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45 Best Non-Candy Halloween Treats So Great, They Won't Miss the Sugar

For goodie bags, spooky baskets and trunk-or-treats, these are healthy alternatives to candy.

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pokemon booster bundles and halloween lip balms are two good housekeeping picks for the best non candy halloween treats

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When they go trick-or-treating, kids gets heaps of candy. At Halloween parties, they get candy. During events like class parties and trunk-or-treats, what do they get? That's right, more candy.

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If you feel like it's time to take a break from all that sugar, here are the best non-candy Halloween treats that can act as healthy alternatives to candy. Most of them come in bulk, which makes them good to consider for handouts, goodie bags or spooky baskets. A lot of them are Halloween toys, so they'll be able to play with them (which means they'll last longer than a candy bar, anyway). Some are good for toddlers who might be too young for sweets to begin with, while others are better for tweens, teens and even adults who aren't as into the thrill of building up a candy stash anymore, but still want to participate in the Halloween fun. This year, kids are sill into fidget toys, light-up toys and anything that glows in the dark. And, of course, it wouldn't be Halloween without all the spooky pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons and monsters you associate with the season.

Halloween Activity

Halloween Coloring Books

Halloween Coloring Books
Credit: ArtCreativity

Give them something to do while waiting for the sun to go down. The set comes with 20 coloring books, and each one is just 5 inches by 7 inches, so they can be easy take-alongs. Ages 3+

Great for Safety

Halloween Glow Stick Hanging Wands

Halloween Glow Stick Hanging Wands
Credit: JOYIN

These glow wands do double duty: The Halloween designs make them a fun holiday accessory, and you can hang them from a treat bag or costume to make kids easier to spot in the dark as an added safety measure. When trick-or-treating is done, kids will love waving them around in the dark like real magic wands. Ages 3+

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Everybody Loves Bubbles

Halloween-Themed Bubbles

Halloween-Themed Bubbles
Credit: The Dreidel Company

While any favor-sized bubbles will do, these have toppers with monsters, vampires, mummies and pumpkins, which makes them perfect for a fall bubble-blowing session. No age recommendation given

Best Halloween Accessory

Halloween Bracelets

Halloween Bracelets
Credit: Jadive

Beaded bracelets aren't just for Taylor Swift concerts anymore. Kids can choose their favorite Halloween saying from among these 48 bracelets, or, if there's enough, they can pick a few and wear them stacked together. No age recommendation given

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Sensory Experience

Noisy Putty Skulls

Noisy Putty Skulls
Credit: ArtCreativity

These boneheads look gruesome, sure — and they also make silly noises when kids stick their fingers into the putty within. They come in a set of 24, in four cool colors.

Best Treats for School Parties

Halloween Light-Up Rings

Best Seller
Halloween Light-Up Rings
Now 13% Off
Credit: Qvatoxis

These rings make for fun, seasonal accessories during the day, but they also light up with the power of LEDs that flash red, green and blue. It's a good way to brighten up a dark costume. Ages 3+

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Buy in Bulk

Glow-in-the-Dark Halloween Bounce Balls

Best Seller
Glow-in-the-Dark Halloween Bounce Balls
Now 54% Off
Credit: JOYIN

Bouncy balls are always a good time, but this set of 72 bounce balls gets even more fun when the lights go out. Then, you can see the balls' glow-in-the-dark designs (which makes them easier to keep track of). No age recommendation given

Great for Elementary Schoolers

Galaxy Slime

Amazon’s Choice
Galaxy Slime
Credit: Kicko

When the slime comes out of these containers, not only does it feel cool to touch, it has a marbled, rainbow, galactic look to it — so cool! They come in a pack of 24 containers. Ages 5+

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Great for Goodie Bags

Halloween Zipper Bracelets

Halloween Zipper Bracelets
Credit: Capoda

Kids will love wearing these around Halloweentime, since they have cute, seasonal charms that hang down. But the two-tone zipper looks give them some extra pizzazz. Ages 6+

For Kids Who Like Makeup

Halloween Lip Balm

Halloween Lip Balm
Credit: Dansib

It feels like a cosmetic but goes on clear, making it great for kids who want to experiment with makeup. There are 40 in a pack, with four different designs — just in time for the dry season. No age recommendation given

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Mini Halloween Pop Fidget Toys

On Sale
Mini Halloween Pop Fidget Toys
Now 32% Off
Credit: JDSTY

They've been around for years now, but pop fidgets still feel satisfying to push and press. These come with 24 pop fidget toys in six different Halloween shapes, and they can also attach to a backpack. No age recommendation given

Easiest Non-Candy Halloween Handout

Halloween Temporary Tattoos

Halloween Temporary Tattoos
Credit: ArtCreativity

If the kids can't stand face paint, they can deck themselves out with these Halloween tattoos and still be in the festive spirit. With this set, you get a whopping 144 tattoos in six different designs. (Dibs on the silly candy corn face.) Ages 3+

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Cute Activity

Make-a-Pumpkin Stickers

Make-a-Pumpkin Stickers

You can carve a pumpkin, you can paint a pumpkin, but by far the easiest, least messy thing you can do is let kids make their own pumpkin faces with these sticker sheets. They can choose what stickers they want to use for the eyes, noses, mouths and accessories and place them on the pumpkin outline. Ages 3+

Classic Fun

Halloween Wind-Up Toy Assortment

Halloween Wind-Up Toy Assortment
Credit: Max Fun

Little ones will delight in winding up these little monsters and watching them go. There are 12 different designs for kids to try and collect. Ages 3+

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Useful Treat

Scentco Halloween Smencils (Scented Pencils)

On Sale
Scentco Halloween Smencils (Scented Pencils)
Credit: Scentco

These aren't candy, but they sure smell sweet, with scents like cherry, pumpkin, candy apple, plum, and blueberry. There are five in a pack, and they come in different Halloween designs. No age recommendation given

Cute Art Supply

Halloween Stampers

Halloween Stampers
Credit: ArtCreativity

After they get their hands on one of these stamps, they can DIY their own treat bags (without making too much of a mess). This comes in a set of 24, which makes it easy to share. Ages 3+

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For Pranksters

Halloween Whoopee Cushions

Halloween Whoopee Cushions

If you know kids who would much prefer tricks to treats, these whoopee cushions are for them. There are 12 in a pack, and they come in either skeleton or Frankenstein's monster designs. Ages 3+

For Trading-Card Collectors

Pokémon Trick or Trade BOOster Bundles

Editor’s Choice
 Pokémon Trick or Trade BOOster Bundles
Credit: The Pokémon Company

You get 50, three-card booster packs in this bag, and they're full of Pokémon that fit the season. (Gotta love that Pumpkaboo.) Don't be surprised if you see the trainers in your neighborhood circling the block again and again to try and get more. Ages 6+

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Trendy Toy

Halloween Squishies

Best Seller
Halloween Squishies
Credit: Lavizo

Slow-rising squishies are still as popular as ever, and this pack comes in a set of six shapes, perfect for Halloween. Skeletons, vampires, mummies and the like are far less threatening when you can smush them. If you are anticipating doing a larger handout, you can also get smaller squishes in larger numbers. Ages 3+

Fun Fidget

Flip-Sequin Pumpkins

Flip-Sequin Pumpkins
Credit: ArtCreativity

Who among us hasn't been mesmerized by wiping our hands across a set of flip sequins? These cuties give that activity a seasonal twist, turning the pumpkins from red to gold. Ages 3+

Headshot of Marisa LaScala
Marisa LaScala
Senior Parenting & Relationships Editor

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky. 

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