No Tricks, Just Treats! How to Enjoy a Candy-Free Halloween October 02 2015, 0 Comments
Each fall, kids and adults alike get swept up in the spirit of Halloween — carving pumpkins, decking out doorsteps with faux spider webs, dangling spooky silhouettes in windows. They channel their favorite movie characters, heroes, and monsters, tricking one another from behind masks and makeup. Masquerading in costume is a highly entertaining fashion show fun for all ages, especially when donning a costumed you invented yourself!
While spending the late October evening parading around in costume is a well-loved tradition, a real parental struggle exists surrounding the sheer amount of candy children collect on Halloween and all the parties leading up to it. Orange plastic buckets molded to look like jack-o-lanterns quickly fill to the brim, teeming with sticky sweets and gummy treats. Meanwhile, parents shudder at the thought of how many cavities might be in their child’s near future. Sugar consumption among kids has led to an upswing of childhood obesity, as well as an increase of type 2 diabetes — a growing concern for parents. Not to mention it's not always the best for their teeth.
In an effort to curb the amount of sugar children consume, schools have implemented policies against children bringing candy to class on Halloween and other holidays. Another issue to consider regarding the traditional childhood Halloween experience — not just the sheer sugar shock — is that many children with allergies can’t fully participate in the trick-or-treating experience, leaving them to feel excluded. So how do we shift the celebration to include treats we don’t eat?
As a parent, it’s tricky to evade the guilt factor during Halloween. Of course we want our kids to enjoy the childhood wonderment of the holiday, but we inevitably feel guilty for letting our children accumulate so many sugary treats against our better judgment. And we admittedly feel guilty about sneaking those treats for ourselves once the kids are asleep — we’re bon bon bandits AND gluttons!
Some parents are making deals with their kids to decrease the amount of candy in their stash—trading sweets for cents. Yep—parents will give their children money for every piece of candy they relinquish. If that’s the case, why are we giving candy out in the first place when we don’t even want our own children to have any?
We’re such big fans of the The Teal Pumpkin Project! Have you heard of movement they started? The Teal Pumpkin Project launched in October 2014 in an effort to include all children (despite any allergies ) in the tradition of trick-or-treating. Homes that place a teal-painted pumpkin on their stoops signal to parents they’re stocked with candy-free treats for children. Kiddos who have learned to be incredibly cautious about their allergies can now run to these doorsteps at full speed, worry-free, ring the bell, and proudly shout, “Trick or treat!”
To outfit your home and parties with treats for all, we’ve curated a list of goodies from our retro-inspired Pocket Money collection. These little gifts will not only surprise and delight kids of all ages, but will give them something to play with long after the unavoidable sugar crash subsides. No tricks, just treats!
[1] "I Love to Wear Ears" Pom Pom Headband [2] Trick Glider [3] Hoot Owl Pencil and Eraser [4] Dino Fossils [5] Metallic Retro Bounce Balls [6] Classic Spinning Tops [7] Stretchy Insects [8] Modeling Clay [9] Glow in the Dark Wild Horses [10] "Sweet Like Cherry Pie" Pom Pom Hairclips