncy Balls
Opt for bouncy balls in the image of creepy eyeballs, frightening jack-o'-lanterns, spooky skulls, and more if you want to stay on theme for October 31.
41. Keychains
Whether they attach them to their jean loop or backpack, they'll love bouncing around with these cute, Halloween-themed keychains. The pack comes with four keychain options: a ghost, a haunted house, a black cat pumpkin, and a jack-o'-lantern.
42. Slap Bracelets
You loved them in the '80s and '90s, and now, your kids will know the joy of a slap bracelet, too. These festive versions keep the novelty alive.
43. Coloring Books
Instead of a treat that'll last for five seconds, hand out these coloring books full of Halloween characters that'll keep them occupied for hours. Or, try these Halloween rainbow scratch art mini sets.
44. Drink Packets
Give the kids a treat they can look forward to savoring at home, like a mug of warm apple cider or hot chocolate on a cold, autumn night.
Elizabeth Berry
Updates Editor
Elizabeth Berry (she/her) is the Updates Editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she optimizes lifestyle content across verticals. Prior to this role, she was an Editorial Assistant for Woman’s Day where she covered everything from gift guides to recipes. She also has experience fact checking commerce articles and holds a B.A. in English and Italian Studies from Connecticut College.
Kate Franke
Editorial Assistant
Kate Franke (she/her) is the editorial assistant at Woman’s Day. She loves all things lifestyle, home, and market related. Kate has a BAJMC in Magazine Media and BA in Writing from Drake University. She is a proud ASME alum whose work has appeared in Food Network Magazine, The Pioneer Woman Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Modern Farmhouse Style, Beautiful Kitchens & Baths, and more. Next to writing, Kate’s two favorite things are chai lattes and pumpkin bread!