Halloween festivities are about over in my neighborhood. I can still hear kids giggling and shrieking in the yard behind us, but our doorbell has been quiet a while.
While there are very negative aspects to this holiday, John and I completely enjoy the cute little kids, saying hello to my neighbors, and the whole community aspect of the evening. We had more kids visit than ever this year. For several years, we were lucky if we had a half-dozen kids come by in the whole evening, but tonight there were about 60, based on the number of items we gave away. More families with children have moved to our area, plus, we try to be very welcoming and give the kids unusual items.
A number of years ago, when my own kids went trick-or-treating, some families gave the boys something other than candy, and I copied the idea of giving out non-candy treats. The kids enjoy these items so much! First I discovered the miniature Golden Books - exactly like the traditional ones, but tiny and inexpensive. The kids loved those, but I haven't seen them in the stores for years. I would love to find those again, if they're still being printed. After that, I found other things, searching for fun items (little airplanes, tiny cars, high-bounce balls, necklaces...) Just the last few years, we started purchasing cheap plush toys from Oriental Trading. Kids get a huge kick out of getting something surprising. This year, we had bright colored stuffed snakes (always the MOST popular, but getting a little expensive now with more kids), little stuffed Halloween bears, and some toys called "Smiley Face Monsters," a peculiar assortment.
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