<p>I used to order bags of assorted non candy Halloween items from Oriental Trading company. The more you are willing to pay, the better the items.</p>
<p>My kids always complained if they received pencils.</p>
<p>One year they received candy cigarettes. I didn’t even think they made those anymore! Granted, it was probably around 2000, but was still inappropriate/not PC.</p>
<p>There are a couple of ways to go: purchase candy you LIKE in case you have leftovers, or purchase candy you DON’T like so you won’t be tempted!</p>
<p>Hunt, we clearly have similar taste in candy! I detested Bit O Honey and those peanut-shaped horrors. The ultimate Bad Candy for me is Twizzlers, though. Shudder.</p>
<p>When I used to give out candy, I always bought full-sized bars. Usually Nestle Crunch, Three Musketeers, Twix, Milky Ways, and Heath Bars. Also Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. But we never had more than 20-something kids.</p>
<p>Nowadays I don’t buy anything. We’ve never had a trick or treater here. If someone does show up, I’ll give them something I made myself, I guess. (The irony: no one comes to the candy factory!)</p>
<p>My dad loves Almond Joys and Mound Bars and no one else in the house will touch them.</p>
<p>Guess what he buys every year. ;)</p>
<p>My dad loves to buy tons of candy though and then he starts watching TV all the way in the back of the house and when kids ring the doorbell, he has to hurry to open the door. Every. Single. Year.</p>
<p>We have given glow sticks, which were a huge hit. Last year, my sis offered kids from a huge assortment of candies and drinks. The drinks were far and away the biggest seller (juice boxes and Capri sun). We have been away most if the recent Halloweens, so haven’t been buying anything. I have also given pretzels and McDonalds sells coupons that cen be redeemed for cones, drinks, fries. I’ve given those too.</p>
<p>I think even mini bottled waters would be popular as that walking can make folks thirsty. We saw a lot of folks opening their beverages immediately.</p>
<p>When my kids were T or T age, the good house: gave out full size snickers or Hershey bars, let kids in to rest or use the bathroom, served cider to the kids and wine to the parents. That house was everyone’s start and end point.</p>
<p>The bad house: gave Necco wafers or pretzels, smelled weird, and took forever to answer the door.</p>
<p>Anything in between those extremes, you should be fine! If you’re looking to avoid sugar, many kids like Smartfood or Pirate’s Booty, especially the nut allergy kids like my son. They can also have sour gummies and twizzlers, which most kids love and parents hate, 'cuz they smell like nail polish.</p>
<p>I’ve always like Neccos but hated getting Mary Jane’s or Sugar Daddy’s as a kid. Filling removers!</p>
<p>Last year I ran out of candy and started giving out packets of hot cocoa. It was a big hit! I’m going to do that this year and not buy candy since I always eat too much of the candy myself.</p>
<p>BTW, if you look at snopes, you’ll see that there never has been a case of Halloween candy poisoning except for a very few that were perpetuated by relatives. I guess the old “razor blade in the apple” is our adult-age fright, but not based in reality.</p>
<p>The last couple of years I gave out little bags of chocolate chip cookies (store bought) and the kids really seem to like that. The bags look big compaired to a piece of candy and cost about the same actually. I eat the leftovers. H is diabetic and candy bars are way too tempting. I only get about 30 kids.</p>
<p>When I was a kid, I counted my candy the night I got it and every single day after that. I would know immediately if one of my siblings (or a parent) had taken something. My kids were sooo much more trusting, except for once for a school assignment I don’t think they ever counted. Worked out great for me. :D</p>
<p>I was just talking about this today with a friend. She said one year she gave out Capri Suns. The kids loved them as they were thirsty out on their journey.</p>