Halloween is one of my family’s favorite holidays. We love dressing up and decorating the house, reading Halloween stories and watching Halloween movies.
Then there is pumpkin carving and apple and pumpkin picking, boo at the zoo and trunk n treat. Plus, we always host a marshmallow roast at the house just prior to Halloween. It is a super fun time to get family and friends together just before the craziness of the holiday season.
There are just so many fun things to do to celebrate this super fun holiday!
The downside to Halloween is that it can be super unhealthy. There are so many sweet treats and candies being given out that it can be hard to encourage healthy habits in our kids without ruining the fun.
While I want my kids to be healthy, I also want them to enjoy time with their friends and family celebrating the holiday. Below are some ideas to help our kids have a healthier Halloween.
Go Trick or Treating
Trick or treating involves a lot of walking from house to house as you collect your candy and treats. It’s a great way to get some exercise in. Make it fun to travel from house to house while you check out all of the cool decorations and admire the Halloween costumes of other trick or treaters.
Definitely commit to doing the walking though. Unless you live in such a rural place that walking from house to house is not possible, refrain from using your car. The walking is a healthy exercise which makes it easier to treat yourselves with a candy or 2 at the end of the night.
Make a Deal
If you are worried about having to dole out Halloween candy to your kiddos for the next few months, make a deal. Allow them to have a few pieces of candy tonight, after all it is Halloween.
They can also keep any of the non-candy or healthier options like pretzels. Then they can trade their candy for a toy or a fun outing. This allows them to still be rewarded for their trick or treating but not eat all that candy.
Give it Back
Growing up, my brother was diabetic, so we rarely had candy in the house. So, I never really developed a taste for it. I loved trick or treating as an activity, but I had no desire to eat the candy.
Instead I would trick or treat during the late afternoon/early evening and go home with my spoils. Then during the later evening I would give the candy I had collected out to the trick or treaters that came to my house.
This is a great way to get rid of the candy that you traded your kids for, so that you don’t end up eating it yourself and it doesn’t go to waste. Now you don’t have to go out and buy candy to give out. Win-win!
Use it for Other Things
If you won’t be home to give out candy to trick or treaters, you can use the candy for other things as well. You can use it for crafting or holiday baking.
You can also donate it to children’s hospitals or shelters. Some dentists will “buy back” Halloween candy as well. You can save it to fill the piñata at the next birthday celebration or to give out with Valentine cards.
Make Healthy Treats
Instead of loading up on candy, feed your family with healthier treats that are special just for Halloween. You can make mummy English Muffin pizzas, roast pumpkin seeds, and witches brooms from pretzels and string cheese.
You can make up some guacamole and divide it up into small bowls. Then let your kids make monster faces with vegetables and tortilla chips. Make candy corn colored popsicles. Draw a ghost face on a clear plastic cup and fill it with milk for a ghoulish drink.
Make sure you eat before you go out trick or treating so you are not starving and then end up eating all of your candy. If everyone is full, they will be less likely to graze.
Are you trying to make Halloween healthier for your kiddos? Let me know in the comments. Also, if you want to get some fun Halloween coloring pages, join my email list to get access to the FREE Halloween coloring pages in my resource library.
Cheers,
Emily
