Halloween

One year (in addition to candy - Skittles are comparatively good), I handed out skull and skeleton rings I picked up at the dollar store. 20 or so in a bag for a $1. Another year it was Hallowe'en erasers - I think they were 15 for $1. Another year I went for dinosaurs - 10 for $1. Great little treats that make the kids happy.

This is a good place to get the kinds of things ebeth is talking about:

Oriental Trading Co. Halloween Treats

I stopped giving candy a few years ago and I noticed the kids got much more excited about getting a toy than a snickers bar.

At our local hobbylobby there is a shelf of dime store like toys.
These toys are 4-6 for one dollar.

We already worked out in our heads how much of these to buy so that we can give those out instead of candy.

Check your hobby lobby ( or micheals, or any other craft store ) for party favors. Usually, kids party favors are cheap, and easy to find.

One year, when my daughter was out trick-or-treating, she got in her
stash of candy an apple from someone. With all the candies she had
to choose from, the took the apple to eat.

Giving Halloween party favors is a great idea though.

Any real American kid knows that Halloween apples are loaded with razor blades and cyanide. They're only good for throwing at the house where they were given.

Playdough.

Target has all kinds of thingamabobs that are supposed to be party favors and are on sale now -- Halloween-themed pencils, and fake eyeballs, and stretchy lizards, and spiders, and on and on.

Also this isn't exactly healthy but it's cool and cheap -- Wendy's is selling booklets of coupons for a Jr. Frosty (small milkshake), ten for a dollar. The coupons are valid until December 31st and I bought a couple of booklets; some for Halloween, and some to use as party favors for my daughter's birthday in November.

Every fourth of July I buy a gazillion of those pop-it things. Whenever Mo and his friends get bored I give them a few boxes and let them make noise.

I told Mr. B that next July I'm going to buy two gazillion boxes and hand them out for Halloween.

Nothing says fun like explosives!

Silly Putty