Handing out the sweet stuff this Halloween?

Drop_it_Like_Its_Hawt

Oh, and when I was a kid, our favorite house to stop at didn't even give candy - they gave black and orange helium balloons. I think they just bought a bulk bag of them and rented a helium tank for the night, then started inflating them just before sunset.

The worst house, though I know she meant well, was the kind of sqirrelly lady down the street that had a barrel - I kid you not, an actual full-sized barrel - of whole, uncracked walnuts. She would always bellow in a thick accent "EAT THESE! NO candy - is no good for you!" and dump a big scoop of walnuts into each bag. The worst part of it was we didn't even have a nutcracker. We went home and used dad's hammer to bust them open instead. Or glued googly-eyes and feet to them later, for kicks.

santanagirl95

Mini bags of popcorn, The "Austin" cracker packs at Walmart... I think you pay like $1.88 for 12 packs of crackers... whats a bag of good candy cost these days? $7 or $8 right? $3 or $4 for the cheap junk candy... You can buy Boxes of Capri Suns... there are 10 in a box for $1.80 or so.... Puddings, Fruit Roll ups...pencils, go to the party section and they have little bags of party favor toys for next to nothing... get a variety of these things, and you will be surprised how much kids like these things... I guess it depends on how many Trick or treaters you expect though too... Where I live, ALOT of people give out the full sized candy bars and "bigger" items... Simply because we live in a pretty Rural Place... And we might have 50 kids all night instead of HUNDREDS... Even if you just buy Candy... Its one night... You can do it... Buy yourself a healthy treat to keep your thoughts off the junk!

CAlva11

We always like to hand out pencils or some of the glow in the dark necklaces :-) Saftey and fun but still in the spirit!

vim_n_vigor

You could do what the one house by us does. The guy dresses up in a gorilla costume, sits very still in a chair and when the kids come by he jumps up and chases them with bananas. The brave ones get the bananas. Of course, they still hand out candy at the front door. The kids love it.

CarmenSRT

Candy. Halloween is for kids. Getting apples is really lame - it's like getting socks as a Christmas present. :grumble: If you don't want to give out candy because you don't think it's okay then I'd suggest keeping the porch light off and going elsewhere for the evening.

We live in a cul-de-sac, off another cul-de-sac and the past two years got NO kids at all. Not even one. We buy really good candy too, even do up decorations (including a glass skull with plasma bolts in it!). I miss the babies dressed up in little teeny weeny costumes.

Shamrock_me

My dad handed out soda to the kiddies (all the Vess brand)
His thinking was "Obviously its not been tampered with and walking all night makes you thirsty!"
He'd also hand out a beer to the parents. It could get pretty crowded around our front porch.

rml_16

a)not being american and
b)not feeling like I have to give in to this "clinton cards" bullsh*t

I don't answer the doorbell at halloween. I do not encourage kids to threaten old ladies and get fat! Sorry! I love kids, I just don't do hallmark holidays.

Ummm...yeah...halloween isn't exactly a "hallmark holiday".

Some people need a history lesson! The tradition of Halloween (though it's evolved some over the centuries) has roots in ancient pagan culture. And while you have the option of giving people cards on Halloween (there are some very funny ones), it certainly isn't required.

Halloween is fun. You don't have to participate, though. It's my favorite.

Getting apples is really lame

Unless they're covered in chocolate or caramel. Mmmmmm.

TheRoadDog

It's a very depressing holiday for me. I was always the one that took my daughters out and my wife handed out candy at the house.

Even after the girls grew up, they would stay home and hand out Candy and I'd enjoy it with them. Last year was the first year all the girls were out of the house. It's not the same.

SoDamnHungry

We'll have a bucket of the good stuck. Chocolate. Snicker, Hershey, Reese's ....
And if Paranorman is on Blue ray by the 31st we'll be showing that in our driveway while the kids are trick or treating.

That's adorable! How nice.

SoDamnHungry

They don't come trick-or-treating for apples. Give 'em the good stuff!

Hellbent_Heidi

It's a very depressing holiday for me. I was always the one that took my daughters out and my wife handed out candy at the house.

Even after the girls grew up, they would stay home and hand out Candy and I'd enjoy it with them. Last year was the first year all the girls were out of the house. It's not the same.

Sorry to hear that.

For many years as an adult, I always used to go to my parents house on Halloween and watch "Salem's Lot" with my dad (it was ALWAYS on that night) while my mom passed out candy. After I got married, that stopped, and I have suspected since then that my dad was bummed...now after reading this, I'm feeling guilty

auroranflash

We'll have a bucket of the good stuck. Chocolate. Snicker, Hershey, Reese's ....
And if Paranorman is on Blue ray by the 31st we'll be showing that in our driveway while the kids are trick or treating.

You win Halloween! Whee! :flowerforyou:

VelociMama

So basically what you're asking is...

"Do I want the kids that are going to TP my house to use Charmin or some other off brand? And how do I remove eggs from my car?"

Kids want candy. Period. You'll be forever known as that house with the lady that gave out apples. It's one holiday. It's up to their parents to police their candy consumption, not you. And if it's really that big of a deal to you, don't give out candy. Fun sized candy calories though are not that bad. And they fit conveniently in your purse.

76tech

One year when I was a kid, one family gave out empty bags filled with air. Rich part of town. That's an idea. Except kids don't forget...

Other houses used to give bags of pennies. That was fun. Imagine a bunch of pre-teen miscreants winging pennies at each other, along with the requisite shaving cream and eggs.

The ones who gave full sized candy bars were gods amongst men.

Or just keep your light off. Better to give nothing than to give something that sucks.

Hellbent_Heidi

One year when I was a kid, one family gave out empty bags filled with air. Rich part of town. That's an idea. Except kids don't forget...

I wonder how many kids gave them that bag back filled with something...lit on fire! :laugh:

atsteele

I know it's a silly holiday but the kids get a big kick out of getting dressed up and going around the neighborhood. Heck, I get a kick out of all the kids who stop by the house for candy. (It's a great way to meet the neighbors that you haven't met yet!) I generally dress up in costume to hand out the candy. And my husband takes our kids (and sometimes a few friends of theirs) around the block. I buy a ton of candy to make sure that we don't run out for those stopping by: hershey bars, snickers, milky way, almond joy, mounds, kit kats, reeses cups, skittles, gummies, lollipops, etc.

I don't let my kids go to too many houses. Trust me, they get enough just going around the block in an hour or so. And we ALL have a great time. I let my kids have a few candies of their choice that night and then off to bed. I package up a month's worth of candy (that they choose) and the rest goes to work with my husband or off to someone who wants it. (Sometimes Halloween candy is collected by the local Catholic school and used in their Mardi Gras parade.)

If you don't want to be bothered with kids stopping by, just leave your lights off. We've been away on Halloween for various reasons and no one TP'd the house or yard.

kennacoconut

I am going to hand out bookmarks.