(BPT) - Kids love Halloween, and it's no wonder - on what other occasion are they allowed to have so many treats at one time? While you love letting them enjoy the holiday, here's a few tricks to treat kids - from healthy snacks to easy ways to keep them active. Check out these fun and festive candy alternatives to keep you from being spooked.
1. Use tangerines to create fun - and edible - decorations
You can use little tangerines in two different ways to create a festive Halloween atmosphere that doubles as a healthy snack.
- Leave the peel on: Draw jack-o'-lantern faces on tangerines with markers. This is a fun activity for kids who are too young to help carve pumpkins. Let the marker face fully dry before handling (or peeling to eat!).
- Peel but leave whole: Create stems with sticks of cut celery or raw green beans and stick them in the center of each tangerine. Arrange the mini 'pumpkins' on a platter to admire, then let kids at 'em.
2. Hand out Halloween GoGo squeeZ Fruit pouches for a spooky treat on the go
Made from 100% real fruit in squeezable, re-closeable and BPA-free pouches, GoGo squeeZ is a healthy and delicious alternative to sugar-filled candies and snacks. These specially designed Halloween packs come in four unique designs and are perfect for trick-or-treaters, family parties, kids' events, sports teams and classroom snacks.
Dani Lebovitz, MS, RDN shares that 'it's gluten free, nut free and non-dairy, with no added colors, flavors or high fructose corn syrup. It's also free from the top 8 allergens.'
Check out the fun Halloween packages of applesauce in these spooky flavors: Creepy-Crawly Apple Strawberry, AHHHH! Apple Apple and Unbelievable Apple Banana, all available on GoGo squeeZ's website and other select retailers.
3. Hold a mini pumpkin race
This is a great activity that uses energy while also calming kids down. Kids will need to focus and take their time as they balance a mini pumpkin on a large spoon to get to the finish line, indoors or out (depending on the weather).
Pumpkin fall off? You have to start over. For a large group of kids, set up as a relay race and play in teams.
4. Play pumpkin bean bag toss
Carve a big pumpkin with an extra-large mouth (think of a super surprised pumpkin!) and set out in the yard or on the porch. Provide kids with small bean bags (or make your own out of orange or black felt, filled with dried beans) and let them toss these into the pumpkin's mouth. Let younger children stand closer to the target. Each bean bag in the pumpkin can earn the child a treat or small toy.
5. Let banana ghosts haunt your get-together
Cut bananas in half and stand them on a decorative plate with the pointed ends upward. You can create eyes and a mouth from many different edible items, from mini chocolate chips (push the pointed end of the chip into the banana) or sprinkles to your favorite cereal circles - to make your ghosts go "Oooh!"
6. Serve Halloween-themed sandwiches
Even ordinary sandwiches can seem extra special if you use Halloween cookie cutters - shaped like pumpkins, ghosts or witches' hats - to cut pieces of bread, plus sliced cheese and meat if you're not going the PB and J route. Decorate the plate around the sandwich with 'eyeballs' made from grapes, olives or hard-boiled eggs, and 'spiders' made of two round crackers filled with cheese spread or peanut butter in between, with pretzel sticks for legs.
With these tips, you can be sure your kids will have a fun-filled - and healthier - Halloween.
