Good morning everyone and Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend, especially since we are now only three days away from Halloween! For those who are still preparing for the holiday, let me use this Coffee Break to let you in on some ideas on how to upgrade your trick-or-treat bowl this year! These are some of the things I like to give away and I can guarantee you’ll leave the kids incredibly excited!
I know lots of people like pull candy from the bowl itself, but I feel that runs the risk of some kids not getting the same value. This requires a bit of prep but I prefer to use little bags. Ahead of time, I fill each bag with what I am planning on giving out so I can ensure everyone gets a little bit of everything. I typically fill out enough that I am confident I can provide enough to everyone we get, but I have some loose goodies just in case we happen to have more than expected
When I was a kid I was obsessed with glow sticks; they are fun and if they happen to open them before they are done, they can have extra light while out walking on the sidewalks. I love these with different colors because they offer some variety, and kids always get a level of amazement when they see them!
Maybe I’m too generous but our household has always stood by the full size candy rule. It excites the kids plus they definitely remember the house that had the big candy. This is especially great for those who live in neighborhoods where the kids might not get an extreme amount of candy. Additionally, while I like to get an assortment of candy I always like to have second bowl dedicated to those without major allergens (like nuts and gluten) because it is so hard for kids who have allergies that I want to be able to ensure they get candy they an eat.
A few years back they started doing special packs of Halloween Pokemon cards; they only have a few cards in each but they are thematic for the holiday. I would have been overjoyed to get one of these as a kid so while I know not every kid loves Pokemon, I like to imagine those fans who realize someone gifted them with cards. Since then, I always make sure to try to have packs to slip in my gift bags.
Want something more generic than Pokemon cards? Things like these cute Halloween plush toys which will be just as memorable; just be careful that you don’t fall in love and want to keep them all! You could even do it like McDonalds where you give them the choice of these or something else like these small Play-Doh containers.
Again, I am pretty generous with my candy but while I do include a full size in each bag, I still throw in a few small ones so I guarantee kids get a really good haul. Of course, I always include candy that I personally like so I do not feel bad if I have too much candy leftover.
I hope these recommendations help! Personally I wish I could do things like homemade rice Krispie bars or caramel apples, but gone are the days that parents are okay with homemade items. I came from a very small town where everyone knew each other so it wasn’t uncommon for those sorts of things, but it just means we get to be creative in other ways.
If anyone has other cool recommendations for things they like to give out, let us know!
I hope you all have an amazing week, and a Happy Halloween!
